MY LIFE STORY CONTINUE - JALAN DURIAN DAUN

Dona says I am ladies man - old ladies. I can't deny it as I won their heart easily and easier than the younger women. The younger one "banyak songeh". Sorry but it is quite true.

We also have to face few bad character during the "testing" period of our life (now also Allah S.W.T. still testing us but different scenario only). This people most of the time make our life more miserable. I will relate the experience but as not to "expose" them publicly, I shall not mention their real name but I create a ficticious name for them :

1. PL - This old man always drive me up the wall. Come to think of it, I was quite close to his family and his wife. In fact all is children are my childhood friend. I also try my best to make him like me as one of his children but I believe being poor, I have no status. I am a midget. I don't mean anything to him. Most of the time, he made our slipper to develop leg and hide themselves inside the bush (sometime we couldn't locate it) or he made my bicycle tyre flat or when I went to watch television at his house, he purposely smear sambal belacan or sambal goreng on the floor so I would sit on it and my ass will be "hot" (I never tell any one about this, not even my family) or when he eats something and I happen to pass by he would say "huh, sedap, sedap, sedapnye" just to tempt and tease me or he like to put his two hands in his pockets and then shake and shake the coins inside or show the notes he has. Sometime he even insulted my late great grandmother as si pekak (yes, my great grand mother is deaf but unlike other pekak people, when you talk to her, you must face her and talk as if you are whispering as she would be reading your lips! Great! If she is still alive, she would be with Police Intellegence Team.

2. MM - This lady is very dominant. Most of the time what ever my family want to do, we have to seek her permission. Actually, she controls my mum more than anybody else in this world. She must be informed of our activities i.e. what are our plan, where we are going plus the reason, how long, even if our relative were to come for a visit! Gosh! If she catch my family did something without telling her, mum will get it. She will give a cynical and nasty remarks and repeating it for days. Sometime give a cold shoulder treatment. As for me and being the eldest in my family, my mum will assign me to be involved in her family activity - I stand as a labour ok! I hate it but what choice do I have. I did it all because of my mum. I don't wish to make things more difficult for her. She suffers enough.

3. APW,AMU,APB,AMB, - This Magnificent Four basically not only bullying my family but also my great grand mother Arwah Cik bin Kedum, grand father Arwah Abd Ghani bin Abu Bakar, grand mother Arwah Munah bin Bache' (please sedekah Al-Fatehah to this three beloved peoples of my family). My aunties also no escape. They looked down on my whole entire family. I still remember, they refuse to change their daughter wedding date even though we had earlier book the same weekend. We can't change because the invitation card has been printed. Most of our guest wrongly eat at their house as my grand mother house is at the back of theirs. The money and the gift would be theirs as you would normally give it to them before you eat and there is no way you can ask for it to be return to you. Their character is similiar to MM but got one "un-value added" - stingy. They are well to do but I don't know why they always see the small children including me like seeing thief. If they saw me or any other children pass by and keep on looking at the mangoes tree, guava, buah nona, jambu air and buah mentega, they will shout hah, tengok apa tu? If we happen to go and ask for it, they will come out with ever prepared reason as "buah tak tua, belum masak, ada orang dah pesan dan macam-macam lagi lah". If they give also, the fruit will be tagged with many condition of No, No, No, No (they can't so no forever, because poor people also have bad habit and never learn, never give up and don't know to take no as an answer and will keep on asking). Their condition goes like this "jangan makan dengan garam, kicap, gula, jangan buat sambal belacan, jangan masak kuah, jangan itu dan jangan ini. I think they are short of saying "JANGAN MINTAK LAGI LAH, BODOH, DEGIL DAN TAK RETI BAHASA PUNYA ORANG MISKIN". Mind you, the fruit hanging on the trees more than enough to feed the whole kampung but I think the SETAN keep on whispering to them not to give to people. Sadly, they obeyed. Actually, I don't know what they do with it. Thats why, when my mum managed to redeem my ancestor land (16 years ago), the first thing my brother and sisters did - plant 4 type of mangoes tree. After so many years, the tree are still around until today and still bear fruit and the fruit are in good quality and condition eventhough we kept giving to who ever pass by and ask for it - with no condition!!! Do what you like. We are not supersticious. Tak percaya langsung dengan perkara karut marut ni dan tak terbukti pun dengan kemajuan sains. We even let them pluck themselves but we only reminded them don't pluck the young fruit as it will be wasted. The fruit doesn't seem to finish. Always there. By the way all this 4 magnificient has gone to live somewhere else, far far away and never return till today. Lets sedekah them Al-Fatehah. Amin.

