Boys Will Be Boys

Photo credits : Oxymanus

This afternoon,i decided to drive to a public park near Setapak wherein lies a man made lake and was somewhat previously a sewage processing catchment area or rather, even an old disused mining pool,i guessed,knowing that Kuala Lumpur used to be a thriving tin mining town in those good old days.Setapak is considered one of the many mining areas around the Klang Valley.The DBKL authorities(KL City Council) have recently upgraded/converted the park into a public recreation centre for its nearby residents to engage in healthy pastime activities like jogging, fishing, relaxing or just simply idling their free time and making use of the safe compound of the park in their own ways for their respective families. A commendable project i must say.
While totting my camera around the vicinity,i encountered two young boisterous boys of similar age,soaking and shivering in the perimeters of the lake enjoying and celebrating their wet and wild adventure in the afternoon's scorching sun. It was a hot day indeed but the water below might be cold it seems as testified by the crackling sounds of his teeth, while he gleefully grinned at me in sheer admiration. They seemed overjoyed and full of excitement,especially when seeing me and my camera clicking away their candid images of sorts. Without hesitation,one of them came out of the water and to my shock,in full representation of his school uniform still intact!, he appeared.He must have came into the water soon after they had finished school,i assume. His friend was somehow dressed in a school t-shirt but still wearing his school uniform trousers as i vigilantly observed the colour of its material. Their school bags were were seen left on the ground nearby their swim site.

In my own state of mind, i was wondering if these boys are fully aware of the impending dangers that could be inflicted, when i found out that the lake is quite deep(an information derived from my earlier conversation with the adult angler nearby)Right across their swim area could be seen a wooden structure of recreational nature which was man made for a dipper to sit and rest or simply do a diving stunt off it. It was tastefully built and really serves as a creative and natural dive point if you might label it.

One of them, a Chinese lad,emerged from the water and ask me what i was up to. He was bemused, took a strong interest in my presence and anxiously demanded that i showed him what i have snapped of him.He was grinning, laughing and while displaying his fervent excitement,he nearly touched my camera, oblivious of his wet hands dripping with water.

His other friend, a Malay boy and most probably his classmate in school just continued his prancing splashes in the pool of water.His hands were almost white and wrinkled signifying his long association inside it.I heard they were in primary 3 at the nearby school and asked them randomly what brought them to the lake. The Malay boy told me that his mother had ask him to catch some ornamental fish to be kept in their aquarium at home. I was shocked to hear his remarks and wondered if his mother actually knew the sort of physical risk he is facing eg drowning.

There were other people around the so called public park. Despite its scenic view in the right location, the park still lacks the conducive public amenities, like benches,litter bins, proper signages, public toilets, well manicured shrubs and bushes and maybe a nice hawker centre .
Come to think of it, many such park and recreation centres should be opened up by the government in order for the residents in indulge in healthy urban lifestyle irrespective of age or sexes.

Over at other corner,some older men were seen angling their luck for some freshwater fishes. From what i have seen in their receptacles, there was not much of a pride to shout about in terms of the size of the fishes. Maybe its the pleasure of waiting and feeling the challenge of getting your hooks nabbed by those mysterious swimming elements underwater.

Other visitors to the park this afternoon include two guys chatting the world away in their Proton car , while in another location a couple could be seen and heard arguing a domestic problem with their motorcycle parked along with them.

Watching the two young lads again is enough to make me very happy at their complete innocence of inter racial friendships, something that also reminds me of my childhood days. We were very close and we treasured our trust and understanding of each other. Obviously the two boys were not playing truant i know,but their form of recreation seems to perturb me as i see danger lurking their way if left unattended by their own guardians. What if there were no adults or competent swimmers or lifeguards to rescue such persons in the event of a mishap. Will the mother be sorry later for asking her son to catch some fishes for their home aquarium ? What if ...... ?

Anyway boys will be boys. I have seen my old childhood friends doing worse things than that and swimming in the lake might not be a dangerous sport to some people.

Before i bade farewell to the boys, one of them asked me if i was coming to see them again tomorrow. When i asked them what time i should be present,he quickly mentioned same time at 12.00 pm. Obviously,he does not know how to tell the time as i laughed quietly, walking my way back to the car with the time dial indicating 5.45 pm then.