Replay of a familiar event. Deja vu.

Year: 1989
Venue: Mamak coffee shop at Jalan Sialang, Tangkak
People involved: 阿公，丽凉 (me)

I was 3/4/5 years old (i never remembered what my age was then), neither did i know阿公's age then.

I could remember clearly, almost every morning, after my struggle to finish the bottle of tasteless milk, i would patiently wait for 阿公to come back from the cocoa plantation. Tagging along with him to the coffee shop beside 四公's shop is my daily favourite activity. As usual, 阿公would order a cup of kopi O' and he would light his cigarette and start chatting with other adults. Usually other granduncles, most of the time will be next door's 2nd granduncle with his granddaugther (whom i used to call Wei Nee, my love-hate, frienemy, playmate:P).

It was a routine for almost every weekdays. When daddy and mummy are off to school, as well as jie jie and ko ko (at that time, i call them by name now, i am not sure why...) first of all, he would choose his favourite table and seat, usually the first one from the entrance, beside the fridge. Once the coffee reaches the table, he would separate the saucer from the cup, pour a minute amount of coffee on the saucer just to clean it, and then he would pour a slightly larger amount of coffee from the cup into the saucer. Then, he would lightly put the teaspoon together with the saucer for me.

The first sip of the coffee was often not to my liking. Hot. Bitter.

However, as i drank on, the drink always get sweeter and cooler, and i would make sure that i finish whatever that was poured onto the saucer. As usual, before i get the chance to ask for more coffee on my saucer, 阿公had long finished his portion of coffee in the cup, and he would ask to leave. Guess i took very long time to 'savour' my coffee then :) I used to wonder how he (阿公) could be so fast, finishing the coffee while busily chatting with others.

Then, to finish, 阿公would reward me with a piece of sweet, for being obedient and not running around in the coffee shop. Later, he would drive his old, beige-coloured hashback car and i would always sit at the backseat :)

Year: 2008
Venue: Mamak coffee shop at Jalan Sialang, Tangkak.
People involved: 阿公，丽凉 (me)

We visited the same shop again this morning. Some things remained, some things had changed. The management had changed. Different boss, different cooks, different helpers. 阿公is 81. I am 23, all grown up. I no longer hold his hand. The arrangment of the shop was a little bit different, new furnitures admixed amongst the old cashier and roti canai making table. We sat in the inner part of the shop. He did not order Kopi O' anymore. Instead, he asked for Milo kosong, i asked for a teh tarik. The drink was no longer served in a plate with saucer, they came in transparent, larger glasses. I was no longer the small quiet girl busy sipping the drink on the saucer. Instead, i was actively participating in the conversation with people around grandpa (i did not know who they were, but i do know the conversation).

As we finished our drinks, i drove 阿公home.

Many many changes, however, going out with 阿公to that shop brings back a lot of fond memories, which i would like to cherish and revisit again and again in future. Perhaps, that little curious girl in me is still very alive.