Before I end this chapter three, I would like say that the story above, is true but I did not have any intention to talk bad about people. I only like to share the story of my life. The experience and the history of my life and what we have gone through. When I was much younger, I use to wish that I am not the eldest among my siblings, so I don't have to suffer more than them, but I guess Allah S.W.T. Maha Mengetahui when He created me to be Abang Long in my family. Alhamdulillah, today, I have no regret because I know the reason to it. I must be thankful to Allah S.W.T. for his creation and for sending me not only very kind people but the not so kind as well. They played their role well and they made me what I am today. Allhamdulillah. Actually, this is also tribute to them lah.

If only I can wish for something, I would like to have my Nenek (actually my moyang, Arwah Cik), Atok (Arwah Abd Ghani) and Mak Mok (my fat dear grand mother Arwah Munah) back, even for 1 or 1/2 a day, so I can shower them with a little luxury in life. But I know it is wishful thinking. They are all gone at the peak of our "miskin time". They have returned to the place where they came from. "Dari tanah kamu dijadikan dan tanah juga kamu dikembalikan". But, I know Allah S.W.T. have better plan for them as He is The Greatest Planner, The Ultimate One. I believe they are in better place than any of us now. May Allah S.W.T. bless their soul. Al-Fatehah. Amin.

Whether I like it or not, sooner or later, I will also return to where I belong, the very same place to join them one day.

Chapter 4 will follow soon.

THE SEQUEL OF THE BEGINNING - JALAN DURIAN DAUN

A new fresh day. Sunday, August 5, 2007.

Alhamdulillah, Allah S.W.T. still return my soul to my body. We always expect that we will wake up from our sleep everyday. Most of the time, we (including me) forgot that Allah S.W.T. is the Ultimate Owner. We often took Him as a Borrower! Memang kita tak tahu malu. We often forget that He owes no one but as a matter of fact He lends it to us, the ungrateful human being (also talking about me). We always expect to open our eyes in the morning and continue living. How many time we ever think that we might not be able to get up in the morning? Our body stiff and cold in bed. I mean - mati, meninggal dunia, wafat, mangkat or mampos! Think again. Start to muhasabah ourselves (including me).

Now, let me continue.

It is only fair if I were to mention that there are still few good, kind neighbours and good samaritan that treat us like another human being. We used to get left over food (every food is nice when you are poor), old clothes and most importantly, sympathy that we deserved (for being poor). I would like to pay tribute to this few people :

1. Arwah Mak Uda Pungut - her real name is but I don't know where the word Pungut came from. All I know she likes to amek anak angkat! She is also a Bilal in my kampung. I missed this nice and soft spoken lady. I will tell more about her some other time.

2. Arwah Mak Jarah - very nice lady. Small size (kalau sekarang orang panggil pendek la macam dua tiga orang kat ofis I tu). She is quite well to do. Big house and many anak. Her husband, Arwah Pak Kassim, was robbed and murdered in a nearby kebun pisang many years before she passed away. I was once engaged to her grand daughter but tak ada jodoh la pulak. Putus harapan, putus tunang, putus segala-galanya (nasib baik tak putus nyawa). Kalau tak mesti I dapat umah besau dia kat kampung I tu.

3. Arwah Mak Dollah (pompuan tapi panggil Dollah). She paralysed due to stroke and was bedridden for many years before she passed away in early 80's. Boleh tak I mintak kita sedekah Al-Fatehah pada tiga orang nie. Al-Fatehah. Amin.

4. Mak Mon Umau (actually Omar tapi orang Melaka huruf R tukau jadi U secara otomatik). She used to smoked and chewing fresh bunga cengkih. Dia cakap sedap bunga cengkih tu. I tried but yucks - pedas and entah apa2 rasa la. She became a widow until today (since 32 years ago) when Pakcik Umau passed away suddenly. I remember saw him in the morning but at night dia mati la. Life is fragile. So, kena sedar pasal Malaikat Izrael sentiasa ikut kita. Jangan buat jahat macam ramai orang kat ofis I tu. Pangkat besar tapi JAHAT macam setan (P.Ramlee kata). Ingatlah bahawa pangkat, nama, harta, duit, bini, laki, anak kita tak dapat tak bawak masuk dalam kubur oi!

