My Special Friend.

My weekdays have always been a bore. Its waking up at 6.30AM, take my shower, dress up, gobble some cookies into my stomach and drive to the train station to catch the next train to work. I will then "slog" the whole day, and when 6.30 comes, catch the next bus to the train station and head home. Oh, of course, in between my working hours, I slot in some happy moments which I get to share with my special someone. Other than that, and lunch hour, It was a bore!

However, Every single day, at 7PM sharp, after arriving at the station for the inter exchange of another train, my mood immediately changed for the better. Here's a very simple reason why...

At the Masjid Jamek station, right at the entrance of Putra LRT, there will be this one, middle-aged guy selling chips by the roadside. Passer-bys usually just walk past him, either with their face looking down or they put on a face as though they're in a hurry. For goodness sake - Its 7PM, you're heading home!

You see, this guy has no legs. He lost both his legs, and he is wheelchair-bound. For a disabled person to come out in public, working so hard for a living should put us all, able-bodied people to shame! How many times in a day have we constantly complain on our own hardship when in actual fact, it bears not the slightest comparison to what this young man in wheelchair is going through?

I have to be honest, I never noticed him either during my first two days catching the train. It was not until one day, when I noticed that he fell down from his wheel-chair and no one came to his aid. Everyone stopped in their track; and just starred. I did not know what came over me, but I walked forward and offered one of my hands to him. He starred at me, and I saw tears in his eyes. At that moment, something deep within me, the core of me, was so badly shaken and I felt ashame of myself - of the times I walked past this exact location and yet I failed to notice him.

From that day onward, walking past that train station was never the same for me anymore. There would be this one young man shouting *kerepek! Kerepek!* waiting for me.. Each day, he would offer me a brand new pack of chips, which I make it a point to pay him for with RM2. To him, I may be one of the friendly ones, but to me, he taught me the true value of being thankful. So today, at 7PM sharp, I shall stand in that exact location with my special friend, talking about the weather and how his day went. Always wearing his huge happy grin, he is indeed a very special friend, my "Abang Kerepek" =)