Taxi too expensive

Woke up very early (well, early to bed, early to rise though I'm not so sure about being healthy, wealthy and wise especially the part about being wealthy as I've been waking up very, very early for school for the past twenty six years and I'm still poor!) and made a quick sneak to the bathroom before the cat awakens. Did everything in a jiffy; too bad there was no Malaysian Book of Records that I know of then! We had 'yesterday's dinner', I mean milo and biscuits again for breakfast. Having gotten ready very early, I felt I waited an eternity again for the posting officer who had told us the evening before that he would be at the Rest House early to inform us of our new posting.

His appearance brought both relief and disappointment. Relief because we have not been forgotten or abandoned and disappointment because he has found only one posting and I'm not the lucky one again. We hopped into his car and enroute to the education office at Simpang Tiga, we made a brief stop at Penrissen No. 1 to drop off the lucky one, a graduate from UM at her new school.

Reached the education office around mid-morning and as usual the waiting game started. We waited while the officer went through his files. A number of possibilities were available and the furthest was a place called Binatang! Luckily, the guy was told to be a gentleman and was asked to go there for I certainly would have been reluctant. Who wouldn't be? (You don't call a place Binatang for nothing, right?)

The nearest was Serian and of course I grabbed the chance. My happiness was however, short-lived. You see, I was told not to take a taxi to Serian but to opt for the bus as taking a taxi would be too expensive. I just couldn't believe my ears and I stared at the officer wide-eyed. At least I tried, but you can only achieve limited success when you're born with slit eyes!

Gave the officer this damsel in distress kind of look too (being a member of the fairer gender does have its advantage) and then appealed to his logical side. Since I have no idea where SMK Serian is, surely he cannot expect me to take the bus which will probably take me right up to the Serian bus station, after which I will have to lug my luggage around town asking for directions to SMK Serian. It's incredulous, even though it 's stated somewhere in the General Orders that one should take the cheapest mode of transport.

After making a couple of phone calls, the officer was pleased to inform me that a driver is willing to send me to SMK Serian and that he and an education land cruiser will be available in a short while to bring me to the school. What a relief! I just cannot imagine lugging my bags around town asking for directions to SMK Serian and then probably end up having to walk all the way to the school!

Left the education office before noon and sat in the cruiser in total silence all the way. (Remember, never talk to strangers!). As we approached Serian Town, the driver suddenly said that we should make a stop at the coffee shop. That really set my heart pounding, my pulse racing and my imagination went wild but it was unnecessary worry. It was after all almost 1o' clock and a man got to eat, right?

Once inside the coffee shop, the driver acting like a concern big brother advised me to order something to eat but I declined because I just didn't feel hungry. I don't think he believed me but he didn't pressure me probably because he knew how I must be feeling then. I just ordered a drink to quench my thrist.

Lunch was a quiet affair, not much conversation as usual. So the man ate fast (this could also partly be due to hunger)and in no time we were out of the coffee shop. The next moment I found myself reporting to the afternoon session supervisor at the office in SMK Serian.

One regret I have is not knowing the name of the driver. He's one man who works with a heart and we need more of such personnel in our midst. So lets emulate him, work with a heart to provide exemplary service to others.