Book Chapter, Time Traveller”s Return: Back to 1969
Chapter 1 (Prologue)
Some books are written to be read, cherished, and remembered. Others are shaped by the very hands of history, written to stand the test of time. And then there are those few, very few, that are destined to change the course of a life forever.
As I stood before the towering shelves lined with books, a shiver of nostalgia coursed through me. They brought back memories of afternoons spent in this sanctuary of stories, where time seemed to stand still.
It was a stormy afternoon in 2025. The kind of storm that makes Tanjong Malim feel full of shadows, when time seems to slow beneath the heavy clouds. I had returned to my old hometown for a conference and retreat. With time to spare, my feet had wandered almost instinctively back to the place where I had first learned to love stories, the Methodist English School (MES) library.
The library is still there, older and quieter, standing as a testament to the passage of time. Tucked behind newer buildings that had been built over the years, its walls echoed with the whispers of many stories waiting to be rediscovered. Like an unread chapter, longing patiently for someone to return and delve into its secrets.
I took a moment to gather my thoughts before pushing open the heavy wooden door, inhaling the comforting scent of aged paper and polished wood. The librarian barely looked up as I entered, a mix of recognition and indifference in her gaze.
I found myself drawn to a forgotten corner of the reference section. That’s where I saw it. A thick leather-bound book, its cover worn but intact, its spine marked with an image entitles The Wheel of Time.
Its pages whispered secrets long forgotten.
I felt an electric jolt as I cautiously opened it.
And then, in a heartbeat, the library around me dissolved into a tapestry of light.
When I opened my eyes again, everything had transformed.
It was July 20, 1969!
