Langkawi revisited

My first trip to this island was when I was in form two. The scouts of SMPS and the girl guides of SMTM co-organized the trip there. It was in the 70's and what Langkawi is now is world apart. We loaded the bicycle into the ferry at Kuala Kedah and off we sailed to Kuah Jetty. Kuah Jetty then was made of wooden pillars full of fishermen boats around. After collecting our bicycle we were briefted on the "rules and regulations" and off we went to the island tour. Hardly any cars. Only old bikes, bicycles around. Kuah was then just a row of wooden shop houses. There it was the most out standing shop then belonging to Manggaram, the father of my classmates, Suresh. He is also the father to the not so clever Dr Dev Anand who operated my daughter twice without success! Curse on you Dev!

Back to the 70's. We camped at the mosque compound of Masjid Jamek Langkawi.(the very same mosque where Taufiq lost his phone and wallet recently). At nite, Rahman, my buddy got a strange idea of getting the fresh coconuts up the trees. I believe hunger got the better of him. Mind you, those days young coconuts were valuables!While the girl guides and scouts were deep asleep, Rahman and me sneaked out of the tents and up he went like a trained monkey. I was at the base to collect the dropped coconuts. Boms! one, two three, four the coconuts tumbled down. "cukup Man" I said. "Sikit lagi Bie" he answered.

As Rahman was busy monkeying with the coconuts he was not aware of what was happening down there. An old man approached me and I knew that was the mosque official. Within a split of a second I made a quick dash into total darkness and straight into the tent. With heart pumping hard, adrenalin flowing fast, I peeped through the small opening of the tent. The man, waited patiently at the base, collecting the coconuts, on behalf of "Bie". Rahman kept asking "Bie" whether the collection was enough. Rahman only stopped and came down once "Bie" said "Cukup tu......"

Rahman, upon hearing a different voice, was shaking on the tree but managed to land down safely. The landing was as rought as Dr Sheikh Muszafar as his leg was unable to grip the tree trunk any further...

The man was sporting enough not to scold Rahman but in fact he divided the collection into halves, between both of them...

The next day, we all enjoyed. Both the young coconut meat and juice as well as the hillarious incident. As all of us, especially the girl guides burst into laughter, Rahman pulled a long sour face. Of course, till we departed Langkawi, not even a word, Rahman and I spoke to each other.