CMPB...

The accused waited nervously in his seat, fidgeting every other second as beads of sweat started to form on his forehead... Murmurs could be heard from the jury's direction... This is it, thought the accused, they're going to announce their decision... Anytime now...

True enough, a representative of the jury submited the decision to the judge and the judge took a look @ the decision and smiled... The accused was hyperventilating now... He knew he's doomed... The consequence of being framed for murder is the death penalty... The accused shut his eyes and waited for the judge to announce the verdict... It's either guilty or not guilty, thought the accused (fei hua!!!)... Just make it quick gawdamnit!!!

'The jury has yet to come to a decision and the trial will be postpone to the following week,' boomed the voice from above... The accused did a double-take... He hadn't heard wrongly has he??? He's safe, yet not totally safe, for now... There was a hint of a smile as he was lead back to his cell admist the chaos tt the witnesses are creating upon hearing the annoucement, condemning the jury...

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The above scenerio is the emotional roller-coaster tt I've been through today... I was apprehensive when I was on my way towards the [Central Manpower Base] (CMPB)... You can say tt the apprehension was so strong tt I'm on the verge of breaking down in public like some lunatic... Thankfully I didn't or else I wouldn't be typing this anyway... You might be wondering why would I be afraid as it's just a medical screening... Ya... It is JUST a medical screening which I'VE NEVER BEEN TO before... This is my 1st time and since when did 1st time DIDN'T carry the connotation of afraid??? You're afraid when you enter K1, afraid when you go to a new sch and start your 1st day there... Now don't tell me you've never been through tt phase as tt'll be a load of bull... Yes, I'm digressing...

Back to the pt... I'm afraid as yes, it's my 1st time and the root of the fear is the thought of stripping... After all, it is a full-body check-up and the last time I came across tt word, taking off your clothes is a must... So pior to today, I actually tried to talk myself into loving my body... But when I'm abt to accept tt my body isn't tt worst off as compared to any ordinary guy tt you can simply pick off from the street, the Demon Of Fear just have to visit me and insert images of a crowded CMPB, where everyone is snickering @ me... So tt's where my major freaking out came abt... Welcome to my insecure life...

Ya... I finally arrived @ CMPB @ abt 0930 hrs (my appointment's @ 1000 hrs), talk abt being early... And I actually chanced upon [Gen]!!! Surprise!!! So both of us entered building together and I've noticed something... The soldiers there lack hospitality... So maybe it's a place where you research for upgrades on defenses... But knowing tt there'll be visitors, couldn't they show some hospitality??? Like put a smile on your face and don't buzz us off with a wave of your finger for instance... How impolite... Tt's -10 on a scale of 0 to 10 on the hospitality scale...

Uh huh... [Gen] & I finally made our way into CMPB and we just followed instructions on where to go, what to do, stuff like tt... And I tell you... Those ppl there sure have a bad impression of almost everyone, fancy treating everyone of us like convicts... We're still studying or have just completed our studies... We're still the pure and innocent teenagers mind you, even though we're 18... Hey, in my context, 18 = teenager on the road to maturity...

Back to the pt... In CMPB, we have our photos taken first, with us wearing some kinda cadet-like shirt... Guess tt's for our identification when we surrender our IC as we enter NS... Then we register for the med check-up...

Med check-up... Stage 1's to test our hearing, not much of a problem there cause I'm not exactly deaf, though sometimes I appear to be... Stage 2's the eye check-up and this is the 'climax'... I shall devote a paragraph solely for this...

The examiners consist of 3 guys and a gal and only the gal give good vibes... The rest of the guys are cold towards us or doesn't even notice our ([Gen], me and some other guy whom I've never met... Probably from poly, rides a bike and is rather hot...) exsistance...

'Do you have any medical problems tt you would like to report???' The gal asked in a very polite tone... See??? Good vibes... The guys are just slacking anyway... Tsk...

I raised my hands and passed them all the documents tt I have... Guy #1 looked @ it and exclaimed, 'RP!!! Tt's a rare one...'

@ this pt of time, Guy #2 turns around and there's a look of EXCITEMENT (can you believe it?!) on his face... 'Wah!!! Surely must be those wanna escape NS one lor (bull's eye)... But RP!!! Tt's serious... 1st time seeing this case leh...' Then more talking b/w gal, Guy #1 & #2... Can't be bothered to listen anyway... Guy #2 looked @ my documents and turned to me and asked, with EXCITEMENT still plastered on his face, so can you see the outline of your bed w/o the lights???

'No... I can't even see a thing...' (DUH!!! Tt's why it's stated tt I have night blindness right?!)

'Then how can you go to the toilet @ night???'

With irritation, I replied curtly, 'I feel my way to the toilet...' (If you can't see, the next thing is to either on the lights or feel your way through... After all, IT IS MY HOUSE...) Actually, I should've replied tt I used my legs and walk to the toilet (obvious right?!)...

So what's the fuss??? For starters, when you encounter a person with a problem tt you've never even heard of, the reponse should be of CONCERN, NOT EXCITEMENT... They're acting like they've seen their idol or something, and are dying for a signature... Sheesh!!! Idiotic!!! I so feel like slapping their faces... Is not being able to see @ night such a good thing??? Is having my eye problem so interesting?! NO IT IS NOT!!! It's not when you keeping bumping into small kids and knocking them down and they cry, or you bump into ppl as they cut your path, or when you kick a chair tt's in the middle of the classroom, or when you smash your face into a tree trunk @ night, or when you fall into a drain in broad daylight or have someone to be your 3rd pair of eyes (I already have 2 pairs of eyes)... It's not interesting, not fun... Unless you are some sadistic psycho tt think tt being in pain is fun... *shivers*

There, pressure gone and I shall continue the check-up... Stage 3's urine and blood test (officer not friendly as well), Stage 4's dental, Stage 5's X-ray (officer quite friendly) and this is where you have to take off your top... So it's nice having to see some nice bods and not nice when the eyes are on my fair-yet-tainted-by-red-blotches skin... Oh and did I mention tt it's air-conditioned???

Stage 6's the body check-up... We're supposed to strip to our shorts only and do whatever tt tehy tell us to do... I can't get any more insecure than tt... Staring @ all those nice bods + nice face = almost let my gay half take over... I manage to control, thankfully... The last part of Stage 6's the consultation with some doc and he's one tt'll ask you take off everything, be in the buff... He'll ask you to cough and inspects you... Don't know what's it abt... Then he'll fire off a string of questions tt goes something like, have you taken drugs... esctasy... having tattoes... ketamine, being homosexual... ... I only manage to catch those words and the answer tt came outta my mouth is a simple 'no'... Once tt's done, I'm to proceed to Stage 7, where they'll ask you to sit in front (duh) of a com and do answer some qus...

The qus ranges from simple algebra, calculations, number sequences to Physics concept, memory work, analytical skills, imagination to your personal perferences... LOL... Wonder how they'll respond to my personal prefrences answers... Tt section gives 2 choices per qus and it goes something like...

1. I would like to try sky-diving...
2. I would never try to jump out of an airplane with or w/o a parachute...

So for tt qus which option do you think I'll choose??? It's obvious right??? Ya, and the respond's the same for every other of those similar qus...

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Wow... Can you believe it, tt's the whole of my med check-up and tt lasted for a shocking 5 hrs!!! Thank gawd it's over... Wait, no... It's not... I have to return there on 22/06 to have my eyes checked... ARGHH!!!