Ketupat

"Ibu! Dah nak hari raya ke?", teriak Hafiz yang mengintai dari tingkap rumah.

He must have seen the daun kelapa that I carried, and co-related them with ketupat for hari raya. Good association. "Ha'ah!" Ibu jawab selamba. Ayah smiled, proud of Hafiz 'self discovery' progress.

The daun kelapa only cost us RM4.50 for 50pcs. Reasonable. But that was just the raw material. Total cost towards finished products was much higher :

Pre-production training & technical jargons clarification among siblings:
1. Daun ketupat
Hafiz : "Ni daun apa ibu?"
Abang Idin : "Let me guess, daun kobis?"
(KOBIS ??@%#!! I was speechless! )

2. Isi ketupat
Hafiz : "Boleh tak kita isi udang dalam ketupat?"
Abang Idin : "Kah!Kah!Kah! You no-brainer you!"
(Eleh...as if 'daun kobis' was such a brainy answer?)

3. And the answer is ....
Abang Idin : "You mean, coconut leaves?"
Hafiz: "Bukanlah, ibu kata daun KE-LA-PA!"
Ameer: "Bukanlah, ibu kata daun KE-PA-LA!"
(Alahai.... lebih baik ambik orang Myanmar jadi helpers)

Labour cost (unquantifiable):
1. Tukang anyam ketupat (Ibu)
2. Tukang lap daun dengan kain basah (Abang Idin)
3. Tukang menyepahkan lidi yang separated from daun (Hafiz)
4. Tukang bawak lari daun yang dah siap di lap (Ameer)

Entertainment cost (conducive work environment is vital...):
1. Disney, Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon channels actual airtime (unfortunate for tukang anyam but essential for the other tukangs)
2. Tukang berdengkur kat sofa (Ayah). Hmm...penatnya drive ke pasar!
3. Tukang sorok Astro remote controller (Hafiz) so that Ibu couldn't switch channels

Subsistence provision:
1. Susu berulang kali(Ameer & Hafiz)
2. Chocolate ice cream (Abang Idin) as upah lap daun, but self service
3. Teh O (Ibu)- separuh mug ajer sebab Ameer dah langgar & tumpahkan

Factor in these productivity adverse disturbances:
1. Ibu turun naik tangga untuk buat susu Ameer & Hafiz berulang kali
2. Ameer acting as QC inspector, loosening a few ketupat yang dah siap on the pretense of "nak check ni siap ke tak?!"
3. Abang Idin & Hafiz squabbling over which channels to stay tune to
4. Ayah's snorring - definitely not music to my ears
5. Time out for
a. Ameer nak pegi toilet
b. Ibu nak pegi toilet
c. Ibu kena lap Teh O tumpah
d. Ibu kena kutip balik daun kelapa yang Ameer bawak lari

Safety precaution (read: ibu shouted):
" Lidi kelapa bukan Light Saber! Jgn buat pedang! Nanti tercucuk mata! "

Total production time :
5 hours for 50 pcs (EXCLUDING isi beras dalam ketupat - I can't finish this entry if I were to include that episode).

So, there you go my boys! The ketupat fear factor challenge that Ibu has learned to conquer. The adrenalin kick was unbelievable!

Nevertheless, it's all worth every effort, sweat & tears.


I know I'm not a good cook. In fact, I am a lousy cook! The rendang your Ibu can prepare is next to nothing compared to those served by other godly moms out there. But if there is one thing about hari raya that I hope you boys would remember is that this Ibu of yours would make sure, with God's willing, to serve all you 4 boys (including Ayah) fresh, home-made, original traditional style, personally weaved, ketupat daun kelapa - di pagi hari raya.

Satu pengorbanan jugak tu kiranya.

Selamat Hari Raya Qurban anak-anak ku...

Wassalam,
Ibu

Not So White Lie

"Did you brush your teeth before going to bed last nite?", ibu tanya Abang Idin.

"Yes", he answered crisply. Eyes still glued to NFS* Carbon game on the TV screen, cautiously monitoring his Porsche Cayman S (**) manouvering the sharp drift, both hands expertly handling the PS2 controller.

"Are you sure?", ibu repeated - because I was not so sure.

"Iyeeee......" he replied affirmatively, irritated by my line of questioning which was obviously interfering his concentration to maintain his lead over the other cars, Eclipse GT (**) and Mitsubishi Evo (**).

I walked over to the bathroom and VOILA!!! The toothbrush was still lying by the sink, complete with the toothpaste on it, untouched. Dah la 'pasta gigi' tu ibu yang picitkan malam semalam, tinggal gosok jer gigi tu. Itu pun malas. I picked up the toothbrush and stepped right infront of him, blocking his view of the game.

"Ni amende?", ibu tanya.

"Eh! eheh... eheheh...." he looked up. Sambil tersengih-sengih, exposing a line of not so white front teeth. A non verbal admission that he was indeed lying right through his not so white teeth.

Eyyyyy budak idin ni. Geramnya!! I'm still thinking of what kind of 'stick' he should deserve for lying early Sunday morning.

Maybe I should geletek him real good. Siap badan!

Wassalam,
Ibu

* NFS : Need For Speed

(**) all the names of the cars in the PS2 game were identified by Abang Idin himself as I was typing this entry.

Tengok Wayang - Cuba Teka Cerita Apa?

Lately ni banyak pulak blog entries pasal cerita2 kat wayang.

Ibu & ayah memang rajin gak tengok wayang but almost always with the boys. So obviously the movies that we watch are either cartoons, animation or G rated stories. Lagi satu condition, must be stress free stories. Ayah kata, kalau kena bayar sorang RM7-8 sorang lepas tu keluar panggung sebak2 dada nangis..... naahhh! buat bazir duit jer. Itu Ayah yang kata. Ibu pulak sebenarnya, believe it or not, tengok lah cerita sedih mana pun, tak nangis (except for 'Rain Man' featuring Dustin Hoffman).

