Remember the year 1996?

Selangor won another Malaysia Cup, and Izham Ismail met Muhammad Zuhaili Mat Rani. Little they knew that they will spend the rest of their life knowing each other inside out. In doing so, they

Lepak mamak first time with two ringgit in pocket,

Walk to kedai mamak and order teh ais and roti canai banjir,

Count money first before order for teh ais and roti canai banjir,

Naik LRT dan jalan kaki dalam bandar tanpa penat lelah,

Usha perempuan Melayu seksi,

Usha perempuan Melayu seksi wannabe,

Berpeluh dan basah ketiak tetapi still control charm lelaki Melayu.

Sembang bola Malaysia, Italy, Spain, Brazil, Argentina, South Korea, Japan, Holland dan semua negara merdeka,

Sembang kualiti player itu ini guna gaya bahasa coach Malaysia seperti Wan Jamak Wan Hassan,

Sembang berita bola baru keluar seperti transfer player Europe dan predict harga perpindahan,

Sembang statistik perlawanan tak guna Matematik tetapi Bahasa Malaysia.

Main Playstation zaman playstation warna kelabu berat seratus kilo,

Main game manager zaman Premier Manager dan Championship Manager,

Main line 600 guna telefon rumah dan buat-buat tak tahu bila bil telefon sampai,

Main bola dalam rumah sampai pecah lampu living room.

Kutuk musuh bola dekat sekolah,

Plan strategi bola dan kumpul team,

Beli but Adidas predator sama-sama sebab main striker sama-sama,

Beli jersey Adidas hijau sama-sama sebab main striker sama-sama,

Training bola hari Ahad dekat padang yang haram tak ada goal post tetapi ada buaian dan jongkang-jongket,

Angkat trofi sama-sama dan senyum puas dekat musuh sama-sama.

Jadi pengawas corrupt datang lambat lepak gate buat-buat on-duty,

Ponteng sekolah agama sama-sama,

Quit sekolah agama sama-sama,

Ponteng sembahyang tarawih dan kadang-kadang Jumaat sama-sama.

Kutuk musuh tackle awek dekat sekolah,

Control handsome dekat awek-awek sekolah,

Usha awek sekolah yang itu time buah dada belum fully-developed,

Curi number awek yang itu time buah dada belum fully-developed,

Kacau awek yang itu time buah dada belum fully-developed guna telefon rumah,

Buat-buat tak tahu lagi bila bil telefon sampai.

Kutuk mamat-mamat hip hop sebab pakai baju londeh dan tak faham lirik,

Menjadikan boy band sebagai agama dan kepercayaan,

Nyanyi lagu boy band off key tetapi muka budget sedap.

Cerita fantasi seksual dan wanita idaman,

Sembang masa depan - dua-dua komited mahu jadi pemain Selangor,

Takut-takut kantoi dengan ustaz bila lepak dekat Giant pakai seluar pendek.

Cerita tips untuk dapat awek dengan effort minimum dan untung maximum,

Tips untuk buang awek dengan effort minimal dan untung maximum,

Sembang apa cerita best dekat tv sebab tak ada Youtube,

Sembang cerita, cerita dan cerita.

Cerita cinta, sukan, suka, tak suka, apa lancau semua ada, kecuali cerita hantu,

Sebab dua-dua takut hantu dan hanya berani kalau ada gadis skirt pendek muka mix.

It was 1996 and they were eight. The story is still running with new plot, new lines, new characters and new settings - but the same touch and mojo remains. They learned two things: friendship and brotherhood are natural things - you just have to go with the flow and let it take its course; and childhood friendship can last forever.

Now it is 2009 and they are thousand miles apart. But still and all, they believe that it is the thought that counts.

So to Muhammad Zuhaili Mat Rani, or Ayie - the guy who would secretly help Izham Ismail to pick the pieces up when Izham Ismail is down and one of very few people Izham Ismail doesn't feel geli at all when he calls Izham Ismail 'bro',

Izham Ismail wishes him Happy Birthday,

Bro.

P.S. He took that picture when Izham Ismail lepak mamak with him. Yes, that picture just below the 'Pengarang Dan Kepengarangan' one. Using Izham Ismail's cheap Nokia baling-muka-ex-girlfriend-boleh-puas-hati phone.

P.P.S. A year before that, Izham Ismail met Ahmad Kamal Zafrullah. Kamal who? I'll tell the story in May.