In the kitchen, the Mickey Mouse pointed his tail at number seven. Next door, Chandra’s rooster crowed. She adjusted the volume of the hand-me-down blue-colored Sony radio, so that she could hear Natalie Cole’s sultry voice over the speaker clearly. She has to tilt her tiny feet a bit, as being a 4ft 9inch; she wouldn’t be able to reach that radio if she didn’t do that. “Unforgettable…in every way. And forever more, that’s how you stay. That’s why darling, it’s incredible, that someone so unforgettable…”
“Ahh…that sounds better.” She monologues. Thus drawing a thin smile on her equally thin, slightly chapped lips.
“You are truly unforgettable.” She thought to herself. Later, she continued doing what she is doing at that time, preparing a popular local delicacy for breakfast, “karipap”. She has finished shaping a tray of those delicacies. Now, she wanted to fry them.
She vividly remembered the look on his face when he asked her to prepare “karipap” for him. You could see the child-ness in him appeared. He told her that hers were more delicious. He disliked buying them from the stalls. The fillings are always not enough he complained. Of course she could not forget the incident where he finished five “karipap” in no time. His fondness towards “karipap” was undeniable.
Traveling long distance, she knew that he liked to eat “karipap” in the car. Handy he said. She also could not forget the trip that they took together to Johore. Well, they are not alone actually, her second son and youngest daughter tagged along with them. Knowing his personality, it was very difficult to put him into traveling mood as he was not very fond of driving long distance and staying at other people’s house. But that time, he was different. He took her everywhere – she just has to name the place. The nature of their business prevented them before this to travel. Therefore, with this opportunity, she grabbed the chance. They went to Kukup, Batu Pahat, Muar, Mersing, Pontian and many other places. They revisited the place where they used to live right after they were married in 1974; they also paid a quick visit to a few relatives here and there around Johore. He joked that it’s the “karipap” that kept him moving during the trip. To her the vacation was an unforgettable one.
Seven forty-five in the morning. She has finished frying the “karipap”. She sat at the dining table, on the chair where he used to sit. She looked to her right, where the shelf used to be. She must admit that tidiness is not one of his best traits. It was very unfortunate that his character lacked that quality. However, she did not complain, as it was his messiness that she missed so much now. She remembered one morning, a long time ago; she found him working, on the dining table, with his files, amidst other raw papers, scattered here and there.
“Abang, how can you work in a messy area like this?” she asked agitatedly.
“I’m more comfortable working like this. Messy.” He answered calmly.
She also could not erase the memory of him driving to
Penang
and back in the very same day.
“Do you know that it is very dangerous to drive when you are tired? Why don’t you spend a night in
Penang
?” she asked worriedly.
“Ma, you know that I don’t like to spend my night other than on my own bed here in our home, right?” he answered without any trace of tiredness.
At the thought of this, she managed to form a smile on her lips. But the shelf was long gone now. She has replaced it with a low table, to place Harris’s toys.
Harris. She cherished every memory of watching him and his beloved grandson playing and baby-talking together. How he adored Harris. It was so unbelievable that, with a personality as strong as him, could melt at the pleading voice of a child as tender as Harris.
“Well…” she thought to herself.
“I could just go on and on thinking about him. Reminiscing about his unforgettable manner and forget about my laundry and watering the plant…” she mumbled frivolously. Her quick hands find their way around the table top. She accidentally knocked down a bowl of freshly picked chilies.
“Ya Allah…” as she slowly picked them up, one by one, her thought flew to her husband, yet again. She just could not comprehend how he could managed to gulp down those extremely hot “sambal”. His liking towards chillies sometimes drove her mad for she has to prepare every dish for him, hot. Still in deep thought of him, she continued doing her house chores.
In the living room, the ancient clock stroked its handle to indicate that it was nine o’clock in the morning. She took her compulsory ablution at the water tap just before the staircase leading down to the car porch. Covering her head with a piece of smooth pink cashmere shawl, she said her prayers and clutched the “surah yassin” in her frail hands.
“Ma, are you ready? Shall we go now? I asked her.