Anyway, setelah sekian lama ibu tak tengok wayang cerita melayu, malam semalam ngorat ayah gi tengok satu cerita melayu. Masa balik rumah nenek last weekend, Ibu Noi kata, radio S'pore dok openly memperlekeh kan cerita yang satu ni. A lot of radio callers from seberang ridiculed "angan-angan" Msian film producer for such a story and anticipated it to be disappointing.

Weyy... cubit peha kiri, peha kanan sakit jugak. Jadi ibu bersemangatlah nak memartabatkan filem melayu yg satu ni. Tak sangka penuh la pulak panggung. Oleh sebab we all ni jenis "just in time" (semadang lambat....), so tak de chan la cekup good seats at good price. So kena beli couple seats, yg tak de discount for kids. Tak pe lah... sekali-sekala tengok cerita melayu.

It turned out that this movie was NOT BAD AT ALL!!! Abang Idin & Hafiz terkekeh-kekeh ketawa. Ameer was so engrossed with the characters; masa 'hero' kena pukul & jatuh, dia siap jerit, "ibu....tolong lah dia bangun! tolong lah ibu!". Kuat la jugak suara dia, agak2 separuh panggung boleh dengar. Famous sekejap ibu.

Dipendekkan cerita, seronoklah budak2 bertiga tu & ibu & ayah budak2 menonton cerita ni.

Dan bangun tidur hari ni, pagi-pagi lagi Ameer (while still in his pyjama) dah merangkak-rangkak atas lantai, siap dengan geleng-geleng kepala & jelir-jelir lidah, sambil mengeluarkan special sound effect yang dia baru belajar semalam:
CHKKK! CHKKK!! CHHKKK!! CHHKKK!! CHHKK!!!

Ha! Cerita apa la agaknya we all nonton semalam ek?

Cheers!
Ibu

Kasut Raya

Sepasang kasut anak lelaki boleh beli 2-3 pasang kasut ibu.

Untuk 3 orang anak lelaki? Cair credit card!

Mujurlah raya setahun sekali (raya yg nak kena belikan anak-anak kasut ler!)

Mujurlah manusia ni dicipta hanya ada sepasang kaki seorang (maximum). Kalau macam caterpillar, tak ke naya?

Mujurlah hari tu pakai credit card ayah .....

ahahaha.... uhuhuhu... bestnyer!

p/s Ingat lagu Aznil, "Jangan, jangan, jangan...jangan cepat marah, nanti cepat tua, bikin gaduh saja ...." :D

Up, up & away ...

Bukan cerita terkini.

Ameer jerit nak Bob! Hafiz pun jerit nak Bob jugak. Sorang nak Bob The Builder. Yang sorang lagi Sponge Bob. Both glued to the shop, admiring, drooling & pointing excitedly (all at the same time) to the colorful shapes & designs of helium balloons which I knew would soon be the subject of negotiation between mom & sons, source of crocodile tears and eventually traded to maintain parental sanity. Ibu kalah melayan permintaan anak-anak. Ameer & Hafiz emerged from the shop as the happiest kids on earth, smiling gleefully from ear to ear, holding one Bob each.

The damage? RM12 X 2 = RM24!!! Cekik darah betul kedai tu. Terbang duit ibu!

Habis beli belon, we hurried up to Kluang Station untuk berbuka puasa. Hafiz & Ameer makan sikit jer ( maklum ler, tak lapar....). Selebihnya berkejar ke sana ke mari dua beradik ni, menghela belon masing-masing. Since masa tu orang lain pun sebok berbuka puasa, so the aisle was clear. Nobody cared. Ibu perhati, ada jugak dating couples who looked on and smiled, admiring the kids. Dalam kepala ibu sempat terfikir, senyumlah korang sekarang, esok-esok when you've got kids of your own baru tau langit ni tinggi ke rendah. Nasty thoughts? hahaha...takde lah... bak kata bibi, ah yang bennnerr!

Tiba-tiba Ameer menangis. Hafiz pulak jerit, "No! No! Don't go!", sambil kepalanya mendongak ke atas. Ibu tengok Ameer dah bercangkung dan berjuraian air mata, menangis beriya-iya. Hafiz cuba memujuk, "Ameer, jangan nangis! Jangan nangis! Nanti kita suruh ibu beli lagi". Alamak! Tu yang tak sedap dengar tuh.

Ibu mendongak. Abang Idin & Ayah pun. And so did most of the other customers who were distracted from their sumptous juadah berbuka puasa by Ameer's wailing. Rupa-rupa nya Bob The Builder dah terlepas ke atas. Bob dah terbang ke ceiling. Ketinggian yang pada anggaran mata kasar ibu, tak kesampaian untuk digapai dengan tangan, walau berdiri atas bangku.

Ibu terus bergegas untuk memeluk Ameer dan mengelap air matanya yang boleh saja membanjiri Persiaran Surian and drown the whole world kalau tidak dihentikan. "Tali belon terlepas! Shian Ameer!", Hafiz membuat ulasan lintas langsung. Ameer pulak teresak esak, sambil merayu-rayu, "Ameer nak Bob Bidder, Ameer nak Bob Bidder!" Alahai sayunya. "Ok, ok, jangan nangis eh? Nanti kita beli yang lain", janji ibu tanpa fikir panjang.

Secepat kilat Hafiz mencelah, "Ameer good boy, don't cry ok? Ni amik Abang Hafiz punya balloon Sponge Bob", pujuk Hafiz sambil menghulurkan belonnya kepada Ameer. Whhooooaaa ... how cool? Brotherly love! Sejuk hati ibu dengar pujukan Hafiz untuk adiknya.

