Losing a colleague and Friend to Covid19
On 22 December 2016, the first day I returned to UPM Faculty of Engineering campus, I had to park my car some distance away from the main building where my office was. I couldn't go through the road barrier leading up to the main building as I had not applied for my access card at that time. I didn't complain - I was quite happy to take a slow stroll towards my office after leaving the faculty for 8 years. While walking I couldn't help but to wonder how the people in the faculty would take it, about my returning back to UPM after so long. After all, with a track record of defending the university till the end, surely not everyone would be comfortable with this 'trouble maker' walking back to his office to start shaking things a little bit, again.
While strolling, I heard and saw from a distant, that familiar sound of a 150cc motorbike and a gentleman carrying a bunch of letters, coming towards me. After 8 years I couldn't believe it - that was Jaya, my friend from UPM for as long as I could remember. Jaya was the true trusted 'mail guy' - he was the sort of guy you could trust your 'package' with and he would make sure your package would deliver no matter what. So I saw Jaya and his motorbike coming my way, and he rode past me. Oh well ... . But at the corner of my eye I saw Jaya's head and helmet turned - boy at that speed anyone could easily pull a neck muscle! A loud screeching followed soon - that was Jaya stepping on his brakes. "Hey ... DOCTOR!!!!", Jaya screamed. "Dr. Zairil!!!". Jaya left his motorbike on the road with the engine still running and ran towards me and gave a humongous HUG.
I was so happy to see Jaya too, even more happy he still remembered me. Jaya and I saw how the faculty grew during the late 1990s/early 2000s, when the 'landscape' was different. He told me he heard I was coming back to UPM and glad I did to make things even better than it was in the early 2000s, as most of the champions back then had slowly drew their curtains for retirement. I told Jaya his motorbike engine was running still, in the middle of the road. We laughed. He invited me to go for 'teh tarik' and 'roti canai' one day - and I of course said, 'Sure!'. This was my first experience walking back to the Faculty of Engineering, UPM in 2016.
Jaya and I usually met in the faculty when no one else was awake yet. I usually reached the faculty at 6.15am to start my day in the office, and I would surely bummed into Jaya, who came at the same time, switching on all the lights at the faculty. For a long long time (2016 until Covid19 pandemic hits us all in 2020), 6.15am was our meet up time to go through, 'What's going on with Life' chit chat. When the pandemic hit the world, that pattern broke. We couldn't go back to office like usual anymore.
On the 14th June 2021, I lost this dear friend of mine to Covid19. Intellectually I know the pandemic was hitting the entire world but the impact was something else when it took away someone you know dearly. I will miss Jaya ... dearly. When the pandemic is over, 6.15am in the faculty is never the same again for me. I no longer have that refreshing chit chat about Life every morning with this fine gentleman. I will miss seeing Jaya smiles with his parcels and letters around the university. We never had that 'teh tarik' and 'roti canai' after all - but I will remember that promise for our next lives. So long my dear friend. Rest in Peace. See you again some day ....