“Yes. Yes. I’m ready. Let’s go. It would be too hot to be under the sun soon. Where’s your “surah yassin”?” bowing her head, she answered. Somehow I could sense that she is trying her best not to look at me.
“It’s here. In my bag.” Just then I saw a tear dropped from her fair cheeks
“Ahh…that sounds better.” She monologues. Thus drawing a thin smile on her equally thin, slightly chapped lips.
“You are truly unforgettable.” She thought to herself. Later, she continued doing what she is doing at that time, preparing a popular local delicacy for breakfast, “karipap”. She has finished shaping a tray of those delicacies. Now, she wanted to fry them.
She vividly remembered the look on his face when he asked her to prepare “karipap” for him. You could see the child-ness in him appeared. He told her that hers were more delicious. He disliked buying them from the stalls. The fillings are always not enough he complained. Of course she could not forget the incident where he finished five “karipap” in no time. His fondness towards “karipap” was undeniable.
Traveling long distance, she knew that he liked to eat “karipap” in the car. Handy he said. She also could not forget the trip that they took together to Johore. Well, they are not alone actually, her second son and youngest daughter tagged along with them. Knowing his personality, it was very difficult to put him into traveling mood as he was not very fond of driving long distance and staying at other people’s house. But that time, he was different. He took her everywhere – she just has to name the place. The nature of their business prevented them before this to travel. Therefore, with this opportunity, she grabbed the chance. They went to Kukup, Batu Pahat, Muar, Mersing, Pontian and many other places. They revisited the place where they used to live right after they were married in 1974; they also paid a quick visit to a few relatives here and there around Johore. He joked that it’s the “karipap” that kept him moving during the trip. To her the vacation was an unforgettable one.
Seven forty-five in the morning. She has finished frying the “karipap”. She sat at the dining table, on the chair where he used to sit. She looked to her right, where the shelf used to be. She must admit that tidiness is not one of his best traits. It was very unfortunate that his character lacked that quality. However, she did not complain, as it was his messiness that she missed so much now. She remembered one morning, a long time ago; she found him working, on the dining table, with his files, amidst other raw papers, scattered here and there.
“Abang, how can you work in a messy area like this?” she asked agitatedly.
“I’m more comfortable working like this. Messy.” He answered calmly.
She also could not erase the memory of him driving to
Penang
and back in the very same day.
“Do you know that it is very dangerous to drive when you are tired? Why don’t you spend a night in
Penang
?” she asked worriedly.
“Ma, you know that I don’t like to spend my night other than on my own bed here in our home, right?” he answered without any trace of tiredness.
At the thought of this, she managed to form a smile on her lips. But the shelf was long gone now. She has replaced it with a low table, to place Harris’s toys.
Harris. She cherished every memory of watching him and his beloved grandson playing and baby-talking together. How he adored Harris. It was so unbelievable that, with a personality as strong as him, could melt at the pleading voice of a child as tender as Harris.
“Well…” she thought to herself.
“I could just go on and on thinking about him. Reminiscing about his unforgettable manner and forget about my laundry and watering the plant…” she mumbled frivolously. Her quick hands find their way around the table top. She accidentally knocked down a bowl of freshly picked chilies.
“Ya Allah…” as she slowly picked them up, one by one, her thought flew to her husband, yet again. She just could not comprehend how he could managed to gulp down those extremely hot “sambal”. His liking towards chillies sometimes drove her mad for she has to prepare every dish for him, hot. Still in deep thought of him, she continued doing her house chores.
In the living room, the ancient clock stroked its handle to indicate that it was nine o’clock in the morning. She took her compulsory ablution at the water tap just before the staircase leading down to the car porch. Covering her head with a piece of smooth pink cashmere shawl, she said her prayers and clutched the “surah yassin” in her frail hands.
“Ma, are you ready? Shall we go now? I asked her.
“Yes. Yes. I’m ready. Let’s go. It would be too hot to be under the sun soon. Where’s your “surah yassin”?” bowing her head, she answered. Somehow I could sense that she is trying her best not to look at me.
“It’s here. In my bag.” Just then I saw a tear dropped from her fair cheeks
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