"Abang nak tau? Hafiz good boy tau....dia offer Sponge Bob dia kat Ameer", balas ibu. Hafiz sengih-sengih, malu konon. "Ye ke? Wahhh.... good boy Hafiz!", puji Abang Idin pula. Hafiz sengih lagi. Kali ni makin lebar. Ameer tak de reaksi apa-apa. Still numb. Saki baki air mata masih bergenang di kelopak mata. Mungkin masih terkenangkan Bob yang satu lagi.

Tapi kening Ayah berkerut, tanda ada perkara yang dia tak setuju. Ibu malas nak tanya. Bila Abang Idin & Hafiz leka bercerita benda lain, Ayah cuit ibu dan berbisik "I think he has an ulterior motive", sambil matanya mengerling ke Hafiz. "Hishh.... tak baik la Abang ni. Ok lah tu dia bagi belon kat adik dia", balas ibu in denial.

Lepas solat kami semua sepakat untuk pulang terus ke rumah. Sudah pastinya kena menempuh laluan yang sama - lalu depan kedai belon tadi. Oh ohhhh..... tiba-tiba aje hati ibu berdebar-debar. Banyak lagi sedara mara Bob kat situ!

Bila dah dekat dengan kedai belon tadi, Hafiz terus genggam tangan ibu kuat-kuat. Dalam hati ibu terdetik, oh tidak! tidak! tak mungkin! Tapi apa yang tersirat dah pun tersurat. Tepat kat depan muka pintu kedai belon tu, Hafiz terus aje menyeret ibu masuk ke dalam kedai sambil menuding jarinya ke arah satu belon. Kali ni gambar The Cars, 'Lightning McQueen' pulak. Dengan muka yang serius dan suara yang tegas bagaikan ketua perbarisan kawat kaki memberi arahan, dia berteriak, "Hafiz nak yang itu! Ibu belikan! Ganti yang Hafiz dah bagi kat Ameer tadi!".

Ayah tersenyum sinis. Dengan selamba dia berkata, "What did I tell you?"

Hmmm alahai..... ni betul-betul punya kes duit terbang. Belon terbang ke ceiling, duit ibu terbang ke awan!! Lagi RM12.

A price this mother had to pay, for celebrating a show staged by his five year old, too fast too soon.

Wassalam,
Ibu

Kemelut parking menjelang raya

Sudah seakan kelaziman, setiap tahun menjelang raya kami sekeluarga pasti berkunjung ke Ampang Park. Bukan untuk berbuka puasa di Cozy Corner. Tapi untuk merenung, menyentuh, membelek dan mencuba fabrik-fabrik indah yang sesuai dan mampu dijadikan baju raya untuk sang ibu, abang besar & abang-abang kecil. Seronok tengok variasi warna warni walaupun hanya untuk menjamu mata kerana kebanyakan pakaian yang berkenan di mata tak sesuai dibeli - samada sebab baju-baju tu tak cukup lebar untuk ibu atau harga melimpasi bajet. Abang besar lazimnya tak banyak songeh - asalkan ada saiz, warna sedondon dengan baju ibu & 3 orang askar-askarnya, kira dah cukup syarat.

Tahun ni tengahari gat-gat kami dah bergerak ke destinasi yang bisa meringankan dompet abang besar atau mencairkan kad kredit ibu kalau tidak beringat. Sepanjang perjalanan, lagu raya berkumandang di radio. Sesekali terdengar abang idin ikut menyanyi lagu raya - tapi bab korus ajer. Ameer terlentuk di pangkuan ibu sambil memerhatikan ketulan-ketulan awan yang katanya, "suka sangat ikut kereta kita". Hafiz seperti biasa menumpu sepenuh perhatian kepada kenderaan di jalanraya dan akan berteriak gembira sesuka hati tanpa amaran setiap kali dia terpandang "kereta mr bean". Teriakan yang pastinya akan mengembalikan ibu dari angan-angan melaram baju kebaya kepada realiti semasa.

Sedar tak sedar dah masuk kawasan meletak kereta. Penumpang-penumpang semua mula tegakkan kepala, bersedia untuk mendarat. Tapi.... alamak.... parking penuh la pulak. Ingat kan bergerak tengahari kot senanglah dapat parking. Anggapan meleset. Berderet-deret kereta beratur - lagak sorang-sorang pemandu bagaikan helang nak sambar anak ayam, bersedia untuk menyambar mana-mana slot tempat letak kereta yang kosong. "This is not going to be easy", kata abang besar sambil menggeleng kepala. Dia mula meronda perlahan-lahan sambil memerhati kiri dan kanan. Askar-askar ibu pun sibuk memantau.

Lepas "tawaf" 2 - 3 kali, kami terpandang sebuah kereta nun di hadapan dah mula nak gostan keluar. Askar-askar ibu bertiga pun dengan segera meniup semboyan, "Tu nak keluar tu!!! Cepat ayah! Cepat!!!" Abang besar pun apa lagi.... vrrooom ke hadapan & menghidupkan lampu 'signal' sebagai memberi isyarat dia "chop" slot kereta yang nak keluar tu. Askar-askar bertiga pun dah mula teruja. Ibu lagi ler teruja. Dah terbayang baju-baju raya bagai melambai-lambai sambil merayu-rayu, "bawak lah aku pulang.... bawak lah aku pulang....." Abang besar terus mengambil kedudukan strategik, agak ke hadapan sedikit dari kereta yang dah nak keluar tu, agar dia boleh mengambil alih tempat yang sama secara 'reverse parking'. Mutiara katanya, "biar bersusah-susah dahulu, bersenang-senang kemudian". Maksudnya, bila dah penat shopping dan nak keluar parking nanti, tak payah susah-susah sakit tengkuk menoleh ke belakang. Ibu akur saja. Bukannya tengkuk ibu..... so apa-apa jer lah.

