Aku merepek meraban

Yesterday, I read the musings of a friend. She said, people like to talk bad about her because she doesn’t conform to the Malay ways of life, because she is different.

I know how she feels because well, I have been treated the same way, too. Little things that I took for granted as being the way of life is perceived as very menunjuk-nunjuk by other people.

I don’t know why I am never in the right crowd. You know, my last office the crowd is like this. At my first job, the crowd is different from the previous one, but among themselves, they are cut from the same cloth. Even here in my 3rd outfit, I still stood up like a sore thumb.

When will I ever get to work with people of my own kind ? What is my kind ? I dunno. I thought we are all the same and different at the same time.

“Makan sambal belacan ?”

“Makan… mestilah….”

“Samalah kita…. Bagus, bagus…”

“Pernah panjat pokok kelapa ?”

“Tak pernah lah pulak….”

“Ade ke tak pernah panjat pokok kelapa ?”

“Laa…. Salah ke ?”

“Psstt… ko tahu ? Minah tu tak pernah panjat pokok kelapa…..”

“Iye ? Ko biar benar…”

Dah jadi cerita…

The truth is, I never minded that they were different from me. I like to have my questions answered really and learning new stuffs. My questions came from watching drama Melayu where I have always puzzled at the fact that since those people on tv are Melayu, and the last time I checked my family is one too, then why do they talk like that ?

I have never heard my mom went, “Abang nak makan apa ? Saya masak yang istimeeeeewwwwa untuk abang….” Lentok-lentok.

My mom says, “Alit, I masak nasi tomato hari ni. You lapaq dak ?” Cekak pinggang.

Or a mom went, “Makan sayang, mama dah masak ni….”

My mum? “Come and get itttt……!”

So takpelah. I always blamed on the fact that we talk a mixture of Penang, Perak, English and normal BM. So when I started working and have a glimpse of their lives, I went like, “Wow… drama swasta is a reflection of real lives !!” And I sat down and learnt.

But they look at me and frown and asked why I talk funny or why am I like that. Of course, we became good friends and I ended up loving 2-3 very much, the feelings reciprocated but to get there was quite confusing and horrendous.

Paling yang depa suka cakap is about how I am with Babah.

I once heard one said, “Tengok tu Kak X. Macam tu dia cakap dengan laki dia…”

Cakap macamana ? How am I suppose to talk to my husband ?

I call him Babah. Because he is Babah. To call him abang is impossible because one, I am older by 3 weeks. Two, we met at school and there was no way I were to call him abang kalau tak nak mati kena kutuk.

Sure when there are times I bengang I will show him my fists. Show aje. Because that is what I do with my siblings … and my dad. I left one colleague with her mouth hung open when I confessed bila dan tika I bengang tahap gaban dengan my husband, if he happens to be on the bed, I will jump on him and start to gomoi.

You see, gomoi is a well loved activity in my family. Sometimes Ayah will holler from the bedroom, “Jom gomoi !!!” and we will run and jump on him and start rolling around on top of each other and went Yargh ! Yargh ! Yargh !

This was the best opportunity to throw a sneaky punch or head dunk or just plain debik sebiji with whomever we have a grudge on. Kalau sorang start “Owwww!” and we will go “Kalau tak boleh sakit sikit toksah main….” And none would be the wiser. Keh keh …. Errm… jangan terdebik Ayah dah lah.. Eleh, kalau kena pun Ayah will just laugh..

But that is me. I grew up like that. But salah ke ?

Why must you whisper behind my back just because I do things differently ? I cannot talk to my husband like you do with yours because seriously, Babah will start looking for Ustaz kat Darussyifa if I do.

“Makan bang… saya masak hari ni khas untuk abang…” Kelip-kelip mata, lentok berbagai.

Lepaih Babah terkedu sat and shudders sebab geli dan geleman, dia panggei GhostBuster Malaya. Haa… baru nak kena ….


It is okay isn’t it if I am different from you because you see you are different from me too. But I take you just the way you are. Janganlah kutuk… Tak best, Allah pun marah…

.

Anyway who to say who is more Malay ?

Err… you guys get what I am trying to say ?