Basikal Pertama (My First Bicycle)

Due to peer pressure, I wanted to also have a bicycle so I can cycle to school as my other friends. I went to the bicycle shop to look for a used bicycle. Found the one that I liked and came home to tell Atuk Usop that I wanted him to buy me the bicycle. He reluctant agreed and we walked to the bicycle shop together. For the one that I liked, there were some imperfections, however Atuk Usop said he can repair them and make it good since he a 'mechanical man' who can repair anything. We paid RM5.00 for my first bicycle.

I rode home on my 'new' bicycle, but Atuk Usop walked back and he is not confident on my riding skills as yet. We took the bicycle to our 'workshop' and started to tighten all the loose bolts and nuts, realign the tyres, tighten the spoke wheels and oil up all contact parts that needed to be smoothed. He even grease up the ball bearings and straightened the steering, to ensure smooth riding. Now it needs a new coat of paint. Riding my repaired and boosted up 'new' bicycle, I rode to the shops to buy a small can of black paint.

The afternoon was then spent on painting my new found love 'new' bicycle, matt black all over. Following Alang Udin, at the tip of the back bumper, I wrote VC9, in white paint. Alang Udin had his bicycle already named as VC10 (in conjunction with the then famous VC10 aircraft). When I showed my other friends my new bicycle; with the VC9 etched at the back bumper, the gang followed and named their bicycles VC8, VC7, VC6 respectively. Whenever we ride in groups, especially to football games, we proudly display our bicycles arranged in a row with all the VC names etched at the back of our bicycle bumpers.