Sedang kami menanti penuh harapan, selamat saja kereta tadi keluar dari parking slot tu, tiba-tiba saja muncul kereta warna putih dari belakang meluncur laju mencelok - baik punya celok - mencopet the exact parking slot yang abang besar dari tadi dah berpeluh-peluh "chop".

"WEIIIYYYYY !!!!", hampir serentak kami anak-beranak ter-menjerit. Ibu menjeling ke dash board, lampu isyarat yang abang besar nyalakan tadi masih setia pejam celik pejam celik. Terasa menyirap darah ibu. "Apa hal mangkuk ni?!", terpacul keluar dari mulut abang besar dengan nada keras menunjukkan kemarahan dia mendidih secara mendadak. Askar-askar terpinga-pinga, dari wajah mereka jelas terpancar kekeliruan dan kekecewaan; ada juga orang dewasa "kurang pengajaran" yang tak faham bahasa lampu isyarat? Abang besar terus menarik hand brake dan melangkah keluar. Dalam hati ibu terdetik gusar, "Biar betul abang besar ni. Nak bukak gelanggang ke? Rasanya dulu-dulu dia tak sempat khatam kelas taekwando....".

Tapi seperti yang dijangkakan, abang besar yang memang boleh tahan terkenal dengan kesabarannya menyapa dan menegur dengan sopan, "Err.... sedara! Kami dah tunggu dari tadi ni". Ibu cuma diam memerhati, dengan harapan pemandu kereta putih tu akan gostan dan keluar semula.

Malangnya dengan selamba si mamat pemandu kereta putih pencopet parking tu keluar dari keretanya sambil menjawab dengan nada kurang pengajaran, "Eh! Engkau kan dah ke depan tadi? Aku masuk la .... Engkau cari je lah tempat lain!"

Ishhh...... Berdesing telinga ibu, bagai terasa gegendang telinga bergetar. Panas! Tegang! Kalau bibi ikut, mesti dia tambah lagi satu vocabulary. Genting !

Ibu mengetap bibir menahan geram. Askar-askar pulak dah mula menjengukkan kepala ke luar tingkap kereta untuk menonton sandiwara orang dewasa.

"La.... kan kami dah pasang signal dari tadi. Tak kan tak nampak kot?", sahut abang besar. Nada suara dah agak mula tinggi sikit.

Si mamat kereta putih terus menjawab dengan biadap, "Eh! Engkau kan dah ke depan tadi kan? Apa hal ? Dah ke depan tu terus jer lah ke depan. Aku masuk la parking!".

Ibu terkedu! Betul ker apa yang ibu dengar ni? Darah yang dah menyirap tadi rasanya melonjak terus ke tahap maksima. Terasa seakan-akan gunung karakatao akan meletup pada bila-bila masa saja. Dalam benak fikiran dah terbayang segala macam perkara yang boleh di buat kalau nak balas dendam. Tapi sabar...sabar... bulan Ramadhan.

Sejurus kemudian si minah pula melangkah keluar dari pintu sebelah . Penuh bergaya, meletakkan sunglasses di atas kepala dan terus beredar ke arah anak tangga untuk ke kompleks tanpa menoleh ke belakang pun kepada kami sekeluarga. Si mamat masih terkial-kial nak kunci kereta - secara manual.

Abang besar menarik & menghela nafas panjang. "Astaghfirullah hal azim ........ Kenapa buat cam ni? Kau tak puasa ker?" tambah abang besar lagi. Bila terdengar soalan abang besar tu, si mamat tadi bagai terpaku sedetik. Dia melemparkan pandangan kepada abang besar. Tapi sekadar melemparkan pandangan. Dia buat tak tahu saja dan pertanyaan abang besar itu akhirnya tidak diendahkan langsung oleh si mamat tu dan dia beredar saja dari situ dengan berlagaknya.

Ibu rasa degup jantung ibu semakin kuat. Terasa bagai boleh keluar asap dari hidung macam Loch Ness Monster. Ibu genggam tangan sendiri kuat2 menahan geram.

"HOW RUDE !", abang idin bersuara. Hafiz pulak menambah, "Ibu, kenapa orang tu ambik parking lot ayah? " Baru ajer ibu nak buka mulut nak menjawab, abang besar terus memintas dan menjawab, "hmmmm..... orang tu tak tahan nak pergi toilet agaknya. Tak per lah, biar kan dia. Kita cari tempat lain".

Geram ibu masih terbuku di dada. Dalam tak sedar, ibu dah capai pen dan sekeping kertas dalam glove compartment dan terus menconteng, "A$$ H( )7E" Errr....oppsss!Toooooooot ! Tapi memang tu lah yang ibu conteng kat kertas tu - tindakan refleks di luar kawalan. Abang besar menjeling dan menepis kertas tu dari tangan ibu. Dia menoleh ke belakang takut2 kalau askar-askar sempat terlihat apa yang ibu tulis.

"Can I leave that ( kertas tu ) on his windscreen?", pohon ibu kepada abang besar - tapi dengan nada yang sangat rendah sebab malu pulak kalau askar-askar terdengar. I couldn't believe I asked that but I really did. And worse was that I was also actually hoping that abang besar would let me do it. Ibu mengutip semula kertas yang ditepis abang besar tadi.

"Hishhh...... dah lah tu! Let it go. Kita tengah berpuasa ni kan? Jangan sampai ibadat puasa kita tak diterima. Lagipun kalau dia calar kereta ibu ni nanti, ha.... sapa nak jawab?"

