Happy New Year

                ‘So, did you check the car?’ Farhan asked. ‘For the umpteenth time, yes! God, I didn’t know we’re bringing a worry wart along to the New Year celebrations’ said Amir gleefully while he shut his bonnet down. Me, Amir, Bur and Farhan have decided to celebrate 2012 at Kuala Lumpur along with many other metropolitans and tourists there. We’ve decided to join the New Year countdown at Twin Towers. There, we would enjoy the fireworks then meeting Farhan’s Uncle for a New Year Party.

                Amir, I and Farhan had already received our driver’s license while Bur had not taken it as his mother had asked him to focus on his studies during our last year at school although he is a better driver than us. Amir’s car, an old Proton Saga which we jokingly called it the First Edition Proton. It was really that old..

                Thankfully it fitted all our luggages especially Farhan’s luggage. He was a “safe” packer which basically means he brings a lot of useless junk which he would always defends his stuff by saying “just in case..”

                After finishing our prayers we shook hands with our parents except for Farhan’s as they were waiting for us at Kuala Lumpur. Amir started the car and we drove off. Equipped with SMART tag to rid off the tolls easily, our smart phones in case we get lost, a map just in case Google Maps can’t help us, and a comfortable blanket for myself. I can’t stand the cold of the air conditioner even if it’s from a ‘First Edition’ Proton.

                After we drove for hours, we decided to stop at Ayer Keroh’s famous flyover road stop. There, we ate an early dinner, prayed and sightseeing at Al-Ihsan, where we saw the latest sports merchandise. After pulling Bur and Farhan from the store preventing them from drooling at the latest Nike soccer boots we went to the car but the owner of the car wasn’t there. All of us sighed loudly as we all know where the owner of the car went. He was hitting on girls. Again.

                Amir’s actions threw us off course from our initial plans. While Amir was rolling his eyes to Farhan’s lecture and Bur’s thunderous snores I was speeding on the highway. As I reached 130 km/h a flash was seen from our right side. I jumped when the flash shone on our car and went straight away to the nearest road stop. ‘What was that?’ asked Farhan.  ‘Speed trap camera’ Amir said bluntly. It was our first time getting caught in the act we parked the car and waited for a few minutes in a dazed expression until Bur choked from snoring which woke him up and made us all laugh. Then, Farhan decided to take the wheel on this leg of the journey.

                As we drove in a slightly better mood, we talked about how we are going to enjoy the celebration and meeting new people and making new friends. Amir then said ‘Just new friends?’ he raised his eyebrows and we all laughed at his statement. We knew of Amir’s New Year’s resolution; New year, new girl. His flirtatious ways were troublesome but he’s a good guy but with a tragic love life that seems always predictably spiralling down to lover’s oblivion. As we laughed and Farhan was teasing Amir’s chances of flirting a girl, it happened.

                We were laughing and were having a goodtime in our drive to Kuala Lumpur until we saw a large bulking black figure on the road; it was a dead boar. Amir, pointed at it and instinctively, Farhan swerved to the left as the car in behind us would probably swerved to the right. To our dismay, we swerved the wrong way as our car collided with a large transporting lorry. The last thing I saw was a large set of tyres fated to hit my side of the car. I thought we were going to die as we spun uncontrollably on the road and Bur was furiously saying prayers and Farhan’s head hit hard on the steering wheel. Amir and I saw the lorry that collided with us rolling on the highway like the truck we saw in the movie Fast and Furious 4. Our car stopped neatly at the left side of the highway without hitting the curb thankfully.

                A loud furious tap woke me up and saw that we all survived the accident. An Indian driver had stopped his truck to check on us and asked us to get out of the car quickly as the lorry’s oil tank had leaked. Fearing for the worst, we obediently got out of the car and waited outside of the road. The police had reacted fast and finished reported our accident. We looked at the car. It was pretty wrecked. Thankfully we and the lorry driver survived it. As passing by vehicles slowed down to check what is going on, flashes from cameras were seen as some of the bus’s passengers decided to take pictures of the incident. Always the joker, I made peace signs to the passengers who were eagerly taking pictures of what had happened.

                The police had towed our car to be fixed at a nearby workshop while we were sent to the nearest police station which was Linggi’s Police Station. There, we had to make a new report and had to pay a ticket for speeding and for hitting the lorry. We understand the fine for the speeding but for accidentally hitting the lorry? Rather than arguing about it we obediently paid it and waited for Farhan’s parents to pick us up.

                After a brief reunion for Farhan and his family, we travelled to Kuala Lumpur and cancelled our plans and settled for a quiet celebration at Farhan’s apartment which was situated near the Twin Towers. “Well at least we can see the fireworks” said Bur yawningly before he dozed off again as we drove to Kuala Lumpur.