The pony-tailed man's gaze was kind of full of satisfactions as he studiously stared and smiled at the only 'panadol extra'-like pill placed in a snugly fit plastic.
What's so special about panadol? I asked myself, being more of a supplement believer.
Once he realised I was watching his movement in the MRT, he put the pill away, stuffed carefully into the zipper compartment of his carrier bag which I assumed was full of toddler's needs.
Yes, he brought along a very cheerful girl, who will return a bright smile with every MRT passengers' looks.
An unsightly more than 50 years old Malay man, haggard looking in tight jeans with a girl around 2 years of age, frankly speaking, I do not trust what was before my eyes at 9pm last night.
He sang with the toddler the latest hit song of an Indonesian band, and surprisingly, the girl sang well even with her limited vocab, jumping around to the music from his handphone.
As the announcement, 'Next station, Bugis.' was heard, he stopped the music, sent an SMS and turned around facing the glass window.
Discreetly, he took out the only pill, slipped it carefully under his 2cm wristband on his left hand.
Many questions swirled in my mind. Wasn't it panadol? Was that drug? What was I supposed to do then?
When the train reached Bugis, he carried up the girl, and she sat nicely on the wristband while in his arm.
"Kiss daddy," he asked the girl before alighting from the train.
Now, she's his baby girl, but where's the mother?
How on earth can she trust her small girl in the hand of a very untrustworthy looking 'father'?
Was the girl's presence a camouflage to his illegal drug activity?
He's abusing his child. He's abusing her presence. He's...
I was very frustrated with the scene. Helpless.
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Sunday, April 11, 2010
The Debt, Paid At Last
I gave Mak Maznah a year to sort out her dream of her father, with her brother.
Her father appeared in her sleep asking for 300 (S$, RM, SR? I've no answer) from her.
'Mana ada duit',
she turned down his request and woke up.
She spent the whole night and dawn thinking of him before she came over my house that early morning.
Her father wanted the money to go to Mecca, to fulfill the last pillar but, he was dead and buried underground more than 60 years ago.
Fast forward, the brother married the busy hawker centre stall-owner whom he had worked with.
Their food business was elevated to a new height.
The couple became canteen operators, preparing food for staff and employees to one of the world's busiest port, manning a 24-hour canteen, preparing food with thousand eaters daily in mind.
It's big business.
The S$ churning business makes the brother's 6 in the family's several trips to Mecca possible beside the husband and wife's couple of times Haj pilgrimage.
Did Mak Maznah discuss her dream with her brother?
I doubted as he's known to resent his father as a father, a husband and a person as a whole.
Mak Maznah's feeling of her father?
She's fighting hard learning to discard any negative feelings of him.
A month before the December 2005 Haj season started, Mak Maznah brought up to me, the father's '300' issue which she was unable to raise, being herself in the social welfare and Baitul Mal list.
Her brother?
She dared not pester further when he refused to produce the '300'.
His resentment towards the father is more than skin deep, right to his heart.
My idea of paying volunteer student to perform 'badal haji' for the late Mak Maznah's father was subsequently put off.
Ok, My Husband will perform their father's long overdue Haj, I said.
The breaking news was followed by Mak Maznah's rainy eyes.
I held the news of my going there again for a year from her until that very moment, not because of anything, but to see how her brother will react towards his sister's dream and their father's last wish.
Thank GOD, the Haj went well and we were back home in mid January 2006.
Mak Maznah came over to my house one early morning, few days after we reached home.
Her father appeared in her dream again, thanking her of the '300' and his last pillar of Islam finally built.
***Some changes made.
***The brother's licence to operate the 24-hour canteen expired end December 2005 and, not renewed ever since.
Her father appeared in her sleep asking for 300 (S$, RM, SR? I've no answer) from her.
'Mana ada duit',
she turned down his request and woke up.
She spent the whole night and dawn thinking of him before she came over my house that early morning.
Her father wanted the money to go to Mecca, to fulfill the last pillar but, he was dead and buried underground more than 60 years ago.
Her late father, she said, was a rather rich man in his days, having acres of land in Opera Estate.
But his favourite activities of marrying and leaving his families to start another family, took up a lot of his time.
Although he knew of his obligation to fulfill the 5 pillars, the knowledge was shelved away.
Before he died, he made his wish to Mecca known to his children.
But nobody took heed of it.
They were more interested in the acres of land.
Mak Maznah was 12 and her only flesh-and-blood brother, 7, when their father passed away.