Ibu terkedu sekejap. Betul la tu pesan abang besar tu. Malu la pulak rasanya. Tapi geram betul. Ibu terus menarik nafas panjang untuk memberi laluan oksigen ke otak dan beristighfar 2-3 kali untuk menenangkan hati. Askar-askar diam jer, samada tak berani nak masuk campur ataupun masih confused dengan 'sketsa' tadi.

Ibu diam jer. Abang besar senyap. Askar-askar sunyi sepi.

Ibu menarik nafas panjang sekali lagi. Abang besar pun.

He turned towards me and touched my right hand lightly. "Dah lah eh? Let it go. Biar lah dia. Mungkin ada hikmah di bulan puasa ni", pujuk abang besar lagi dalam usaha menenangkan hati ibu. Ibu diam saja. Ibu pun sebenarnya tak nak lah rutin menjelang raya kami tahun ni tercemar begitu sahaja hanya kerana akibat kekurangan pengajaran sesetengah manusia. Tak berbaloi rasanya. Tapi tak nafi kan terbuku rasa geram di dada.

Abang besar kemudian menyambung semula usaha pencarian tempat meletak kereta.

Baru lewat satu pusingan, setibanya kami di exactly the same row yang terjadinya kemelut parking tadi, kelihatan sebuah kereta mula "gostan" untuk keluar dari kotak nya. Abang besar tersenyum lebar. Belum pun sempat abang besar mengaktifkan lampu isyaratnya, tiba-tiba beberapa buah kereta lagi di hadapan kelihatan mula bergerak keluar dari tempat letak kereta masing-masing.

"Look ayah! Look! Here! There! And there too! And .... everywhere....." Abang Idin berteriak gembira sambil menuding jari ke banyak arah. Oh la la! SubhanaAllah. MasyaAllah. Dalam beberapa kelip mata sahaja, tiba-tiba tersedia 4 atau 5 buah petak kosong untuk dipilih.

"See... see.... see...... now we are spoilt for choice!" abang besar bersuara. Ibu masih tak terkata apa-apa. Tergamam dibuatnya.

Abang besar meluncurkan kereta ke hadapan sambil memerhati kiri dan kanan. Yang mana satu nak pilih ni? Tak lama kemudian dia memperlahankan kereta dan memberi lampu isyarat tanda dia chop satu petak berdekatan.

"Akhahahaha ", Abang idin ketawa. Ibu tersenyum. Ameer & Hafiz? Blur.

Ayah membuat reverse parking untuk masuk ke petak letak kereta pilihan dia. Di sebelah kanan beliau elok saja terletak sebuah kereta berwarna putih yang kami cam sangat!

Ibu buka glove compartment dan mencampakkan kertas yang ibu conteng tadi kedalamnya.

Sambil melangkah keluar dari kereta, ibu menoleh ke arah kereta putih di sebelah kanan. Dalam hati bersuara, " hmmm..... nampaknya kita berjiran la sekejap di bulan Ramadhan ni ya? ".

Setiap yang baik dan indah itu datangnya dari Allah SWT. Dan perangai-perangai yang kurrreeennng sikit tu, sekiranya ada, timbul dari kejahilan diri kita sendiri.

"The real winners in life are the people who look at every situation with an expectation that they can make it work or make it better."

Wallahualam....

Ibu

Hints of Ramadhan

"Any expectation?", Boss ibu bersuara. Tu standard opening line in our meeting routines. To capture what we expect from the meeting - to know more of certain topics, to get clarification on issues, to get proposal signed off, to learn of project progress, bla..bla..bla....

The table was split 50-50. Half locals, half expats. Of the locals, 50-50 split again. Half muslims, half non muslims. Lepas sorang2 kawan seperjuangan ibu menyuarakan expectation masing2. Semua official expectations belaka. Control macho semua. Walaupun sebelum masuk meeting tadi ramai bersungut sebab the meeting was not scheduled, just a few hours advance notice.

Boss tengok ibu & senyum. Tinggal ibu sorang belum bagi expectation. "Saving the best for last?", he teased. Ibu tengok jam. Pukul 3.00pm. Dalam kepala ligat fikir, sempat ker ni?

"Errr.. yes! I have 3 expectations - on behalf of the muslims. Can I request we have a 15 mins break at 4.15pm? And that we finish the meeting by 6.00pm the latest. And err.. it would be good if everyone can agree that we skip Starbucks order today".

Kawan2 yang lain senyum. The Mat Sallehs sengih2. Muka boss berkerut - tak faham. He's very new in the country. And I'm sure he must have read that Msia is a progressive moderate Muslim country. But from the look on his face, I knew he was not prepared to hear such a request - one made on behalf of the muslim mgmt team members in an office meeting? I imagined, he must be wondering, is there real distinct need for such separatism?

"Any particular reason why?", he asked. "Not that it's not agreeable, but you were very specific with the timing", he added. He looked genuinely concerned.

Ibu ingat masa waktu belajar2 dulu, puasa during Summer. Berlambak depan mata orang teguk Coke waktu matahari tegak atas kepala. The guys ( ayah lah ni...)had challenges "puasa mata" sebab minah2 salleh semua dok sun bathing at their front lawn. Exam waktu berbuka tu cerita biasa. Tu waktu di negeri orang, di tanah asing yang rata2 rakyatnya tidak celik Islam, tidak celik Ramadhan. Ibu fikir, kalau waktu belajar dulu tu mungkin susah nak influence towards a decision to meet such expectations.

Kini, 15++ tahun dah berlalu. Cabaran Islam & Ramadhan bertukar rupa. We are constantly faced with the challenges of "blending" in the sake of projecting maturity & professionalism at the work place. But it bothers me if we had to pretend about our commitment to our faith & our practices. Apatah lagi tatkala kaki berpijak ditanahair sendiri.

