Based on a true story

There is this boy who cannot make much important choices in his life. His dad chose EM1 stream for him. "Takpe, kau try je dulu." Somehow, he managed to cope his higher malay quite well. After pri 6 prelims, came the time to choose 6 secondary schools. These were the 6:
1) Raffles Institution
2) ACS (I)
3) Anderson Sec
4) Bukit panjang Govt
5) SJI
6) Commonwealth Sec

Doesn't really seem like a prob rite? It was just that this boy scored 210 for his prelims. "Takpe, ni biar kasi kau target tinggi." Kiisurat. PSLE results out, and he scored 234. Out of the 6 schs, only SJI will accept him. By ONE point.

After Sec 4, this boy really wanted to go SP (dere was this new aeronautical dip). Guess what his dad did? Forced him to go jc. "Takpe, kau try je jc dulu."

And so, the boy went to SA. Failed gp for his entire 2 years in sch. Did pathetically for prelims, COF. and of course, failed gp. Seriously considering playing A division rugby for another year. Told his dad about crossing over to poly. "Takpe, kau amek je A-level kau dulu." By stroke of luck, the boy did ok for his A-levels.

It was just damn strange how each time his dad said that, the boy would just scrape thru things. He got a place in SMU, after interviewed at the old campus at Bt Timah. Went to NS, wanted to sign on. Only weeks to ORD, found out that he was not even supposed to enter OCS. What a luck.

After ORD, the boy told his dad he didn't want to go SMU.
"Apa, kau nak masuk NUS eh?"
The boy told him, No. I gonna sign on.
"Oh army panggil kau balik?"
Again, the boy said, No. Its going to be SCDF. As a spec.
"Eh kau da gila ke? belajar susah2 abeh sign on spec. buang masa"

That was the common belief among those that were close to the boy. His SJI mates for years told him not to sign on but just study. His SA classmates. His rugby mates. Even his aunts, who didnt even complete secondary sch, said the same thing.

Guess what?

For the first time in the boy's life, he said, Fuck it, fuck the world. I gonna choose how i lead my life. I gonna sign on. With SCDF. As a spec. Life has a strange way of showing u things. Had he stayed at SMU, he wouldn't be studying Sports Science. He wouldn't be an Ironman. He wouldn't be with the girl he is with now. He wouldn't be riding his super four.

Fours years after signing on, he finally got his degree sponsorship. It was not really a lot, but at least more or less, he's settled. He might not like the job as an officer in SCDF. But remembering his dad's words: Takpe, try dulu je.