Confession of a Vandal

Dearest FCR,

Do you remember the tree behind the school that we (or was it just me?) vandalized during our last week in primary school? We (I think it was just me) carved

N
S
Y
N
C

along the trunk of the poor tree, and I'm quite proud at our attempt of marking our mischievousness without really exposing who we were. Back then, the whole class were crazy over Hijjaz, Nowseeheart, Westlife and of course Backstreet Boys but only two (or was it three?) were standing firmly by Nsync.

That was 2002.

We came back to visit our primary school and teachers after SPM. Remember that we finished off with scurrying to the back of the school and revisit the vandal site?

Baik sangat la korang.. layan je saya ajak masuk semak.
Dari kiri: Laila, Ayuni, Timah, Raja, Dahiyah.

The tree was still there, but the markings were too faded.


That was 2008.

Just now I had Hakim to wait for me at the wakaf because I wouldn't want to risk any snakes or centipedes jumping on him. I then went to the back of the school with Ikbal and Firdaus (both boys wanted to follow me everywhere, sweet critters :x) but I can still see Hakim watching us safely from afar.

They both wanted to know what I was doing. I told them so, and Ikbal doubted our tree was still there because the school cut down several trees at the end of last year in an act of "illegal deforestation" as he said.

And surely, the tree was not there. Only a stump of it still remain.

There were other trees on either side of the stump though, and I wondered whether the cutting down of the Nsync tree was an act of retribution from the school. Sigh.

Boys leaning onto a neighbouring tree.

Today is 2011.

The three of us left the bushes. I heard Ikbal suggesting to Firdaus that they take a leaf out of my book and also carve their names onto one of the remaining trees...

Have I set a bad example?