The pair, due to their tender age, were oblivion in the in-fighting among siblings of their father's estate.
The pair's mother, being the last of many wives, were excluded of her share.
******
Fast forward, the brother married the busy hawker centre stall-owner whom he had worked with.
Their food business was elevated to a new height.
The couple became canteen operators, preparing food for staff and employees to one of the world's busiest port, manning a 24-hour canteen, preparing food with thousand eaters daily in mind.
It's big business.
The S$ churning business makes the brother's 6 in the family's several trips to Mecca possible beside the husband and wife's couple of times Haj pilgrimage.
******
Did Mak Maznah discuss her dream with her brother?
I doubted as he's known to resent his father as a father, a husband and a person as a whole.
Mak Maznah's feeling of her father?
She's fighting hard learning to discard any negative feelings of him.
******
A month before the December 2005 Haj season started, Mak Maznah brought up to me, the father's '300' issue which she was unable to raise, being herself in the social welfare and Baitul Mal list.
Her brother?
She dared not pester further when he refused to produce the '300'.
His resentment towards the father is more than skin deep, right to his heart.
******
My idea of paying volunteer student to perform 'badal haji' for the late Mak Maznah's father was subsequently put off.
Ok, My Husband will perform their father's long overdue Haj, I said.
The breaking news was followed by Mak Maznah's rainy eyes.
I held the news of my going there again for a year from her until that very moment, not because of anything, but to see how her brother will react towards his sister's dream and their father's last wish.
******
Thank GOD, the Haj went well and we were back home in mid January 2006.
Mak Maznah came over to my house one early morning, few days after we reached home.
Her father appeared in her dream again, thanking her of the '300' and his last pillar of Islam finally built.
***Some changes made.
***The brother's licence to operate the 24-hour canteen expired end December 2005 and, not renewed ever since.
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
There Are Eyes Around
It was in 2006 and I was the last person to go through Sue's photo-album of she and husband performed their Haj.
Did those before me looking at the photos taken noticed something strange?
I asked, but none could think of any.
When Sue came for the photo-album, I sat with her, asking her if anybody reminded her, possibly, not to snap any photographs at any 'Jamrahs' - She saw no reason why it should not be done.
As Sue and I went through the photos of 'Jamrahs', where the act of Prophet Abraham alaihis salam threw stones at satan for discouraging him performing his duty to GOD was followed, she realised pairs of red eyes were scattered on them.
Her facial expression changed, quickly she put away the album back into the casing.
"Just throw away the photos." I advised her.
The last time I was there, I saw a woman deep in trance, jumped into one of the walled 'jamrah' pillar and continuously banged herself against the pillar.
Unavoidably, she was stoned by many pilgrimmers.
At best, unnecessary purchases be avoided.
"Just throw away." I said again.
She wanted to, but her husband forbid though they realised the unusual changes in their bedroom - 'Somebody' was constantly watching over them.
The photo-album was then moved to the study.
"Ummie, are the photos in any way, linked to Razif's constant faint? He's taking his O level this year end." My friend, Sue's workmate, was curious to know, as Sue had been taking more frequent emergency leave attending to Razif. He's been frequenting hospital as doctors are still finding the cause.
"To save your doubt, just throw away the pictures." My friend advised her, too.
She wanted, but her husband refused.
The husband liked the photos very much as the red eyes keeps multiplying, not only as a background as before, but occupied the whole pictures!
***Some Changes Made.
Did those before me looking at the photos taken noticed something strange?
I asked, but none could think of any.
When Sue came for the photo-album, I sat with her, asking her if anybody reminded her, possibly, not to snap any photographs at any 'Jamrahs' - She saw no reason why it should not be done.
As Sue and I went through the photos of 'Jamrahs', where the act of Prophet Abraham alaihis salam threw stones at satan for discouraging him performing his duty to GOD was followed, she realised pairs of red eyes were scattered on them.
Her facial expression changed, quickly she put away the album back into the casing.
"Just throw away the photos." I advised her.
******
Mina, where the 3 'Jamrahs' are, is not a place to live in as it's the place where satans and other evil creatures
roam around -It's only during the Haj period do we see throngs of pilgrimmers.
Outside the season, it's out of bound but, it used to be one favourite spot for illegal immigrants.
It's the place where the elephants belonging to the then Yaman's King Abrahah's were burnt to ash with stones aimed by the 'Ababil' birds
(Surah Alfil 2: Did HE not make their treacherous plan go astray?
