It's about the memory

Today, I want to tell a story about a kid who have not been able to eat an A&W meal when he was young, and he decided when he earn his own money, he's going to eat fast food all day until he can't stand the smell of those fried chicken or burgers.

And that kid was me. I was born in a small town in Malaysia by the name of Ipoh. We used to have an A&W there when I was very young. I wish I have a photo of that old shop to show you, but who will use their precious film to snap a photo of a shop house that sells corny dogs?

It literally was a super small town that our house lives about 10km away, my sister high school was about 3km away from the A&W, me and my bro was about 4km away. So, there's just very accessible to the shop. Church is even further, every weekend when dad drove us to church, after church we went to town for lunch, we will sure to pass by A&W.

Back then was a lot more simpler where A&W mainly sell root beer, burgers and hotdogs. I didn't even know they serve waffles until much later(yes, until I start to earn my own money and can choose whichever fast food I want). We had once a church member celebrate her birthday at the one and only A&W in town, there's no main dish. Everyone get a root beer, and there's a bowl of french fries at the table.

That's the only time I get to try that creamy drink, never in my life having such a tall glass of black color drink tasted so wonderful. As if I take a sip, and my mind will start going for a vacation. Not to mention those fries, I enjoyed it so much to an extend I use the paper towel to fold a small envelope to keep some of those fries, carefully slot them into my pocket so I can bring them back home and enjoy them. But yeah, that pretty much the only time we get to try A&W, and after that no matter how I try to convince, and even promised my dad I'll get good grades in exchange of a meal at A&W of my choice, nothing had happened. I used to quietly hate my dad for that.

It has been more than 30 years since the one and only A&W back in that place has closed. I have moved out from my home town, got to a new place where there's many A&W here, but it seems like things has changed. It's not the usual A&W I can recall. The tall and heavy glass has been replaced by plastic cups. It used to be french fries, it's now curly fries. I thought fried chicken are for another famous K brand? I know it's not bad, but I think somehow the most important thing that tricked our mind will be the experience.

We can't turn back time. Those were the good old memories, everytime when my dad drove pass that place, I have always been looking out the window and hoping my dad will one day finally decide to stop the car and our family will go in and have a meal in the A&W. May be because that didn't happen, as a result going in A&W had become my new blue print as soon as I grew up and spend my own earnings. It's like everytime when I have a chance, I will go in and order my food. May be afterall, A&W is just a set of program in Matrix, where it tells my brain to smell and taste and probably see what I want to see. In the end, it's about the memory.