5. Makcik Keling (nama dalam surat beranak dia Bawiyah tapi pasal dia hitam hampir color arang batu, dia disumpah menjadi Keling (for Melayu memang color dia itam la). She is Arwah Mak Dollah eldest daughter. I remember she always brought kangkong air that she took from a lombong nearby her house when ever she dropped by my house. She is also our "servant" to go to market. When ever she sees ikan longgok, sotong, udang yang murah, she will buy for us (we refund her la pasal dia pun bukan orang kaya, cuma jiwa dia aje yang kaya).

6.Mak Pipah (a sharp tongue lady but kind hearted). I believe she is the richest lady in my kampung. Rumah dan tanah dia besau tau. By now, she is the oldest neighbour in my kampung. She is pushing 90, (next time I see her, I would ask her age and unlike most artiste yang suka tipu umur tu, I m confident she would reveal me her real age). Mind you, still healthy and live in the same big house with her second youngest daughter, Maziah, one year older than me and single. She is still strong mentally and physically to even attend kenduris or wedding! Unlike us, sikit2 MC, sikit2 MC!

7. Mak Ros Mat Tonia - I don't know where the hell the name come from. The whole kampung knows them by this "Mat Tonia". She is my mum good friend. She is pretty macam Minah Salleh. Still nice until now.

This are the few names I remember that used to help or at least treat us just like another human being. Ya Allah, please pay their kindness on my behalf.

Sesungguhnya Allah yang Maha Mengetahui dan Maha Bijaksana dan pemberian dan pembalasan....

More stories to come. Stay with me.

THE BEGINNING - JALAN DURIAN DAUN

Take a good look at the photo and spontaneously, describe what do you see. A house? A hut? Are you sure?

By the way, Kiff took this picture on July 14, 2007 (Saturday) after the Aqiqah at Najah's mum in-law house.

THIS IS HOME TO ME AND MY FAMILY FOR AT LEAST 15 YEARS (1965 - 1980).

But, mind you what you see is not actually the original house. This is how the house looked in 1980 before we moved out to the bigger house located just next door. The house were much smaller before (about 350-400 square feet). Much "daif" looking compare to what you see. The only different is when we live there, we keep the house in much better condition - more manageable, neat and clean. My mother is very particular about it. She says, it is okay if we are fated to live in a hut as long as it is neat and clean.

The monthly rental was RM15.00 only. Did I say "only"? So arrogant, am I? I should not say the word only as RM15.00 during that time was big, huge amount of money to my family. But, I really adore and respect my mother. She manage my family well. My dad is lucky to marry her (at the same time, my mum is also lucky to marry him). She managed the income (what ever given to her by my dad) well. Our rental never fall under the category "tunggakan" as we always see in our monthly bills nowadays. We also never bogged down with loan or worst, unpaid loan. She doesn't believe in creating loan. My family own our first dining table when I was 14 years old!

I don't know how but she is "damn" good (forgive me mum, it is rude but I meant well as this is the best way to describe your talent, I love you mum) Housekeeper/ Financial Controller. Imagine if she goes secondary school and then maybe, university? I think if she is the CEO of my company, I guarantee you profit rolls in and, bonus paid to staff would be minimum 6 months across the board, annually. Or maybe, by now, she is in Idris Jala' hotseat.

When my dad marries my mum, he works as one the cinema ticket collector in Cathay, Melaka. Due to his citizenship complication, Cathay can't put him under their payroll. He is now out of job. Out of humanity, the management allow him to be a parking boy at the cinema (mind you, majority chinese in the management but still have HEART unlike some Malay dominated management, heartless macam tak tau ajaran agama! kalau terasa, sori lah yea). I still remember that his daily collection comes in a form of coins (10, 20 and 50 sen) placed in one small glass bowl at home. He and my mum are happy if there is matinee or mid-nite shows. It means, more coins in the bowl but if it rain, the coins are much, much lesser. Later, I would see my mum's eyes red. It is fated but I believed "ada hikmah".

To supplement the family income, my mum bake some traditional malay kueh for me to send to coffee shops or even brings to school to sell. Later, she also does laundry at 2 houses, 1 chinese and 1 malay family. I also help by going to few houses to collect dirty linen from 2 chinese house and the bring it home. She will wash, dry and fold it at home before I send it back to the respective houses. During school holidays, I worked at the mamak shop nearby my house from 7 am - 6 pm for a "salary" of RM1.00 (in case you read wrongly "Ringgit Malaysia Satu Sahaja") a day. Few years later, as we grew up my dad changed job. He became a Security Guard. That is is last job until he retires some 10 years ago.

