Johari and I ran our NCC Unit Camp in school from 24 June to 27 June. Sleeping in a sleeping-bag on the staff room floor for 3 consecutive nights wasn't as bad as I thought, probably because I was tired and there was air-con. Helmi apparently saw a lady with long hair outside the NCC room (he was inside), and even dreamt of the incident at night. Rafi told me there were other spooky happenings as well, but my specialists decided to wait until the last night was over before they would tell me. In the end, I forgot to press them for their account.
I will never forget this camp, because the worst thing that could happen on a school outing actually happened-- my bus had an accident as we were on our way to Sentosa for the orienteering activity!
Accident occurred along Keppel Rd at 9.45am on Thursday 26 June. The cadets were on 2 buses; Johari was in the bus in front and I was in the bus behind. At junction of Keppel Rd and Cantonment Link, first bus suddenly stopped for the red light; bus behind (my bus) couldn't brake in time and collided into the first bus. Due to the impact, we were flung forward. I saw the familiar spiderweb pattern on the big windscreen. My knees rammed into the seat in front, but I was unscathed. 7 boys in the same bus were not so lucky: Sadiq, Sufiyan, Hisam, Zamrin, Magesh, Rahmad, Medee. It was especially painful looking at Sadiq-- a tiny Sec 1 boy with a bleeding nose who was crying out of shock (his nose had hit the metal ashtray attached to the seat before him).
Traffic police and 2 ambulances arrived; the school and the casualties' parents were informed by phone. The drama of it all! Johari went to SGH to be with the 7 casualties while I brought the rest of the cadets back to school. At the end of this fateful and stressful day, I thanked God that all the 7 were treated as outpatients and the rest of us were unscathed.