"Yes boss! We need to break at 4.15 pm for our prayer, and today is the first working day of Ramadhan. We need to knock off by 6.00 pm the latest so that we can reach home in time for breakfasting with our families", ibu jawab flat in one breath. Sambil betul2kan tudung ibu yang sebenarnya tak senget pun, I made a quick glance around the table; everyone was nodding in agreement, the non muslims alike.

Boss terlopong kejap.

If I'm going to be marked any lesser for voicing that very simple expectation - so be it. I'd rather be known for my stand than having to all the time sway in the direction the wind blows. And besides, I think such a direct hint is a good "on the job orientation" for my new boss

"Oh my! I'm sorry I didn't realise some of you guys are fasting today. You all look energetic as usual, I can't tell!", boss responded. "Yes, of course we shall break at 4.15pm. Take 20, please. Yes, we shall finish by 6.00pm."

I saw my colleagues faces lightened up. I thought I heard "YES!!!!" but in a whisper.

Boss tambah lagi, "And I think if some of you guys can last this long without food and water, I'm sure the rest can survive a few hours without Starbucks."

Ouch! Not sure if that one was received with enthusiasm by the Mat Sallehs. But no signs of coup d'etat. No violent seizure of power, not yet. I think they were all just happy to be let off the hook by 6.00pm.

"Would 6.00pm be too late? Do you have enough time to cook?", an expat colleague menokok tambah - dengan harapan he would also benefit from an early finish.

"Don't push it, my friend. You know the answer." Ibu jawab pendek, disambut dengan soft laughter from around the table.

So that was one expectation tossed across the board room from a working mum during Ramadhan.

My steer to you Boys - speak up! Especially when upholding our commitment to our faith. Or, if you boys esok besar turn out to be the one sitting at the head table, then bear this in mind. There may be people who are shy to speak up, at the expense of them fulfilling their other obligations. Ask more, than just tell.

Wassalam.

Career Discussion

Can you recall your childhood ambition? You know....the auto-replies that you responded when adults asked the typical question of "What do you want to be when you grow up?". Zaman ibu kecik-kecik dulu, seingat ibu lah... the typical answers would include; doctor, lawyer, cikgu, polis, askar, nurse ( or was it 'misi'?). Yg a bit more imaginative and creative would include; princess, penyanyi, cikgu silat. Ibu dulu nak jadi.... err... hehehehe, bak kata Siti, " biarlah rahsia...."

Ibu: Dah besar nanti Ameer nak jadi apa?
Ameer: Ameer nak jadi GHOBOT !
Ibu: GHOBOT? Rrrrrr...RO-BOT ke?
Ameer: Ah, betul! GHO-BOT !
Ibu: Hmmm.... kenapa Ameer nak jadi robot?
Ameer: Sebab Ameer nak tangkap orang jahat. Ameer nak tembak dog!
Ibu: Hah? Nak tembak dog? kenapa!?
Ameer: Sebab dog naughty boy!! Haritu dog gigit abang Idin. Kesian Abang Idin. Bila Ameer jadi GHOBOT, Ameer nak tangkap dog!
Ibu: Ye ker? Macam mana Ameer nak jadi robot?
Ameer: Arr.... Nanti kan, Ameer pegi sekolah GHOBOT. Sekolah yang ajar ABC macam mana nak jadi GHOBOT.
Ibu: Ohhh... ada sekolah robot ke?
Ameer: Ada. Ibu, ibu! Boleh tak Ameer jadi GHOBOT?
Ibu: (terdiam. apa nak jawab ni eh?)

Ibu termenung sejenak. Instant thought was, the obvious influence of tv, comics & cartoons on children's mind! Dreadful isn't it?

But then again, on further reflection... exploring the other half of the invisible picture, I could trace the sentiments of good vs evil, the innate desire to protect your loved ones, the pursuit of knowledge towards achieving ambition. Hmmmm...that's not bad at all for a 2 and a half year old.

And, hey! My son seeking my blessing for his future! How sweet....

Ibu: Emmm....boleh!
Ameer: Yeah! Yeah! TQ. Good girl ibu.

Aik!?! Good girl ibu? Ibu pulak yang dapat positive reinforcement? hehe. This time it was my turn smiling from ear to ear.

My steer to you, my boys - follow your heart and your mind. Not just your brain. Which road to take depends on where you want to go. Kita ni khalifah di bumi Allah. Pohon petunjuk dan hidayah agar jalan yang kita pilih diredhaiNYA, untuk kebahagian dunia dan akhirat.

When you have a sense of your own identity and a vision of where you want to go in your life, you then have the basis for reaching out to the world and going after your dreams for a better life. Live out your imagination. Dream big. Live fully.

BE WHAT YOU WANT TO BE!!

Wassalam,
Ibu

I long for you

It was early Sunday morning. Awakened from my slumber by the soft nudge on my elbow, I reluctantly opened my sleepy eyes. Hafiz by the bedside - half smiling but with his big eyes staring right into mine which were only half opened.

"Ibu ....... arrr..... ibu cuti ker hari ni?"

"Uh? cuti? ...... hmmmm... it's Sunday, Fiz. Yes, cuti. Why?"

"YEAYYY !!!!! Ibu cuti!", Hafiz responded to my affirmation by jumping up & down, running around in whatever space left in my bedroom, clapping his hands, giggling, smiling from ear to ear ..... "Yeay! Yeay! Ibu tak kerja hari ni. Yeay ...."

I couldn't figure out instantly what that was about. And conveniently dozed back to sleep.

Later I was awakened again, this time by what felt like a failed attempt to pull out my hair. This was not unfamiliar. For the second time I hesitantly open my eyes and turned my weak flesh to my left towards the energy that pulled my hair. A soft pule could be heard whispering from the same side. As expected, Ameer was lying in bed with me. His right hand on my head, with fingers twirling my hair. The other hand steadily holding his milk bottle bottom up. Thank goodness he didn't wake me up for that 8 oz fluid this time.

