Believe

Seven year old Jon was sitting in his mother's bedroom. He was, for awhile, at a loss. His mother had been lying in bed for days after his father's funeral. Jon did not know what ailed his mother, but after losing his father, he knew that cannot do without her.

"Mom. Please eat something?" Jon pleaded softly, placing a spoonful of porridge against his mother's cracked lips.

His mother turned and back-faced her son, tears falling down the side of her eyes.

Jon sighed and placed the spoon back into the bowl. For the past three days, he tried to fix his own meals, and function the washing machine. Cooking plain porridge was easy. His mother used to cook him porridge when he was ill. To him, it was even better than medicine.

"Mom, please eat." He continued in a soft voice, shaking his mother lightly.

Mrs Ng did not respond to her son's plea. She was too sad, too heartbroken to eat anything. Life can never be perfect without her husband. How could he leave her? How could he leave her and a seven year old son in her care? How irresponsible.

This went on for another day before she totally lost consciousness.

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When Jon was ten years old, another mishap befell on his mother. Mrs Ng was diagnosed with breast cancer.

She had problems trying to pay off the monthly bills and Jon's living expenses. Now, with this illness, she had no idea how she could cope with it. Although everyone around her told her that breast cancer is not fatal, there were, in fact, many who died due to that too.

What if she could not survive through this ordeal? What if the cancer cell spreads? What is going to happen to Jon? Who is going to care for him?

Nothing worried her more than Jon.

"Mom, are you okay? Is it painful?" Jon asked one day, when she was going through chemotherapy.

Mrs Ng smiled as if she was never in pain. "Always believe, Jon. Believe. Only by believing, you can do something. You can do anything in this world. Like me, I believe that I will get well, and yes I will! I won't let anything pull me down. So, my dear son, please also always remember that."

From that day onwards, Jon finally learnt how to believe.

And because he kept believing, his mother got well.

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Jon was an average boy in school. He was not very tall, and was very small sized. He was fair and had big round eyes that sparkle whenever he smiled. When he entered Secondary school, he found a group of friends he could mix around with and like every teenager, discovered music.

At fifteen, he was determined to learn beatboxing.

Beatboxing is a form of vocal percussion connected with hip hop culture(it has been called the fifth element of hip hop) although it is not limited to hip hop music.It primarily involves the art of producing drum beats, rhythm, and musical sounds using one's mouth, lips, tongue, voice, and more. It may also involve singing, vocal imitation of turntablism, the simulation of horns, strings, and other musical instruments.

It all actually started with an audio clip his friend sent him on beatboxing. He found it interesting to be able to do something like that, and was bent on learning it, making it his interest, and hobby.

Jon went into a beatboxing forum one day, and read all about it. With all that information given and stated in the forum, he started practicing on his own. He did various sounds with his mouth and impressed everyone with what he could do.

Perhaps, due to his immense interest in beatboxing, he was confident enough to join a talent time competition that very year when he was still a freshie.

That day, Jon was extremely nervous backstage.

"Don't worry, okay? Just do it!" His buddies were cheering for him, trying to give him some courage.

Jon looked out and saw a studio seated with a relatively big number of audiences and several cameras on stage, and off. His heart raced. What if, he lost it? What if, he became some sort of an embarrassment afterwards? Suddenly, he was not very confident with his beginner beatboxing skill.

The group before him finished their performance and the host was announcing Jon's next performance.

"That's it. Either I make it, or I don't." Jon muttered under his breath in his white T-shirt and baggy jeans. He gripped onto his microphone and stepped out onto the stage when the host announced his name.

Everyone in the studio applauded. Some cheered.

Jon stood in the middle of the stage, took a deep breath and looked at the expectant eyes of his friends who came to throw him any support he needed. The spotlights were shining on him mercilessly, and the cameras were fixed on him, waiting for him to do something spectacular.

Calmly, he lifted his microphone, and placed it near his lips.

The rest, was history. The audience went crazy when he did what he did. Everyone was impressed.

A new talent was born.

Since then, Jon had been recognised as "Singapore's Walking Jukebox".

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Through the years, Jon continued to search for higher levels of beatboxing. Very often, his hardwork was not recognised. People look forward to the end results, and they demand it to be good. Jon practiced everyday without fail, hoping that one day, he will be able to bring more entertainment and joy to people around him. He always believes that hard work pays off.

People started to recognise him in 2006 and he gained a little fame for his boyish boy-next-door looks and his talent.

Jon, like any other boys, found someone he loved along the way too. From there, he learnt what loving someone really meant. It completed his soul. It lasted for about three years, before he was left alone again, in search for a special someone to fill in that empty slot.

His videos were put up on the Youtube website and several other beatboxing related websites. It was about 2006 to 2007, his beatboxing got him somewhere.

He was asked to beatbox at a local club, take part in commercials, and attend events that he was asked to attend. He met several beautiful people along the way, and also, inevitably, he met some people who brought down abit of his ego and confidence.

However, Jon, unlike other famous people around, there is practically no airs about him. He was friendly to almost everyone. To him, everyone was a friend.

That was also why, so many people loved him.

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This story is actually depicted from a real life character, Dharni, who went through life with a single parent, and still, maintained the very humane side of a human being. His love for music, had made Singapore very proud of him and his acheivements.

There was a good quote Dharni made me believe in.

The one that truly inspired me.

Learn.
You learn as you go.
And when you learn, you'll fail.
You get back up on your feet,
And try again.
This time you fall again.
You look back and think where you've gone wrong...
Think hard.
And you'd realise that that problem is just right in front of you.
You correct it.
Continue learning as you get stronger.

Believe.
Believe in everything in every possible way.
If you believe, things will happen.
Seeing is believing as they all say.
Overlook that and everything is possible.
Open up to new perceptions from different people, different things, put them to good use and you'd be wiser.
Miracles will happen.
Bizzare Phenomenons, what-so-ever...
You will grow.
And be formidable.
If you just, believe.
Believe in the unbelievable.
Believe that it's all possible.

You can want anything.
You can have it.
What you really want to be.
What you really want to have.
What you really want in life.
You just have to learn, and believe.
And

WORK HARD FOR IT WITH ALL YOU GOT WITHOUT THE SLIGHTEST DOUBT IN YOUR MIND THAT IT'S NOT POSSIBLE!

Because that's what your mind wants you to think, but it's NOT!

Because you dare to churn out your dream into reality.


I have learnt. Have you?

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Editor's note: Dharni is now beatboxing every Saturday at BUTTERFACTORY down at Clark Quay. To catch him, go down on Saturday nights.

Thanks, Dharni, for allowing me to write about you. Although not every single detail is correct, I hope that with your story, I can inspire more people in believing. Thanks for telling me so much more about you.

For readers, if you know any ordinary person, who does extraordinary things, please let me know. I would love to use these people, to make Singaporeans more aware that we can do whatever we put our minds into.

Meanwhile, remember...

BELIEVE.


Below is a clip of Dharni's beatboxing performance.