Bernard Kok dances the Mambo

I have not seen my friend Bernard Kok for many years. We used to be colleagues while I was working as a rookie systems engineer in Petaling Jaya, Malaysia. I remember him as a very good IT salesman: he had good people skills and he was always willing to go the extra mile to keep his customers happy.

He told me once that he simply loved dancing. With his old-fashioned plastic-rimmed spectacles and his skinny frame and flaying arms, I'd always thought that he looked rather comical on the dance-floor. We used to go out drinking and partying a lot. And whenever he was drunk, he became the life of the party, strutting around the dance-floor, showing-off his moves in front of the ladies. We appropriately nicknamed him Bernard the Cock.

Our drinking sessions used to be heavy: We would order tequilla pops by the dozen and forced it down on everyone. We also used to order Guinness stout by the pitcher. I remember when Bernard decided to leave the company, we gave him a massive farewell party at the old Betelnut pub in Jalan Pinang. He got so drunk that night until he vomitted right into a half-full pitcher of stout. He was completely gone after that. We simply left him sleeping in the car and continued partying.

I also remember Bernard because he still owes me a book that he borrowed from me back in 1992: The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love - that emotionally evocative Pullitzer Prize-winning book by Oscar Hijuelos. The book was made into a rather entertaining movie starring Antonio Banderas and Armand Assante. The soundtrack of the movie was especially good, featuring Mambo legends like Tito Puente. It also made a hit out of the song Beautiful Maria of My Soul; the Spanish version was sung surprisingly well by Antonio Banderas himself.

Now everytime I hear that song, I remember the book and I remember Bernard Kok and I remember that pitcher filled with puke. I have never seen Bernard dance the Mambo. Perhaps one of these days when we do get to meet again, we'll ask him to demonstrate some of his moves. And just in case, we'll have an empty pitcher ready.