Running out of petrol in Ong's car

This is story recollection # 2. Well this happened way before my previous posting. During my first year, when i went back to Klang a lot. Might have been my way of trying to manage my feelings towards Tomi. Or might have been that i have not found my place in church yet.

Ways to get back to UTP:

1. Follow someone who's driving back - most environment friendly. Risk of driver cancelling or postponing their journey back till odd hours. Might involve long waiting hours. Highly unrecommended when you have a deadline to meet - this my era where laptop computers cost significantly higher than desktops so we're not so mobile in that case.
2. Take the bus - most economical and convenient. Involves drop off at the main gate - 30 minute walk back to the hostel. Limited number of buses that pass the gate from KL. There's also the option to take the bus to Ipoh - i had to erase the iPod i typed - and take another bus to UTP where the last bus is at 6pm and the conductor still goes around punching holes on tickets and it was quite an experience first time getting on it. felt like i went back in time. where everything was black and white. nevermind the diversion.
3. Fly to Ipoh - and get someone to pick you up or take a cab from the airport. i am not joking. i personally went to send someone off who bought her tickets there and then, got on the next flight out and arrived at KLIA 30 minutes later. speaking of short flights. i was Kuantan bound, on air and i thought of un-fastening my seatbelts (can't say remove coz its not the word for it) when the pilot announced that we were landing soon. heck i only drank 2 glasses of juice! then followed by the sound of the cabin crew scurrying to finish cleaning up and collecting plastic cups before having to sit and strap themselves safe. sounds like im describing rats working really hard.

where was i? oh the trip. well it was option # 1, which involved me taking a nearly 2 hour KTM - Kesian Tambah Merana ride from Klang to Rawang - Transit at KL Sentral (15 minutes). where Ong - one of the few revered ones who owned a car during his first year. and passengers UTP-bound were Tuck Fai and me. Sounds like Bonnie and Clyde but trust me its nothing of that sort. I remember nicknaming him my babi. but it wore out after 2 years or so. so back to my story. Tuck Fai was early and getting comfortable bonding with Ong's younger siblings whom i've heard to be very fascinated by strangers. they were showing off their spanking new PS 2 - yeah, i'm THAT old to Tuck Fai while Ong was doing something but i didnt know what.

they came to pick me up from the train station. i remember. it was a nice day. not sunny - yeah i happen to live on this side of the world where occasionally cloudy weather is much appreciated. im speaking on behalf of those people who detest the sun. even to cross a small road would painstakingly open their cute little foldable umbrellas in attempts to shield themselves from the monster of the sun. i remember one really cute girl named Jia Hui i met in India who religiously wears a pair of rainbow coloured arm warmers that she claims can work both to shield her from the damaging sun rays or to keep her warm. she was initially known as just that. whenever people were trying to explain who Jia Hui was, they always impersonate that signature rolling up the sleeves and often the word "Colourful" pops up.

so anyways Ong mentioned that we would need to stop and get gas/minyak as soon as possible coz the tank was running low. He asked us to remind him of stopping at the nearest Petronas station - yup we are all loyal people just outside Rawang before we hit the highway. but being us, got into a talking frenzy and missed it. so we were on our way and the next stop was at Tanjung Malim, about 90 minutes or less away. Ong was driving a sleek white SLK - Small Little Kancil. so fuel consumption was quite efficient. but then again its a small car. but that's another story altogether.

then everyone started getting sleepy from the weekend's lack of sleep - from wanting to absorb KL as much as we could before heading back to that then-God forsaken place again. so Tuck Fai was assigned to remind Ong when they are nearing the petrol station. because the yellow warning sign was blinking just 30 minutes after we left Rawang. and Tanjung Malim was about another hour or so away. and being Tuck Fai we missed THAT stop again. and the next one was about 45 minutes away at least. Air condition was turned off and windows wound down in attempts to conserve resources.

Mid-way, we stopped at a rest stop to answer Nature's call and while waiting, Ong approached a nearby Fuel Tanker with a plastic bottle, hopeful that the driver would be willing to lend a hand by opening up the tank to give us a little petrol. of course he said no! and gave directions to the nearest petrol station known which was a diversion into Bidor town, and getting there involved us driving in the wrong direction up and down a few hills where lotsa prayers were muttered and Tuck Fai hoping that he doesnt need to push the car anytime soon.

We arrived at the petrol kiosk, not in time for the Petronas one but a Shell one - good enough. they are all the same anyways. one process engineer said that it was merely just a pump where any oil company drew their petrol from. probably some difference in its additives and that's it. We took the next exit into the highway and made our way back, thankful that everything went well despite the adventure. - this ending really sounds like im attempting to write for SPM. look at what Malaysian Education has done to me. for all essays there has to be an introduction, body and conclusion. hehe.