Lost

There's no doubt about it. My pencil case has officially gone missing. It has disappeared. Gone. Only when it is no longer around did i realise how indispensable, how utterly important it is to me. It's like your favourite pillow is suddenly snatched away from you unaware, and you now cannot sleep comfortably. Or your personal calender has suddenly gone missing, and you consequently feel a deep sense of loss, not knowing what to do and too upset to think about its replacement. I'm not thinking about how and what stationery to replace; all that's in my mind is my precious pencil case which has followed me for many years. It has survived the jungle (i had used it in army) and the vigours of academia - but now, it is irreversibly removed from me. I am now inconsolably mournful, depressed, annoyed: What did i do to deserve this loss! Good lah, now i can't read all the notes i've printed today because i don't have my favourite ball-point pen to underline the text, no highlighters to mark important lines, no mechanical pencil to make doodles over my notes. You tell me, how to study like that?!

The loss of my pencil case came as a rude shock to me, and try as i might i just cannot recall how it departed from my possession. It must have hidden legs, or else why would it walk out on me! Anyhow, i now come to the conclusion that a student's best friend has to be his pencil case, because without it you can't do your sums, can't take notes, can't write aimlessly, can't twirl that favourite pen/pencil of yours while you study. Damn! you are literally made handicapped by the loss. The thing is, i realise, the pencil case is an all-important possession that reassures you, the student, without you ever being aware of its value - not at least until it goes abruptly missing and makes you feel a sense of panic and disorientation.

All right, some people don't carry pencil cases, they merely carry a pen and/or a pencil in their file and whatever minimum other stationery that is necessary. But i happen not to be one of them. How can a student not have a proper pencil case? There're just so many pieces of stationery that we need to use. On the other hand, i have observed that there are others with ridiculously large pencil cases that can qualify as a mini stationery shop. My pencil case is different. It is in stylish black and is of just the right size to hold all my stationery. Alas, it is no longer the case now.

So this post is inspired by the loss of my pencil case. I couldn't bring myself to read my notes the whole night because i don't have any highlighters now. Tomorrow the first thing to do is to purchase the necessary stationery, though i would be no happier after that. In fact, i will be very much a grumpy man because i would have become poorer. Believe me when i say i feel for the loss of my pencil case. I really do wish this is all a silly blunder, that after shutting down the PC and returning to my desk i would somehow find my pencil case lying in the corner of my desk, nevermind the frantic search that has already been launched when i first realised it was missing.

My dear pencil case, wherefore art thou?