Olive Juice

"Ma rumah ada zaitun tak?"

"Takde. Kenapa?"

"Nak pizza bubuh zaitun."

"Nak pizza ke?" Mama semangat bukak peti ais bawa keluar pepperoni. "D'Casa kat depan bukak lagi. Kedai tu ada semua bahan nak buat pizza. Pergi beli base, cheese. Benda lain semua dah ada."

"Kedai tu ada jual zaitun ke."

"Takde." Mama masih punggah peti ais.

"Kalau macam tu, takde makna. Hana nak pizza bubuh zaitun. Kalau pizza je, takde makna."

Mama jumpa buah zaitun papa dekat belakang. "Ada tiga biji zaitun je. Papa dah makan yang lain."

"Takpe la."

Mama tutup peti ais.

"Dekat Mesir, semua pizza ada zaitun." Nada sedikit sayu. Dalam kereta tadi dah tanya James Pizza Hut bubuh zaitun ke tak. Dia dan Harith anak Pak Cik Zul kata takde.

"Negara dia, memang la."

Kehadapan Nota Internal Medicine Yang Dirindui

I MISS YOU

SO MUCH

NOTHING CAN COMPARE TO THE CAKARAN AYAM THAT IS THE KNOW-HOW OF CLINICAL EXAMINATIONS

SEMOGA SELAMAT BERADA DI ATAS MEJA YANG DITUTUPI KAIN LANGSIR

NAK BALIK MESIR AMIK BUKU

-___-

High

Going 100km/h in the city at night and it had just stopped raining.

The adrenaline.

Camaraderie

Dad's cousin from Seremban came for a visit just now. I barely remember Pak Itam but I know I've seen him some time long ago at Nenek's house in Melaka. Went to greet them and when I said I study in Egypt, he pointed out his daughter and son study engineering in France and that his daughter visited Egypt earlier this year.

A France student and visited Egypt in February? Could it be.. "Did you stay at Raihaana's place when you came to Egypt?" I asked.

She lighted up in acknowledgement and affirmed. I grinned. "Sorry couldn't meet you guys when you were there." I was busy with STEP at that time, I think.

Mom thought it was a wonder our second cousin knew Rai as well.

"Of course. We're in the same usrah system, mom." Plus the fact that Sanguinous Rai is as famous as Naruto can be.

---

I was delighted. It was the delight that came from camaraderie of blood family in the same battleship we call Ikram, that tempted me to spill out the cliched "Did you know (insert RJ's name) as well? She's my housemate," in a flurry of excitement.

But then it hit me. Why was I so excited? Sure, same battleship. But it's a battleship, not a club for prestige and bragging up the social status that came with a $60k annual membership fee. A battleship holds a group of people with different positions and roles but all with the same vision. We have our work cut out for us. Did I fully functioned and contributed?

Our amal should define us, not the club we're in.

---

The son who studied in France went to the family quarter and talked with my brother who was watching the Selangor versus ATM football match. He was friendly. When we sent them off and Hazim showed up, he was also friendly then.

Amiable from the first sight. DF-friendly, something I could endorse as fully out of my reach. He would make Syeikh Mustafa Masyhur very proud.

Kakak suara sedap

Drive dari Telipot ke Binjai. 

"Kak ngah ada makanan?"

"Takde. Rumah takde makanan. Maru lapar ke? Pas amik Melle kita beli nasi."

"Takpe la Maru beli ayam dekat kantin Melle. Maru keluar."

"Ayam je ke ada?"

"Ada CJ Wedges jugak."

"CJ? Apsal nama dia CJ Wedges?"

"Entah sebab CJ7 kot."

"Sekolah Melle ada alien?"

Sampai sekolah. Melle dah berjalan ke arah kereta. Budak nakal terus turunkan tingkap.

"Melle! Melle! Beli ayam!"

"Menjerit! Weh senyap sikit pak cik sebelah tengok tu."

Tipu je. Pak cik tu tak pandang pun. Maru dah menyorok bawah level tingkap takut pak cik tu tengok dia.

Melle gelak dan sengih tak nampak gigi dia.

---

Drive balik dari Binjai ke Lundang. "Makan, lap pastu tidur. Kamu ni buat kacau je Maru."

"Maru tak tidur. Lagu ape Kak Ngah nyanyi?"

Hana nyanyi Fourth Avenue Cafe oleh L'Arc en Ciel. "Maru tak tahu ke lagu ni?"

"Tak."

"Hmm." Perlu didik adik-adik mengenal J-Rock. Sambung nyanyi.

"Bising la Kak Ngah."

"Kahkahkah."

Al-Fateh

Kak Ida is my cousin, a couple years older than me. She is a nurse. Her husband Abang Jie is a captain with the air force and their wedding seven years or so back was one of the most memorable for me; Abang Jie wore this impeccable military suit and the couple walked underneath sheaths of sword.

Anyway, I want to write about their kids; six years old talkative Farith the boss, three years old sweet silent Farisya and four months old friendly chubby Fateh. If I recall correctly, Abang Jie is of Chinese descendent so you can imagine the very cute kids they have.

I was playing with Fateh and so commented to his parents. "Fateh patut jadi nama anak pertama. 'Pembuka' kan."

"Farith maksudnya 'permata yang tidak ternilai'," Kak Ida said.

"Wow. Okay." Made sense, since Ayep is the first borne. So I turned to the happy baby. "Bagus Fateh. Nanti besar jadi pembuka kawasan mana pulak?"

"Nama dia sempena Sultan Muhammad Al-Fateh," Abang Jie said. "Besar nanti jadi pembuka-"

"-Sepanyol!" I interjected.

"-Singapore!" Abang Jie continued with a really big grin.

I laughed out loud at that. Never really thought of that. It was funny, but yeah. Why not? ^-^

---

Ayep fell at an R&R before reaching Beruas and that night he cried while his dad hold him tight and his mom picked out the splinter in his finger.

Afterwards he was still sad, so his dad turned to me while saying "Ayep pergi duduk sebelah Mak Ngah Hana. Minta dia cerita pasal Sultan Muhammad Al-Fateh. Ayep kan suka dengar sirah."

I scooted on the sofa and patted the spot next to me for the little boy to sit. "Jangan nangis dah Ayep. Meh sini nak citer."

Confidence. Actually inside my head was rushing with everything. Where is Qastantiniyyah again in current time? *-*

---

I think they expect an Egypt student to know everything religious, sirah included, by heart.

Oh darn so much more to work for, Haru.

---

"Mama, kenapa kita takde baby sendiri dah?" I asked my parents while staring at Fateh.

"Tunggu kak ngah la," mom passed me the ball. I believe she meant Along.

"Kenapa tak mama? Mama baru 52," I reasoned.

"Kenapa mama nak kena bersalin? Sekarang giliran yang muda-muda pulak."

"Boleh je. Kenapa kena tunggu orang lain?"

"Manade orang 50-an yang baru bersalin sekarang."

"Oh. Risiko Down syndrome ye?"