And They Called It Puppy Love.

Of course she knows she's the prettiest girl in school because everyone says so. And you know how it is with the most pretty girl in school. She's gotta have someone less pretty as a friend with whom she can saunter back and forth in the schoolyard so people can make comparison to reaffirm that she's indeed the prettiest. That's how it goes with Anita and Faizah. Everyone says Anita is the doll of all the dolls in school and Faizah is a doll too but she's not as pretty a doll as Anita, who is probably the prettiest doll in the whole of Penang Island for all I care. But between you and me, I don't think she's the prettiest thing I've ever seen walking about the schoolyard now looking at me because everyone says I'm the Trengganu boy who speaks funny.

People say Anita has been taken by a guy called Kamal who is in Form 1A. Some people say that's not true because they heard different. She has had her heart set for a form three guy in the morning session. Whatever it is, Yusof says; you'd better forget about her because she's taken. I say; no harm trying. Siva says; good luck.

One day a fair skinny guy with a lot of straight hair calls out to me to say; You! new boy, come here. He's at the corner of a canteen with two guys, one brown as milk coffee and the other a little fairer. He says to me something like this; I heard you sent a letter to Anita. You'd better be careful, new boy. This is Penang. You don't know what Penang can do to you for disturbing a Penang girl. You'd better not be writing Anita letters or you'll find out the hard way that you're not welcome in Penang.

I say I don't know what you're talking about. I don't write no girls no letters because I don't write too good and even if I do, why would I write Anita letters when I know she's taken by a guy called Kamal. (Besides, what chance do I have with Anita? Me being in Form1E, the last class in school, half of which can't read too good. Not to mention having being caned in public twice; one for pulling out a bun of hair of a guy who is a Punjabi. And the second time for fighting in the canteen with a guy I don't like because I was sure as the sun he stepped on my new shoes.)

Suddenly this skinny guy with a lot of straight hair laughs out loud to ask me; do you know who Kamal is? I say I don't care who he is. Of course I lie a little. I know who Kamal is and he is this skinny guy with a lot of straight hair now laughing at me as if I'm some kinda half-brain creature just came out of a hole in the ground.

From that day onwards, I follow Anita and Faizah whenever I see them walking about the schoolyard. It's not because Anita is pretty or anything. I figure this would get Kamal angry enough to call me out again for a fight. And so I walk beside Anita and Faizah during recess. They'd skip about like a pony as if trying to get away from me but I know they like the attention and so I walk faster to keep up. They'd go up the stairs half running gigling like firecrackers so everyone can see what's going on. This goes on for about a week until people say I'd better stop disturbing the pretty pair because Anita's brother wants to talk to me about something. Yusof says; you'd better carry a knife. I say; I think so too. And so I got me a pocket knife from a shop on Campbell Street.