THE BROTHERHOOD

We were young. All 131 of us were sent to this school by our parents, hoping their children will someday be successful in life.

So begin our life in a residential school. We learn how to survive without the supervision of our parents. We did errands for our seniors and took the bullying like a man. That’s what we’re supposed to be anyway. In those days, forget about going to the teachers and wardens as they will tell us that we should grow up and tough it out. Its tradition. Our seniors told us. One day we will do the same thing to our juniors.

We adjusted well and embraced the fact that we will be there for a long five years. Throughout the journey, a few of us had to leave school for all sort of reasons. We continue to learn about the facts of life, surviving, having fun and absorbed all things the school thrown to us.

We grew up leaving the school with enough experiences and education to last us a life time. And through it all we stuck together.

Years passed and we were scattered all over finding our role to play in this life. Contacts were lost and renewed, reunions held now and then. A lot of us made it, some are captains of industry, hot shot lawyers, bankers, doctors, diplomats, civil servants, corporate figures, engineers, businessman, politicians, world known travelers, pilots, all up and coming names in their chosen professions.

We had lost one in this life’s journey and we lost another just last Tuesday. We grieved and went to his funeral, offering our condolences to the family. We talked about the old days, and how he touched each of our lives. We said our prayers.

We were there not as what we are everyday in our professional lives.

Instead, we were there as brothers, bidding farewell to one of our own.

AL FATIHAH

Goodbye brother
For you are going to a better place

Goodbye brother
Your parents and families will miss you

Goodbye brother
Our heart are full of sorrow for your wife and daughter you left behind

Goodbye brother
You touched our life

Goodbye brother
Sadness hung around us

Goodbye brother
Our tears, we shed for you

Goodbye brother
Our feelings shattered, our emotions tattered

Goodbye brother
We'll mourn your passing

Be at peace brother
Our prayers are with you

We love you brother
Forever and always


This post is for you, dear friend and brother.
Ku Petik Bintang-bintang 82-86
June 6, 2007

TEH TARIK SESSION IN SESSION 2

A good friend, ABH is getting married. He's engaged and by June he will be a married man. He called me just now and told me he need to see me. Right away. "Its urgent, Are you up to a teh tarik session?" he said. "Okay, I'll be there". I replied.

This is what he told me. (He's a government servant BTW). His fiance told him that her family had a discussion about the wedding arrangement over dinner. Watching the news, the father passed a remark to her "Eh, Government servant got their pay increase today, maybe you could ask him (ABH) to make the wedding a little bigger?. After all its once in a life time, you know."

Her fiance, according to ABH tried not to say anything, but her mother joined in. "Ya la, ABH can afford this now with the increment. I don't want to say anything before, since you know la, Government servant's salary is so small. I don't have the heart to ask him for bigger wedding, but now, I am sure he can afford it, its a big pay hike. Ask him okay, dear".

ABH, scratched his head, put both his hands under his chin and said. "I am a dead man. You know, actually its not that much. 35% from RM 832 is what? Its just an increase of RM 292.00. Okay, plus COLA RM 150.00 to RM 300.00. All in 392.00 and they expect me to have a bigger wedding? And no arrears this time around. The new salary will be only be paid in July. After 15 years, a raise of RM 292.00. I don't know what to do now."

I could understand his situation. Well, that's the mentality of some Malaysians, sadly. I know that ABH and his fiance save their income like crazy, (both work as clerks in the public service). On top of that, there is the hantaran, which was set at RM 5,000.00. And on top of that they got to think about the kenduri expenses. That doesn't include all the small and unaccounted expenses.

"Call it off then". I said. (Me and my unorthodox solution). "Are you crazy, man? The wedding is just a few weeks away." He looked at me as if I just asked him to kill himself.

"No I am not crazy, in fact its a great idea. Just go and meet the father, and tell him politely that you don't have anymore money for the wedding. Explain to him like you did to me about the salary increase. And blackmail him, if he insist to have a bigger wedding, you just have to call it off" I said. "But all the invitation has been sent out, preparations were made". He argued with me. "Exactly. See, you forget one thing about being a Malay. Do you honestly think the father really want to cancel the wedding after everybody in the kampung knows about it? That is air muka, man. I bet you the father wouldn't want that to happen to his family and his daughter." ABH didn't say anything and I left him alone to think.

I don't know what will he do. But it really makes me think about how materialistic the world we live in, right now.

With that kind of salary? Its not living life. Its surviving it.

*COLA - Cost of living allowance (an allowance given to civil servant to off set high cost of living)

hantaran - dowry (given by man to woman as monetary gift according to Malay custom)

kenduri - feast

kampung - village

air muka - honor/ saving face ?

