Every time I listen to this piece Nuraini & I did, I feel a rather innate sense of hopelessness and dolor.

Tragedy is everywhere.

Plenty of things happen around us that we have no control over. And even though many of those things rarely affect us directly, it still frustrates me that we can do nothing to help or change the course of these events. 

It’s one of the sad realities of life that we have to face. And in doing so, mourn them, and learn from them.

And, at the very least, acknowledge them….

Music was always one of those universal ‘somethings’ that had the power to bring complete strangers together.

Often when we met up, we’d talk about bands & we’d listened to music.

He’d tell me tales of Eric Clapton and Jimi Hendrix, from the time they became friends to the moments leading up to his tragic death.

Music isn’t just about snappy lyrics & autotuning.

It’s the language of the soul. A natural high. It was a bout heaven & hell, about love and love lost. Music doesn’t lie, it doesn’t hurt. It had the ability to change the world, or at least move people to react.

And we understood that~

It was when I returned from India a couple of months ago that Benson and I started to keep in contact again.

I knew him since my Primary school days and we used to get into all sorts of dumb shit back in the day. Our friendship followed well through our teens until we just sort of drifted apart like how most relationships came to pass during those adolescent times.

I remembered very clearly, the first time we met after so many years, what he told me when I asked him what it was like to be a father.

“Its the best feeling in the world, knowing that you have someone waiting for you at home when you get back.”

He didn’t even so much as hesitate.

Our conversations have never once had a dull moment. When I first started this little project of mine, I knew had to involve her in it in some way. Embodying great insight and knowledge of the things around her that I simply had to capture..

She was the first friend I made on the first day of class back when I was still in college. We hit it off instantly and we’ve been friends ever since.

That was 3 years ago and Nuraini and I are closer than ever.

I can’t exactly remember how this conversation came about… but it sort of began with us discussing about double standards, which led to conflicting religious ideals and going further into the rationals of War….

enjoy~

I thought it was pretty funny to name our book club, “The Breakfast Club” cause of its obvious misrepresentation.

The four of us intended to meet during the first week of October for our very virgin session.

But I guess nothing was ever confirmed.

Being both east-siders, Iqbal and me had the advantage of meeting up to get a head start. I mean, it was only logical.

I’m pretty sure the other two wouldn’t mind.

“You know, I still don’t exactly know why she’s so emotionally unstable to begin with.” I told him.

“Well it’s actually not as straightforward as how most people would see it to be…”