The journey back home on the interstate bus seems longer now. It was something like eight and half years ago that my sabbatical calling to the laid back town of Sungai Petani started way back in 2002. My family joint me on Christmas the same year. How I recall the saddness as I packed everything in a truck and thought that things could not get any worse. Those days aren't very far in my eyes, they keep coming back like a sort of illusion.
The bus ride for this particular weekend back home was to be one of the last ones. Yes, I had decided I was going back to my home, in Shah Alam, forever and had already made this fact known to all in the office. The talk has got almost everyone abuzz. In the days to come, there shall be more questions to answer and that was foremost on my mind.
The plan to move on had not been coming, if not for James. He had continuously persuaded me to move on and join him for better things to do. But eight over years is not something you could do away with overnight. Manmy thinmgs started rolling over and over in my mind; the work that had to be handed over, the people I still have to see and say goodbye, the reason for an early departure, dealing with the landlord on the handover of the current residence and most importantly, the farewell speech. That was something I dreaded and it was a most tearful moment to say goodbye, I had thought!