WITH FRIENDS LIKE THIS

SOMETIME IN THE NIGHT

“Hello Akula, WOI! AKULA!, Its me, Rudi. Are you awake?” Looked at my watch , 3.23 am. Answered the phone: “Huarghhhh….. who’s this?” Feeling groggy, try to keep myself awake. (Rudi is a good friend in London) Hmm okay. Fearing the worse. “What’s the matter man?” I asked him. “Nothing, I just got myself Dina Zaman’s I Am Muslim. Do you know your name is mentioned in her book?” Still trying to make sense of it all, I said “Yeah? Uh okay”. He continued “Okay, just to let you know. Now go back to sleep”. Umm. What? “Is that it, man? Your family’s ok over there?”. Rudi said “Yeap, Sure they are. That’s it.” Click.

Cant sleep after that. And its not because I am excited my name is in Dina Zaman’s book. I am of the species who cannot go back to sleep right away, after being brutally awaken in the middle of the night. Pulling myself together, sum up the conversation. Rudi called me in the dead of night, all the way from London, to inform me that my name was typed somewhere in Dina Zaman’s I Am Muslim. And there’s nothing wrong with his family. I sighed. What a friend. Love him to death.

LUNCH HOUR, YESTERDAY

Wari. Another good friend of mine.

Wari: “Hello beb”.
Akula: “What’s up?”.
Wari: “In case you don’t know it already, your name is in I Am Muslim’s by Dina Zaman.
Akula: “Yeah, another friend of mine informed me last night. Called from London”.
Wari: “How the hell he got it over there.”
Akula : “Good question, I really don’t know. Its about 3.am when he called me. Half awake at that time. Forgot to ask him”.
Wari: “ Listen. Do you have a copy of the book?”
Akula: “ No, not yet.”
Wari: “Okay, you can borrow mine if you want.”
Akula : “Its cool man, I asked another friend to buy it for me.”
Wari : “Ok beb. Bye”.
Akula : “Uh ok”.

THIS MORNING

At the office. Saw Adi, strutting, holding something in his hand. “Akula, you owe me RM 30.00” and hand over Dina Zaman’s elusive book. “FYI, You made me do this. My wife keep teasing me and cant believe her husband's buying a book!. You owe me big time, bro”

Finding out my name mentioned in a book obviously is a big thing to my friends.

I am deeply touched and truly blessed.

BTW, its on page 8.

TEH TARIK SESSION IN SESSION

I had a great teh tarik session just now with my office mates. The place is a bit far from my place. Took me about one and half hour with the traffic jam. No jam, just half and hour, which is very rare. Why they chose that place, far from our office, I really don't know.

Teh tarik sessions, as usual, and in my opinion brings out our bragging nature. (No, I did not brag about filing my tax return naked, in case you are wondering.)

I was particularly interested when Mr HRI, told us about his hidden talent. He can do massage. (Not that kind of massage la. Traditional massage, okay.) We start to pay real attention to him. No talking, no nothing. We listened to his massage stories like a 3 year old kid lapping lollipop. Give him our fullest attention. He told us that he inherited this talent from his father who was a famous Bomoh (What is Bomoh in English? Anyone?)

He told us that the other thing that he's blessed with, is that he can performed tarik duit (money pulling. Is that correct?). All of us were of course, very interested. Well, here is this guy, offering a way out to paradise!. No more worries about the high petrol price. Goodbye to ever increasing tolls charges. Minimum credit card payment? ....WHAT MINIMUM CREDIT CARD PAYMENT?! And Hello!, Visit Malaysia Year, here we come.

Mr MA : So, how did you do it?

Mr. HRI : Can't tell you that, its the pantang (forbidden?). I cannot disclose it or my ilmu (magic kot) will fade away.

Akula : How much money you already tarik (pull, get.)

Mr. HRI : Man, I tell you, its soooo much that I loose count.

Mr MFMD : Lets cut to the chase. We are interested. When can we do it?

Mr HRI : Okay, this coming Friday night. That is 3 days from today. But, I really hate to tell you this, we have to have duit tangkal first about RM 1,000.00 (What is duit tangkal? I give up! Hate this translation shit!).

I just smiled and look at Mr BH. He winked at me. I understood the signal right away. And like a bunch of musketeers, we made a pact. 3 days from now, Friday night, we will meet again, plus RM 1,000.00.

Time to go home, everyone is smiling, fantasizing. Our financial trouble will be over soon. We stood up. Mr. BH (the one who winked at me) said in a loud voice.

Mr. BH : Hey HRI. Round table la.

Akula : Yeah man. Surely you can belanja us. This is nothing man, compared to the thousands of RM you tarik.

Mr. HRI was dumbstruck. And timidly said : Errrk.... I am just going to ask you to belanja me. I forgot to draw my money.

Mr. BH : Man, YOU ARE SO FULL OF SHIT!

We pooled our money with the other dumbstruck friends of ours and walk away.

I dont know about them but come Friday night, I wont be there.