Precious Yesteryears In A Box Of Can

As I said before, I was busy traveling back and forth to my hometown in Sandakan.  It is some kind of a long ‘holiday’ for me.  Actually, my husband has to attend a course in KL for 2 weeks, so I took the opportunity to go back to my hometown to spend my time with my old dad and my sisters and also my lovely nieces.  It’s an opportunity for my son to get to know and play with his grandpa too.

Being in my old bedroom, without my husband around…it just makes me feel nostalgic.  Everything about the room, the color of the wall which is faded by the passing years, the ray of sun in the window and simply the smell of it just bring me somewhere back to the yesteryears.  The room has kept so many memories and secrets of my younger years.

Then I remember I have kept something in my locked wardrobe drawer.  But being a busy mom night and day, and always tired spending time with my family, I only able to open it the final night I was there before my husband came to fetch us.  That night, after I put my son to sleep for the night, I slowly took out the drawer key from my bag, open the drawer and took it out.  It is a box of can that contains all momentos from my yesteryears. Among the momentos are letters, photos, greeting cards, small notes and so on.  I took it out one by one and reminiscing the past.  Some of it brings tears to my eyes, but most of it makes me smile.  And before I realize it, I already spend too much time wandering in the past that it was almost 3am.

So, here I want to share some of the momentos.

                                                                 A Box Of Can

Her Birthday Note and Parting Card

I think it’s not fair to share the contains without sharing the story of the can itself.  Besides, it’s a big part of the story of my past too.  This can was my 21^st Birthday gift from my university friend Imelda Riti.  She said in her birthday note that she wish to give me a ruby brooch but she didn’t know that the brooch has to be ordered earlier.  So, in her frustration looking for my gift, she saw this cute but empty can.  She decided to buy it for me, so that I can keep all our memories together in it.  Well, I don’t have much opportunity to build memories with Imelda since we were parted under unavoidable circumstances.  But we still friend, long distant friend until today.  She is now a successful woman and working in oversea.  I am proud of her.  Imelda, if you ever read this post…see how far and long lived your empty can has come. I still keep it (though without a cover already), and as you said, it is a keeper of my memories.

                                                                 Classroom Tag

Haha..this is interesting.  I know my classmate will be shocked that this thing is still exist after almost 2 decades.  But here it is. J Well, this is a tag that we use when we want to go out from the classroom. It was to make sure that no student will be wandering around or escape class during the school hour without permission from teacher or in their absent, the class monitor.  I was a class monitor back then, so I am the one who hold this.  Thus, till now it is in my keep.  This is just a simple thing, but surely it holds a very fond memory during my high school especially during my form 4 and 5.

                                                              Small Notebook

I use this book to write any interesting and nice quotes, poems and wording from many sources.  Be it from tv, books, magazine etc. But, I think mostly from books that I read.  This is an interesting momento for me because, I guess..my interest in poetry was resulting from collecting those quotes.  And I will give you one of the earliest poems I write in this book.

“Give me just a dream or two, that never can be broken.

A tender lovely word or two, in sacred moment spoken.

Give me for the lonely days a crystal memories,

There in to look as would a seer for happiness to be.”

Just a note, I don’t remember where I got this quotes from and it has no writer’s name written from where I got it. The first time I read it, every single word of it, pierced deeply to my heart…coz I was heads over heels in looooooveee with my first crush….my first love.  Read it again…and you’ll know what I mean.  Hahahaha.

                                                          Friendship Letters (40++pieces)

Last but not least, a bunch of letters from a particular close friend. You know who you are.  I know this particular friend since we were in form 1.  We were in the same class. But we only began close to each other when we were in form 4.  We started to exchange letters during school holiday in form 5.  Well, back then, there is no internet…and most of us had no house phone.  Let alone, a cell phone.  Cell phone was only for the rich I think.  And we..certainly not rich.  Hahaha.  So, this is how we communicate when we were not able to see each other every day. And we continue to exchange letters when we were attending a different school in form six.  Mostly talking about, how we miss hanging out together, how we feel that we cannot fit in with the new environment and new friends without each other and also channeling our thoughts about our studies. Today, we don’t write letters anymore.  Internet has been invented and…even poor people can afford cell phone already, so..we continue write to each other through sms or blog. So, friend..if you ever read this (I know you will read this)…hey…I still keep these you know. Hehehe.  It’s fun reading it again.  Drowning in it, feels like I was going back to that wonderful years of our lives. Young, carefree and full of laughter. 

I have a few other momentos inside this box.  But, some of it is not very interesting to talk about and some though interesting and meaningful, it might not be a good idea to discuss in respect to a few particular persons including my husband. So, I just keep it back in  that box.  I don’t know what will I do with it.  Maybe keep it for another 2 decades?  Well….only time will tell.