Seloka buat Amir

24 September 2006

Sembilan bulan bermacam dugaan
Demam campak sungguh menduga
Kering air di dalam badan
Pinggang seperti dikerat tiga

Kandungan dibelit tali pusat
Sekali lagi Mama di’caesar’
Amir Ridhwan sangatlah bulat
Isra’ & Mikraj lahir lah dia

Dibelai ditatap saudara berdua
Adik baru umpama bintang
Tiga hari ke hospital semula
Demam panas mula mengundang

Sungguh resah rasa di hati
Buah hati tak dapat dibelai
Tinggal dia seorang diri
Demam kuning pula mengintai

Seminggu berjauhan tidak terduga
Rindu kami terus membara
Berkat doa seisi keluarga
Amir pulang semua bahagia

Tangkas berlari seperti kedidi
Burung tempua burung cecupak
Amir cergas tidak terperi
Belum setahun sudah menapak

Murai lalu di buluh tajam
Pohon jambu jadi penahan
Balik kampung duduk tak diam
Anak ayam lari bertempiaran

Sorong papan tarik papan
Buah keranji dalam perahu
Suruh makan Amir makan
Ayam sahaja nasi tak mahu

Riuh pekik tiga beradik
Rumah bagai tongkang pecah
Main bersama terpekik-pekik
Mulut becok Amir tak sudah

Tiga tahun sudah berlalu
Tetap menagih belai manja
Kerja Mama bertalu-talu
Tumpuan kasih sentiasa dipinta

Usia Amir masih dipangkal
Doa Mama setulus hati
Moga anakku sentiasa beramal
Buat bekalan kemudian hari

Driving Paranoia

My thoughts are always running wild especially when I’m driving and stuck in traffic jams. I would be thinking of possible dangers or chaos in my way particularly if I’ve came across some gruesome reading prior. The intensity of these thoughts would be even more propagated if I could see the potential danger of an object. And these are my fear list:

Stuck in traffic under the monorail track – fear of the track plummeting down on my car and I just couldn’t get out in time

Stuck in traffic with big trees by the roadside – fear of a fallen tree on the car and eventually me

Driving past a construction site – fear of a falling block from the cranes.

Traffic jam during a downpour with lightning and all – fear of being struck by lightning and just roast to death

Traffic jam during a downpour – fear of a sudden flood and being stuck while getting scolded by hubby for not planning my routes in the first place

Midnight driving from work – fear of a car breakdown in the middle of nowhere and my cell phone battery decided to run out as well

Midnight driving alone from work – fear of even glancing at the rear mirror to find “somebody” sitting at my backseat….

I shall mention no more…in view of the last item, sigh!

Is Not Ramadhan Yet!

What is it with people these days? At 4pm, Jalan Tun Razak is already congested. It's been like that since Tuesday, and I was always late for my appointments. Are people practising for the early dash home for buka puasa? Why suddenly people start going home early? Or are they becoming like me? Setting appointments later in the day like 3 or 4pm outside KL so that I could go home immediately after my meetings.

Whatever it is, I'm feeling the Ramadhan bug coming my way...the urge to get more dried fruits like apricots, dates, seeds, the sudden desire to do spring cleaning, the waking up at 4am...

I also found myself looking through fast recipes to compile for the maid who doesn't know how to vary the menu. I just hope she'll improve soon.

Little Cause, Ultimate Torture

It’s an agony enduring a cavity in your lips. It’s even more difficult if it’s almost the size of pea! The throbbing in the head, the ultimate shear of the nerves every time food touches the cavity – it’s just nerve-wrecking.

Imagine waking up in the morning, when your lips have been ‘sealed’ for the night – opening your mouth is torture. Later when you are about to brush your teeth, the bubbles of the of the toothpaste just stings your cavity like a bamboo cutting through your skin. The soreness and the twinging sensation are just unbearable. Don’t you just wish that you have that painkiller that could just numb all your senses?

I’ve had this mouth ulcer for almost a week now, and it’s really driving not just me, but also Papa, crazy. With the ulcer come a prolonged headache, back pain and swollen lips. And Papa will be the perpetual masseur and therapist. He does not favor this at all because the default masseuse cum therapist will always be yours truly. This is however, one of the times that I could get pampered in that manner (besides giving birth and pregnancy discomforts). As much indulgence I could get from the man, I still prefer being the masseuse because it’s 10 times better than tolerating the pain… I just wish this gigantic ulcer would diminish by the time Ramadhan starts…

Merdeka Spirit

What do my kids know about Merdeka?

Adam: Oh…bila Merdeka, ada Jalur Gemilang. Teachers at school main sports, boy teachers main football, girl teachers main netball. And Murid-murid jerit-jerit, and then we sang “Tanggal 31..” and “Negaraku” and “Keranamu Malaysia”…oh..malam tadi ada fireworks!!

Aina: Merdeka…..Aina made flag at school…Merdeka ada fireworks!!

Amir: Amir nak fireworks!! Banyak-banyak kat langit..

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On Merdeka Day, the kids and I were watching "Embun", a pre-merdeka movie about a girl who fought against the Japanese invasion, whilst at the same time falling for one of the soldiers.

What's important was what my (elder) kids learned that day- that life was tough at that time. They got a clearer picture of what life is all about back in the old days. That there was no electricity, no water through the tap and that life was lived in constant fear. Fear of the atrocities and brutalities of what the Japanese soldiers could bring upon the poor kampung folks. But among all those, there are still bravehearts that brought the spirit high to the rest of the people. And this is the kind of spirit I would like my kids to have.

Actually I was quite surprised that all three of them actually insisted to sit through the entire movie. Adam was the most keen, asking all sort of "W" questions, why, what, where, when... but I hope he got some understanding of what Merdeka means...

"So, after orang Jepun kalah, Malaysia merdeka? Ada fireworks tak?"