As I scrutinised the black and white photograph of my childhood friend Meng and me, thoughts

about that day started to coalesce in my mind…

It was a dark afternoon, grey clouds gathered in the sky as if they were having a meeting. VROOM!
Yes, that was the sound of satisfaction to me. That was the sound of the sports car I had adored for
many years. Now, the keys were in my palms, as I clenched it tightly. “I want to show Meng. I want
to show him.” I thought deep inside me. Before I knew it both of us were in my brand-new Maserati
speeding like a bullet across the expressway.

“How you find this thing?” I questioned him eagerly.

“Not too shabby, just way too fast”, he muttered slowly, looking rather petrified.

I was increasing the speed of my new demon. Meng had advised me not to go too fast, however I
simply ignored him, a cardinal sin indeed. The monotonous drone that was produced from the
vehicle allowed me to adore it even more. I giggled. By now I was not sober anymore, not normal
like the average me. Hallucinations become flooding my head. I began hearing a series of whispers
informing me hit the pedal even more.

“Jerry for goodness’s sake please stop this vehicle now. Please!” Meng cried. My head just gave a
shook, disapproving his words. “Now we all get why you are called a pest, keep quiet!” I bellowed
with frustration. I wanted to impress this brand new “baby” to him. I desperately wanted to do what
I wanted.

Then the mishap came…

“Crash!” This all ended my relationship with my friend Meng.

I lay unconscious on the white hospital bed. “Mum, help why can’t I move?” I groaned. The doctor
stumbled towards my bed and muttered softly,” Lifelong paralyses is confirmed on you. You were
lucky enough. God did not take you, unlike your companion.” “What… what… can…can... you…say…
say that again?” I mumbled. “Your friend died, okay?” The doctor spoke more directly this time.
Words had failed me. I had lost Meng, my only true friend.

I felt that I had been struck by lightning, bad luck or something else. Or was it my own foolishness
that led to this happening.

Here I am now, in the present. I laid on my bed in the hospital with a melancholic visage. It was with
me, since the day I lost Meng. I casted my forlorn eyes out towards the window. I took a deep breath
in… “Jerry, Jerry, Jerry…”

I heard Meng call out my name or was its hallucinations. Maybe I was insane already, who knows.
My name reverberated in my head over and over. “Why am so stupid?” “What a show-off.” I cursed
myself under my breath. I shook my head slowly.

I knew that it was all my fault, all my stupidity that resulted in this outcome. I was in the hospital
permanently, and Meng, to another world far away…