"When you travel, you always make new friends."
These are the words of Haji Suhaili Wahed, or more commonly known as grandfather. And I take the liberty of calling him grandfather as well. A well sought after historian, linguist, world traveler, and educator, a few small conversations with him made me feel like a better person and helped me realized that life is too short not to go out and explore the world we live in.
Early each morning, Grandfather would rise very early in the morning, blast the radio to listen to the news, and then he would head out to sit at his outdoor desk, facing the busy street with cars going by, and read the newspaper. At 87 years old he had lived a long, healthy, and well traveled life, and his quick easy steps do not acknowledge age nor gravity. Never once did I look upon his face without seeing the grin that seems to be permanently etched on his handsome face. Right before Adlyn and I went out to explore the city, we had a quick chat with him. Pulling his desk drawer open, he pulled out a Japanese book, flipped to a specific page and showed it to me, all in Japanese. Knowing that I live in Japan, he asked if I could read Japanese.
"Umm maybe..." With a mischievously smile I said "A-ji-no-mo-to!"
He looked at me with that wise grin and started reading the paragraph in Japanese with no break, no pause, no interuption....
I blushed, "Oh no, he's serious..."
"I wrote this," He said.
Adlyn and I looked at each other in awe. Like two little children enamored with great tales from their favorite grandfather, we were all ears.
He told us stories of how young Japanese history students found him in his own home, interviewed him, wrote stories about him and invited him, twice, to speak to historians and linguists in Tokyo. How did he speak Japanese so well, I wondered and asked.These are his words translated from Malay to English:
"Sarawak was occupied by the Japanese in December 1941 to the end of the war in 1945. I was enrolled in a Japanese School during the occupation and learned the Japanese language in the Si Hang Gumi class. I studied for 6 months. I was able to speak Japanese by then and became friends with Japanese Officers. They took upon me and recruited me to work in a Japanese Government Office called Cheo Sa Bu, perhaps meaning 'Research and Geology' in English. From that day onward, I started speaking Japanese."
His story is a simple one. But dig a little deeper, and you see the innocence through his eyes. How he never saw hatred, but instead, curiosity towards the 'enemy' people. And what it all came down to, through the brutality of war, was friendship- accompanied by the wonder of speaking a new language. After 50 years passed he was invited to Japan to speak about the 'good old days' and met friends who were once upon a time, enlisted to work in the dense forests of Sarawak. And there found a friend.
Then he told us of his travels to America, the long flights, his love of chocolate, and the people he met along his travels. I am certain, after 87 years of living life, he has many many more fascinating stories to tell and share, but one phrase that summarizes my entire trip are these words:
"When you travel, you always make new friends."
Simple words, but they ring so true.
It was the perfect start to our day. Meet Grandfather.
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