THE SCHOOLDAYS

Daman’s reply to papa’s latest post brought back memories long since repressed at the back of papa’s mind, hidden amidst the high school ‘angst’ that papa kept suppressed and restrained all these years. Recalling the ‘nascent times, papa couldn’t help smiling but far from ‘wryly’- neither sardonic nor contemptuous, rather ‘benign like’ if the term be fitting. Papa, all his life has this little handicap that used to get the better of him most of times. He has a speech impediment- he stutters or ‘stammers’- being the more often used synonym.
It must be said that stammering would not go away no matter how long one ‘suffers’ from it. The word ‘suffer’ may not be a teeny weeny politically correct, as people tend to be a bit more ‘patient’ with this ‘sub-grouping’ particularly so whence conversing with them.
They do have the advantage of not being overly pressured or hounded for little or no reasons, quite frequently as the cases were. Verily, a much benefiting precondition-the proverbial trump card to deploy- especially so, in a frenetic cum high-strung working environment. The stuttering person perennial problem is- he or she couldn’t be hurried, being overly excited would exacerbate the problem. Public speaking is a near impossibility, they would shun from it, if not avoid it altogether. It’s not incorrect then to presume that people having this impediment would brook a bit of an ‘incomplete’ presentiment, thus the much hackneyed ‘inferiority complex’. Exactly the situation papa was predisposed to. Making his ought to be ‘gleeful’ times at school a ‘chore’ he would like to disremember.
Papa must only, enounce his inmost apologies for recounting such macabre and odious narratives relating to his ‘inadequate’ secondary school episode. Such BULLSHIT really- considering it was thirty odd years ago. The inexorable yet all the more evolving exigencies but need not imperiled anyone. He was only thinking of himself, as Zul Gagap, not as a Johannian, the imploringly loftier existence, rather than as- an ex Jantan Kabaret albeit still occasionally patronizing kalabul dangdut!
Sorry for the ‘outburst’. Papa losing himself for a while there. But of course Man, I do remember Dear Indy, not only in name but also in entire physical makeup though he could be a bit weather beaten now. Regards to him should you happen to ring or meet him. Is he still overseas? I do have this affliction not remembering names but recognizing faces, more so- old school chums.
What papa would never forget was- all Johannians were gallant young boys then, upholding the school’s good name for always, most at present are the Chevalier Gentlemen as should be, with some, even bestowed with honorific appellatives. A few had transgressed, there must; inevitably, be the imperfections, however slight and one is a Dangdut aficionado! He3!...CHEERS MATE!

Coincidentaly, Indra or Indy for short also needed further mentioning, he was, as only recently revealed by Daman one of two authors responsible for coining papa's infamous nickname-'papalados', the other being Daman himself. Reason being papa schoolboy's affinity for 'smokes'- of the tobacco kind only-never imbued with any other stuff. He used to boastingly exclaimed to everybody back then that he had tried most of the newer brands-the 'lieautenant browns, the 'dukes, and the 'chesterfields',
among the few cigarette brand names papa still remembers. That must have been been how 'papalados' arrived, as 'lados' was another term for cigarette, the source of which papa's not quite sure of. Anyway, papa should stop: smoking that is, its expensive-8.20rm now compared to 1.10 during papa's schooldays time. They were also available in small packs of fives or sixes then. An unhealthy habit, must stop- buying- really, rather than smoking-ambik member punya!...HA3!