Trust me, no fun being poor. People don't see us. In short, we are almost invisible. Orang melayu panggil "Pandang Takde Mata". We get bullied. We get nasty remarks. We get our slippers thrown into the thick "lalang and keladi gatal" bush when we accidently left it outside the house (when it happen, my mum will start nagging us for being careless). Sometimes, our laundry hang outside the house ended up as "carpet" on the ground.....macam-macam lagi la. But, we have to endure it. Just keep quiet. They seems to have every rights over us.

Sad memories. So sad. I am not able to continue typing. Allow me to go to bed. Good nite.

To be continued.

PUTRA OH PUTRA....

Hello Again My Fellow Creatures,

I wasn't active (posting new blog and read others) for the last 2 weeks. Too busy but doing what I really wonder. Actually, I attempted drafting something, but never get to finish it. Half or three quarter way, I saved and shut it off. Like I used to tell some people, I am weird and unpredictable. But it is me. You may want to stay or if you wish, you may find the way out. You take it of leave it. The choice is yours. But don't regret it.

Today I want and must post something. All my "fiend" is waiting anxiously.

Today, lets sing a song. I would like to dedicate to CekPaKaran and Dona or now she prefers if we call he DonDan or DonHam. You want to know why the changes, feel free to ask her or CekPakaran.

The idea of writing this song came when I know about their catastrophe during the Putra LRT ride yesterday at lunch. It is strange as I noticed that should they commute Putra LRT without me, catastrophe befall them. Two weeks ago, their were also stucked at KLCC for nearly 2 hours due to also Putra LRT problem. Memang tak serik-serik dua ekor nie. Each of them have 1 different thing they worry about, Sekor akan kata - mati aku, my boss punye drink belum buat lagi!!!!, dan lagi sekor, alamak, mesti bos aku panggil, shima, shima, shima...sapa yang nak menyaut dan nak tekedek2 masuk bilik dia?

Then, they tried to trick me. Try to use the 3 Bs they have or had (beauty, body, brain,) or rather whatever they have got left, to persuade or rather lure me to come to their rescue. But, before they managed to finish, I simply say "padan muka engkau, gatal lagi lah".

They even imagine me to come as a Superman. I will fly there in my costume (not "S" but "RM") and I am suppose to fly them back to office. Dream! I said, should I become Superman, I would fly there and but to save the much younger, prettier and much lighter compare to them. DonDan is heavy hor! I might get hernia lah! For Cek Pah, she might later charge me with "sexual harrasment" for holding her during the "humanity flight"! Tak kuasa aku.

Why would I waste time and energy to save them. KLCC have more than enough guards to mishandle this reject wannabe "Pussy Cat Dolls". They lupa la, the top 100 chart they are in now, in is not the current music scene but retro punye la - all group like "ABBA" "BONEY M" "THE SUPREME" "THE DEGREES" is in there. Get real girls! Wake up, wake up. Smell the roses! kah kah kah. "Bak pepatah orang-orang tua - Tak ada beban, Dona digalas atau Buat baik berpada-pada, kalau nak bawak, bawak lah yang muda". Kah Kah Kah once more.

I wrote this lyric within 3 minutes and you have sing to the tune of "DIA" by MJ Fauziah Latiff (MJ tu mak janda la bukan The Glove Michael Jackson - kesian, janda jugak akhirnya Kak Gee). But not to worry Kak Gee, lagi bebas sekarang. Tak ada laki, tak da pak mentua, ipar duai and the best thing tak ada MAK MENTUA macam Nyonya Mansor dalam Ibu Mertua Ku tu). Ask me, I also have this experience! Gosh!!!!

PUTRA

MENGAPA PINTU KAU TERBUKA

HAMPIR MENJADI ARWAH KU DAN CEKPAH

JANGAN HANTAR KAMI KE ALAM BARZAKH

JANGAN LAH BIARKAN SUAMI KAMI MENDUDA

PUTRA

MENGAPA KAMI JADI MANGSA

MESTI ADA SAJA MALAPETAKA

SERING KAMI JADI BAHAN KETAWA

NAK MENANGIS PUN TIDAK ADA AIR MATA

CHORUS

MENGAPA KAU PUTRA

SELALU NAK MENDUGA

KAMI INSAN HAWA YANG TUA LAGI LELAH

BUKAN NYA TAK BAYAR

BUKAN NAIK PERCUMA

CUMA PINJAM PAS KEPUNYAAN AYA......

PUTRA

INI KAD AMARAN WARNA MERAH

JIKA SERVIS KAU MASIH DI TAHAP LAMA

KAMI BAKAR GERABAK MU SEMUA

BIAR LAH KU DAN CEKPA TERPERAP OPIS AJA......

Enjoy.....