You will be remembered, always and forever

I know it's too late now to write an eulogy about the friend I lost. Others may read it, but she will never. My discombobulated still-in-shock mind wound it's way through every memory I had with her. Though not many and they happened more than a decade ago, they came vividly like it was just yesterday. My heart leaped a beat when I got the news.

This friend who went with the name Brittany or rather, Yoke Tien, had left this world today. I was more accustomed to addressing her by the latter name. Had known her since first standard and we were quite good friends till the end of my primary studies. No, we were still friends, it was just that we weren't as close as before. As far as my memory can contain, she was the 'little princess' in her family being the only daughter of both her parents. She had everything she wanted as a kid. I was frequently getting invitations to play at her house during that time. Was amused to have recollected that she was in point of fact the one who taught me how to play my first piece of music from a piano. It is a tune familiar to everyone yet I do not know its title.

I was consciously drawn to our childhood where she used to squander money on us(me, Alicia, Eunice, Christine, Xin Yee, Jye Chi) generously by dropping some coins around the bushes and we had to find the scattered coins to possess them. Next memory that came to me was an outing to Summit Parade when it was first launched during our third standard. It was an outing with Yoke Tien and Eunice and no doubt, it was my first lepak-ing experience as well. The three of us actually walked around the mall synchronously with our feet going left, right, left, right, left. Then I remembered the sticker collections era we went through. It was part of our growings. Alicia and I were very fond of Yoke Tien's velvetty disney stickers. She told us it was purchased from a country which I failed to recall now and promised to get us some when she revisits the place. She gave me a memorable childhood I will never forget. I'm sure to my other friends as well.

The thought about her demise is still hard for me to comprehend, really. Such that how did a girl like her leave the mortal world at such a young age? The many doubts that rushed through my suspicions. One thing I'm truly regretful of is for not dropping by a greeting while she was still alive. The last time I had a conversation with her was in Nov 2007 as I looked through my inbox. I was asking her about London when she told me was already back in Malaysia for good.

Life is indeed fragile. It is short. I have yet to save a life but I'm already watching another friend gone from my life. Of the many things I wished I had done, it's all too late. For all I know now, don't live a day of your life with regrets because what happens next, we can never predict. Dear Yoke Tien, may you rest in peace, with a prayer dedicated to you. Thanks for appearing in my life significantly.