Written by Private Henry Chay
Saturday was still very young at just about 8 a.m. but something was drastically different. The clouds above were a deathly grey, swirling with the wind and threatening to rain heavily any moment. The sun was hidden, nowhere to be seen, and the boy who’d just arrived casted a worried glance at the weather but there was nothing he could do so he simply shrugged and hurried his way to the Wesley Legacy Centre and waited for the rest while polishing his uniform parts.
At 9.30 a.m., all of the Swimming Badge participants were already around the church compound and they quietly made haste to Chin Woo Stadium. At Chin Woo’s, everyone soon forgot about the weather and began to have a great time; some playing about while others took to some tiring tests to pass their badge requirements. The weather took a change for the worse and rain was upon them at 11.00 a.m. All of us hurried back to the church before the rain pours.
The weather changed rapidly as the day came it with its first streaks of sunlight. The day officially began with parade. The Brigadier’s life returned to a normal Saturday program which began with band. Most of the activities scrolled past in the blink of an eye until Bible Study. Until then, life was normal like every great Saturday afternoon. But good things have to come to pass too, don’t they?
Drill stepped in and although the sky was dark and rolling with thunder the weather was merely a drizzle. As drill slowly took place, the dark clouds had the upper hand of the sky. Drill didn’t stop. Drill was about self-control, reminds Lieutenant Jonathan Chan. So, we continued to drill in the rain, drenched until we were soaked completely before we were relieved from the wrath of the storm.
When it became unbearable, we continued drill in the Wesley Legacy Centre basement. All the boys were hopelessly cold and tired but nevertheless survived the experience which proved to be a first time for some of the younger ones. Although drill in the rain proved a challenge for many, it undoubtedly helped us build endurance, obedience and self-control.
Then, it was time for recreation. Initially, games had its place in the schedule but due to the rain there was a small twist too. No soccer, no captain ball (yes, I hear several groans) but today, for about 30 willing players there was human Tic-Tac-Toe available. Simply put, the thirty was split into two groups and each person was given a number: 1 to 15. The first and second matches which resulted in a victory for the first team and a draw were done on a 4×4 grid. In the third and final match, an I-shaped grid was introduced. All in all, the first team came on top of the game but nobody felt sad about losing. As BB boys, we understand that when there are winners, there are also losers and nothing matters as it isn’t a life-and death thing. The thing is, if we win, we must work harder to keep the title and if we lost, we must not give up but also work harder. Apart from learning that valuable lesson, the human Tic-Tac-Toe also reminds us that we must have a sense of urgency in doing everything, everywhere and at all times, to think rationally before making a move and strengthens bonds of brotherhood and encourages teamwork.
When the day had come to an end, there was something in every boy’s smile that tells that a rainy day does not necessarily make for a terrible one but if used correctly can benefit us in uncountable ways. The ongoing storm for the whole day had proved once again to be gift from God but this time not only as blessing to a farmer’s crops but also resourceful and beneficial to 1st KL Boy’s Brigade’s learning and growing boys. Likewise, the angle of viewing every situation greatly affects how it looks. Therefore, try at all times to be positive and think out of the box for who knows when it’ll come helpful on a day like this which was transformed by our officers and NCOs for the better.
At the end of the day, the sun could be seen at the horizon although it was drizzling. The boy could be seen bidding farewell to his friends as he got into his dad’s car. Later, he looked up at the skies and let out a sigh of contentment. The thunderstorm was not as bad as it seemed, probably. He said a short prayer to the Lord for such an eventful day and out of fatigue dozed off into a wonderful sleep with promising dreams knowing that the next three days were holidays in his school.