I started smoking when I was a form 2 student. It was during my journey to my friend’s house at Masjid Tanah that I smoke my first Salem. A menthol cigarette that is, which taste awfully bitter and stung my amateur throat like hell upon the very first suction. With all the taiko traits that we can muster (mind that there were two of us) we managed to get the back seat, and as professional as we can pretend, we smoked our first maiden fags into our virgin lung. Thinking the Salem Menthol as the lightest cigarette on earth, we take a deep breath through our mouth with the cig between lips, only to find out that we mightily coughing our bronkiols out. Ha ha.
Smoking on the school compound is a no no, especially for the green lower form students. Unless you have special privilege license that you obtained from your seniors, once found out, you will be bashed and smacked like an ass by the seniors. You will have to be and looks ‘jambu’ to get a senior to take care of your back, and this protection will have to be metaphorically reciprocated by letting yourself to be cuddled and caress by the protector. Paying ufti in the kind of fags is also accepted, so long as the fags is red Dunhill. And for such a price to pay for the stupid privilege, I quit smoking on the school compound altogether, and keep myself vehemently obedient, only to be elected as a prefect during my third year.
And during that second year of mine in that school, apart from God,luckily only 2 souls knew that I smoke. ADJ and me, obviously.
P/s: I am not sure what lesson this article would give, but nevertheless, I beg to every person that knows me his/her forgiveness for any misdeeds that happened between us. I am sorry, for I was too naïve then, and still am.
