As much as I love cats, this entry is not about any cats at all. This one is a story about me and the Alleycats, the Malaysian music group. Well, to be exact, it is not even about me and them. It is actually about me and a very good friend. You might wonder how the Alleycats are part of this story and I'm going to tell you how. Although none of the musicians are Malays, the Alleycats were very popular among the Malay music listeners back in the 80s and 90s (they still are). Back in 1985, I attended a concert (Malam Kerana Kau) at Stadium Negara with a very dear friend (who will remain anonymous of course). It was a last-minute decision to go and see the Alleycats in action. As a result, we arrived quite late since we were not familiar with the route to the venue at all. It was also raining slightly that night and the motorbike ride all the way from Serdang (I was studying there at that time) to the stadium was not pleasant at all. By the time we reached the place, we both looked like two skinny cats (no pun intended) which had fallen into a drain. But how wonderful it was to be young and carefree! To be without heavy responsibilities and life-long commitments. It was definitely a night that I will remember and cherish until the end of time. That was almost 27 years ago and now, both of us have gotten older and hopefully, wiser too. The sad thing is we are not even speaking to each other anymore. We had a falling out back in 1986 and we have stopped talking to each other ever since. We had been friends for years and suddenly, everything went down the drain just like that. It's obviously stupid when we fight over petty matters but it's even more stupid when we lose someone over something that can easily be avoided. Looking back, I wish I had not allowed my foolish pride and ego obscure my judgment and decision. I humbly admit that everything was due to my own folly and none of my friend's.
Sampaikanlah salam cintaku padanya
Walaupun terluka namunku merindu
Kerana cintaku tiada akhirnya
Walaupun kau telah menghancurkan
Sampaikanlah salam cintaku padanya
Walaupun sengsara namun ku masih sayang
Kerana cintaku mewangi dan harum
Walau tercampak di mana jua
Andai ku tiada, andai ku pejam mata
Biar ku abadi cinta yang setia ini
Biarpun kau jauh, sambutlah salamku
Kerana aku masih menyayangimu
Tidak pernah aku membenci dirimu
p/s Dear friend, you are not forgotten and will never be. Terima kaseey for the wonderful times we had!
The ticket stub from the Alleycats' 1985 concert.
