Remembering Leo

(It's exactly a year since my old buddy Bernard Leo went "gentle into that good night", so I thought it'd be timely to update the tribute I wrote last year.)

A gentle soul with hardly a mean bone in his body, Bernard Leo was the most devoted Led Zeppelin fan I ever knew, and tried to emulate his big hero John Bonham every time he sat at a drum kit.

He had his faults — he was as human as anyone, after all — but in many ways he was better than most of us, as he hardly ever raised his voice, never bore a grudge, and was as helpful as he could possibly be to anyone who sought his assistance.

We — Leo, Ajaya, Raja, Mathi and me — were firm friends during our teenage years, most of which we spent obsessing about music that ran the gamut from mainstream and quirky pop (Elton John, Sweet, Slade, Abba, Ozark Mountain Daredevils, Sparks, Loggins & Messina...) to blues, progressive rock and heavy metal (Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Budgie, Black Sabbath, Queen, Rory Gallagher, Rick Derringer, Jeff Beck, Rick Wakeman, ELP, Yes...).

We were an odd bunch, cycling and clowning around on modded bicycles and going on camping trips that often turned out to be wacky, unforgettable adventures.

Unlike the others, Leo was fairly even-tempered, which made him a natural moderator in petty quarrels that arose. He wasn't always successful in solving the mainly juvenile issues that had us all worked up, but he was not one to be easily daunted or discouraged.

All of us were astounded when Leo joined the Police Force as a probationary inspector, but when he rose to the rank of Assistant Superintendent and carved out a niche as a no-nonsense prosecutor with many successful cases under his belt, we realised that he had found his true calling.

At the time of his leaving, Leo had risen to the rank of Deputy Superintendent and was in charge of a Police Field Force contingent in Kota Kinabalu.

The last time I saw him Leo seemed cheerful and hardly showed any trace of illness. Unsurprisingly, it was difficult to get him to shut up every time the conversation turned to Led Zeppelin.

I mentioned my idea of writing a book about the railway roots of our hometown, Prai, and he brightened up at the prospect, expressing keen interest in the project and remarking that he'd be more than happy to talk to some old railway people he knew in Kota Kinabalu who had worked in Prai.

It was a shock when we discovered that he was terminally ill. Not one to give up easily, Leo took treatment in his stride and was a brave soldier right to the end.

A year may have passed, but we still miss our old friend, a kind and considerate soul we're all deeply honoured to have known. We will always cherish all those good memories with you, buddy!

RS a.k.a. Santana