And then that similar question again, only this time it came from the 2 and a half year old little brother of Hafiz.

"Ibu cuti ke hari ni? "

"Ya sayang.... "

Ameer smiled. And continued sucking his morning feed. No jumping up & down, no running around the bedroom. Just a serene smile. The soft twirling of my hair continued. I kissed his forehead and stroke his hair. The pleasant smell from yesterday's shampooing ritual lingered. The smell that by itslef was a soothing bonding experience for mothers and little children.

So what was with the "yeay!!" and the smile in response to ibu cuti?

I think I got it. The feeling of longing for that dear someone.

The feeling that I myself took for granted when I was their ages. Because my mother was a homemaker and was always at home to look after her own children. My mother was the one who wailed the siren on weekend mornings, hurrying us to get up for her home-made nasi lemak sambal ikan bilis. She was always the one already up and about in the house at this very same hour of the day some 30 odd years ago.

Unlike me, the working mother - who look forward to sleeping late during weekends. Only rising up to the alluring smell of ikan bilis goreng for the nasi lemak that bibi routinely prepares on Sunday mornings. If ever this ibu has the opportunity to fix breakfast for her children these days, it would simply be frying up the sotong ball and chicken sausage. That's my vocabulary for home-made breakfast by mommy. How pathetic!

How the scenario has changed - in just one generation.

The longing for closeness, literally, by a working mother and her little children has become the special order of the day.

My dear children, if you yeay!! and hooray!! and smile from ear to ear at the proven thought of ibu tak kerja hari ni or cuti today - then I must say, the feeling is mutual. I long for you too.

I love u my boys. Thank you for reminding me that while it's good to have money, it's crucial to check and ensure that I haven't lost the things that money cannot buy.

Wassalam,
Ibu

Accounting 101

Who? Ibu, Ayah & Abang Idin
What? Window shopping
Where? One Utama
When? One weekend, about 3 years ago
Why? ermmm.... Why not?

Abang Idin: "Ibu... remote control car la ibu. Abang nak!"
Ibu (sesak nafas tengok price tag) : "Ada duit tak?"
Abang Idin (selamba) : "Pakai duit ibu la!"
Ibu: "Eh! Why my money?"
Abang Idin: "Because you go to work, you got money. I don't work, where got money?"
Ibu: "Ye lah, you playing only. Finish all my money!"
Abang Idin (sengih sambil merengek): "Alah... Tak pelah Ibu."
Mana Ayah hilang ni? Bila tiba time cam ni memang senang jer dia jadi halimunan.
Ibu: " But you already have 3 crates full of toys la Abang!"
Abang Idin: "Yarrr.... and Ibu also got 3 racks full of shoes!"
Ibu (did I? hmm .... ) : "So ...... "
Abang Idin: "And .... 2 mugs full of lipsticks, 2 drawers full of handbags..."
Ibu: "Really?!! Hmmm.... What else do I have?"
Abang Idin: " 1 box penuh dgn brooch. Ntah berapa banyak scarves. Ntah berapa banyak baju sampai kena tumpang kat ayah punya almari. Baju kat bilik bibi lagi. Baju yang dalam beg lagi. Yang kat tailor lagi. Yang hantar dobi lagi. "

Oh wow! I didn't realise I had so many ... assets!
Hehehe.... Oh well, we perempuan must colour coordinate y'know.

Abang Idin (belum sempat ibu jawab dia dah sambung): "So if you can have so many, why can't I have just one more toy? One only..."

Good spin.

I just realised then, Abang Idin had been counting stocks. And doing that for a good, practical & logical reason too. Comparative analysis. Benchmarking. Appeal for internal equity.

Apa ibu nak jawab?

Ibu: "Tu lah Abang! Duit ibu kan ... dah habis dah beli kasut, beli lipstick, beli scarves, beli baju... dan baju... dan baju... "
Abang Idin: " Alahhhhh Ibu!!! " (suara macam dah nak nangis. Security guard dah pandang2, jeling2.
Ibu: "Tunggu Ayah lah! Ayah ada duit lagi kot? Satu pasang kasut, baju sikit jer, takde handbag langsung. Hmmm... mesti Ayah banyak duit lagi."
Abang Idin(dengan nada separa mencabar): "OK ! Mana Ayah?" .

Ayah mana? Ayah dah melilau? Champion! Masa ni la dia jadi hollow man.

The real menace in communicating with a 5-year-old is that
in no time at all
you would begin to sound like a 5 year old.

Wok With Hafiz

Ahmad Hafizuddin Faiz a.k.a Hafiz
Anak Ibu no 2.
DOB: 01.09.2001
Age @ blogging date: 4 tahun setengah
Tadika Sinaran Bayu, Rawang.
Ambition: "Hafiz nak jadi Mr Bean!!"

Satu pagi di hujung minggu, +/- 1 jam lepas Ibu balik dari pasar.

Hmmm ..... senyap ajer budak Hafiz ni, apa la dia buat agaknya tu?

