Less than five days to go, and counting.
I am in trepidation, but I am looking forward for a trip to Makassar to visit a former teacher of mine, who used to teach Sains Paduan and Fizik in high school in 1977-79. I have always been on the lookout for my three bapaks from high school and two of them passed away before I could meet up with them.
In Bapak Maryoso's case, just the with knowledge that he hailed from Pekalongan, my brother went to Education Dept in Pekalongan to seek info on bapak and by chance, the person there knew of a Bapak Maryoso who went to Malaysia to teach in the 70s. He returned to Jawa in 1977 and according to that person, he went back to Malaysia and apparently his family now lives in Selayang.
No, he had passed away.
Just like Bapak Muljadi, though in Bapak Muljadi's case, he was so near too as he was living in Seremban.
So after knowing Bapak Mappa's whereabouts, I am not taking any chance and immediately arranged a ziarah trip to visit Bapak. Fortunately, my buddies from KB76, Zul Maon, and Rozhan are willing to join me to visit as part of entourage to visit Bapak.
Bapak is now 86, and is apparently healthy.
Bapak is part of the 3 science teachers who taught and prepared us for integrated science for the SRP exams and we did so well then. Part of the credit for science has to be given to Bapak (with Cikgu Ghazali and Shaari), if I remember correctly. They probably work harder than us for SRP 78 with daily tests, and quizzes.
He went on to teach us Physics for F4.
What makes this trip more interesting and more 'meriah' is that Cikgu Dr Fatanah will be joining us too. We have the KNAP story to tell Bapak, and I am sure from teachers' perspectives, there are many stories to be told.
Sunday 5 February. Makassar, and Bapak Mappa, here we come.