We met in Standard 4 as we were in the same class.
Couldn't really remember the exact process of how we became friends though..
But we were really close, besides sitting around each other in class whenever we could and hang out during recess time, we were always talking on the phone after school.
Come to think of it, he was the first boy that introduced the wonderful & super long phone conversation to me. We would talk from anything to everything, nonstop for hours!
I found out that he was sick during one recess, when he suddenly collapse near the longkang. People rushed him to the teacher's office, where I found out much later he was then rushed to the hospital. It was also then that I found out he was sick, very sick.
The sickness he had was called anaemia. He later told me over phone conversation that he was diagnosed with this sickness when he was really young, and he would need to go to the hospital at least twice a month for blood transfusion.
It was kinda hard to believe him at first, as he was a happy-go-lucky person. A joker in the class, one who always has a smile on his face, which did not really fit the bill of someone who has such sickness.
As I knew him longer, I've slowly grew accustomed to his monthly routine of hospital visits and occasional fainting in the schools.
He would always call me when he was in the hospital, while he waited for the blood to be tranfused to his body. I doubted his words that time, as I've learned from TV dramas that we can't use phones in the hospital. But still, I would just believe his words each time and not question him.
Oh well, I had a crush on him. He was the first boy that I really like, and he knew it. Although he likes me alot, but he would always said that he didn't feel for me the same way.
Fast forward to secondary school, we became distant and we hardly talk to each other eventhough we were in the same school, due to the feelings I had for him.
Things started to change for the better when we were in Form 2, as fate has it that we were assigned to be in the same class again.
I took the chance to talk to him, questioning him on the reasons for avoiding me and for giving me the silent treatment.
We patched things up, and we were just like before, where the only difference was we were more older this time.
He would always come and sit in front of me, basically the first seat near the door, and we would talk, play games or do whatever.
Then came a period of time where he started to go missing very often, which wasn't normal. I questioned him about it when he came to school, but he would always brush it off and said everything's okay.
He came to school almost everyday for a short period after that, but he wasn't well at all. He was getting sicker and sicker by each day. Me and other friends tried to persuade him to go home and rest everyday, but to no avail.
It was on this one day, where he was pale, coughing, and he was in really bad condition. No matter how we tried to persuade him to go home, he wouldn't budge, he insisted on staying until school's over.
I don't know how I did it, but after much talking and urging him to go home, he finally said yes, and went home shortly.
That was the last time I saw him.
He lost the battle to anaemia.
The last words I said to him was "Go home!". Wow.. such 'brilliant' word huh..
Other classmates blame me for sending him home, as what he wanted was to spend more time with us.
I blamed myself too, for not saying so many things to him when I had the chance to. But there was no turning back already.
It has been 10 years since his passing.. It was the odd chance of bumping into his dad earlier that triggered all these memories.
He was my first crush and he was also a best friend. Until today, my memories of him are still very clear. I can close my eyes and I would hear his voice and see his smiley face.
You are a friend that I treasured very very much. You shaped my childhood, filled it with lots of laughter and fond memories.
I hope you are doing well on the side. Or if you have been reincarnated, I hope you are having a good life, one that is free from any pain and sickness.
You'll always be in my heart. I've miss you.