Ibu (dari dalam rumah): "Hafiz!"
Senyap.
Ibu: "Hafiz! Where are youuuuu?!"
Hafiz (menjerit): "Hafiz kat luar dapur ni...."
Ibu (still dari dalam rumah): "Hafiz buat apa!?"
Senyap.
Ibu (ishh... budak ni...): "Hafiz!!? Buat apa kat luar tu?"
Hafiz: "Hafiz tengah busy ni !"
Uh? Busy? O'oooh.... Not good. Ibu pun terus buka pintu dapur.
Ibu: "HAFIZZZ!!! Buat apa ni?!!!!"
Hafiz (looked up, then jawab dengan selambanya): "Hafiz tengah busy ni?"
Ibu (dah nak tergelak la pulak, tapi maintain muka serius): "Ohhh.... Hafiz masak ke?"
Hafiz: "Hmmm.... ye lah..... ibu kan selalu balik lambat, busy tak sempat masak. Ni Hafiz nak tolong masak la ni."
Ibu(aduhhh! pedih nya!): "Ahh??? Ye ker? Bagusnya anak Ibu."
Lepas tu - ibu terdiam. Blank kejap. Ibu masuk balik ke dapur & capai camera.
Ibu: "Err... nanti Hafiz tutup air tu eh? Jangan membazir. Err... Lepas masak masuk dalam ok?"
Hafiz: "Ha'ah, ok. Tapi ni tengah busy ni, belum habis masak. Ibu jangan kacau. Nanti Hafiz tutup air. "

Hmmm.... Apa nak dikata? Tak terkata apa-apa. Terkedu seketika.

Children - they seldom misquote. In fact they repeat word for word what you shouldn't have said .....

Lost In Translation

Ahmad Izzudin Faiz a.k.a Abang Idin.
Anak ibu yang sulung.
DOB: 07.04.1996, Age@blogging date: 10 tahun
Tahun 4, Sek Sinaran Budi, Rawang.
Ambition: Pilot (tapi gayat, camna?)


Perbualan spontan di dapur 3-4 minggu lepas:

Abang Idin: " Ibu..... Can you help me with some translation homework?"
Ibu: "Hmm..... banyak ke?"
Abang Idin: " Sikit jer."
Ibu: " Abang cuba try test tengok sendiri dalam dictionary tak boleh ke?"
Abang Idin: " Tak boleh la ibu! This one is very important. I need your help."
Dia tenung straight into my eyes, mata terkebil2. Kesian pulak.
Ibu: "Okay.... shoot."
Abang Idin : "Betul ni ibu? ", sambil sengih2.
Ibu: "Ishh.... cepat la!"
Abang Idin: "Okay.... can you translate this into BM pls?"
Ibu: "Hmm... apa dia?"
Abang Idin: " Ambik ambik pergi muda"
Ibu: " Uh? Is that a sentence or what?"
Abang Idin: "Alah.... translate ajer la.... ambik ambik pergi muda!"
Ibu: "Take take go young?"
Abang Idin (dengan muka serious): "Okay... now repeat banyak2 kali & laju-laju"
Ibu (dengan innocentnya, sebut laju-laju):
"Take take go young! Take take go young! Take take go young!?!?"
Abang Idin (jerit!): "Ahahaha... ibu tak malu....." (dan terus ketawa terbahak2, tergolek2 depan fridge)
Ibu: "Uh?" (mula2 blur, apasal pulak tak malu? then suddenly it occured to me; take-take-go-young? errkk!) "Aha.. ahaha... ahahahahahh! " (Turn ibu pulak ketawa terkekeh2. Dalam hati berkata, ahhh! kurang asam betul! Terkena ibu kali ni! )
Abang Idin: " 1-0 eh ibu? " (sambil beredar dari dapur dengan saki baki ketawa nya).

Hmmm.... ya lah... 0-1 untuk ibu. I lost it - this time.

Trick untuk mandi

Ahmad Ameerudin Faiz a.k.a Ameer.
2 tahun 4 bulan.

Ibu: "Ameer, jom mandi".
Ameer: "Ameer tak nak mandi !"
Ibu: "Kenapa Ameer tak nak mandi?"
Ameer: "Ameer nak tidur haja !"
Ibu: "Bangun lah... Mandi. Lepas mandi boleh pegi jalan-jalan"
Ameer: " Ameer tak nak mandi!"
Ibu: "Kenapa?"
Ameer: "Ameer nak tidur ha - jaaaaa!"
Ibu: "OK - Ameer sambung tidur. Nanti Ameer dah bangun, bibi mandikan OK? "
Ameer: "Tak nak! Ameer tak nak bibi mandikan!"
Ibu: " Abis? Siapa nak mandikan Ameer?"
Ameer: "Ibu haja!"
Ibu: "Bibi lah ...."
Ameer: "Tak nak bibi!! Nak Ibu haja mandikan Ameer! "
Ibu: "Ala...boleh la... Bibi mandikan Ameer eh?"
Ameer: " Tak naaaaaak! Nak Ibu haaa - jaaaa mandikan Ameer!!"
Ibu: "Ala...tak pe lah. Kan bibi boleh mandikan Ameer?"
Ameer: " TAK NAK!!!!! NAK IBU HAAAA - JA !!! "
Ibu: " Ok... jom Ibu mandikan Ameer."
Ameer: "Huh... Ibu ni tau...." (sambil terkedek-kedek turun katil untuk pergi mandi)

I rest my case.

Bacalah anak-anak ku ....

Kalau harimau mati meninggalkan belang, manusia mati meninggalkan apa? Hutang? Hishhh.... Pepatah melayu kata manusia mati meninggalkan nama. Ibu nak tambah sikit, manusia zaman moden boleh tinggalkan catatan blog.

Ibu tak pandai menulis secara kreatif. Nak tulis yang berfakta pun kurang mahir. Cuma ibu nak catitkan dalam blog ni - apa saja yang terlintas kat hati & fikiran ibu. Sebagai luahan, sebagai kenangan, sebagai pencetus minda, dan sebagai peninggalan cerita ibu untuk anak-anak ibu yang tersayang.

"Our children are our hearts
Walking among us on the face of this earth
If even a little breeze touches them
We cannot sleep for worrying about them"
(Abu Tammam, Al-Hamaasah, 1/167)

Maka dengan ini bermulalah cerita ibu .....