3: And HE sent against them Flights of Birds.
4: Striking them with stones and baked clay.
5: Then did HE make them like an empty field of stalks and straw, [of which the corns] had been eaten up).
It's the place where annual stampedes took place, but with the just built new multi-tired stoning areas, GOD willing, there'll be none.
Outside the season, it's out of bound but, it used to be one favourite spot for illegal immigrants.
It's the place where the elephants belonging to the then Yaman's King Abrahah's were burnt to ash with stones aimed by the 'Ababil' birds
(Surah Alfil 2: Did HE not make their treacherous plan go astray?
3: And HE sent against them Flights of Birds.
4: Striking them with stones and baked clay.
5: Then did HE make them like an empty field of stalks and straw, [of which the corns] had been eaten up).
It's the place where annual stampedes took place, but with the just built new multi-tired stoning areas, GOD willing, there'll be none.
The last time I was there, I saw a woman deep in trance, jumped into one of the walled 'jamrah' pillar and continuously banged herself against the pillar.
Unavoidably, she was stoned by many pilgrimmers.
At best, unnecessary purchases be avoided.
******
Two years on, I asked Sue about the photographs, and she lamented the eyes had multiplied many times more.
"Just throw away." I said again.
She wanted to, but her husband forbid though they realised the unusual changes in their bedroom - 'Somebody' was constantly watching over them.
The photo-album was then moved to the study.
******
"To save your doubt, just throw away the pictures." My friend advised her, too.
She wanted, but her husband refused.
The husband liked the photos very much as the red eyes keeps multiplying, not only as a background as before, but occupied the whole pictures!
***Some Changes Made.
Monday, April 5, 2010
The Animals Had Signaled
Did I hear the sound of seal behind my house in the rain 2 nights ago?
For a moment, I was brought to the time for penguin watching at Phillip Island when we were in Australia. The sight was awesome! SubhanALLAH. Mother nature surrounded me. Beautiful sunset at the endless end of the ocean. Nature painted sky with streaky orange red colour that placed me nowhere in the vast God gift to all breathing creatures.
Amidst all the electrifying beauty that brought tears to my eyes, I cannot stop wanting to get away from the picturesque beach enjoyed by seals. It's indescribable when we not only see things with our naked eyes, but our inner eye as well.
Spending sundown with no other humans except the 5 of us on the beach, with thousands of penguins swimming ashore to spend their night on land, I saw those penguins no difference from bats.
It brought creepiness to my heart.
Seal behind my house?
It took a while before I realised it was frog, as the old saying goes, calling the rain. But the difference in the croaking sound put my heart not at ease. What will happen? Only God knows, but the signal is there. If only we are made to understand animal language.
If people may say I'm superstitious, I'm not but for happenings that had taken place, there are reasons behind it, fate, the whys and the causes. My curious mind will venture out the possibilities, and our inner eye will see the reason why.
Of late, activities of rats, birds and even ants, as I see them, are on the hyper side. Only God knows the reason why, as He's the One who created them - if only I can understand the animal language.
They are creatures with higher sensitivity than us, they follow nature's order with no qualms and, shall I say, they commit no sin.
Cows are known to eat grass, never having adventurous appetite than what is being served by God on His earth. But how submissive they can be, mad cow disease still lingers around.
Then, again, because of human greed and vanity, Luohan, the designer fish was designed. Only the 'perfect' were chosen. The rest? To the rivers that caused nervous changes to the eco-system.
Growing (not rearing, mind you) by demand poultries for our consumption, we are culprits too. Shame on us!
Now, scientists are crafting human-safe mozzies...
Did all these animals retaliate in any way? Did all these animals demand compensation for their spaces that had been taken up by 'intelligent' humans? Did all these animals plead us to abide mother nature for harmonious living? If only we are made to understand their language.
Animals are lovers of mother nature and obedient creatures.
They serve humans as needed by nature. They live in the wild where they are placed. They roam the sky by order.
But when 'intelligent' humans expect them to go against norm, God The Hearer hears their cry, we can't.
He Who Sees everything watching them and us but we chose to see the result of our inhumane action.
God, He, Who Is The AlMighty Knowledgeable, knows these animals' plea. If only we can understand their language, then we will not self-destruct our human kingdom.
We live with humanity. Do animals live with animality?
Spare a thought. If our wish, our payers are not answered, check around.
If our lives are filled with misery, check our inner-self what makes all the going so wrong.
Animals around us are bestowed with super sensitive senses. They sense what's coming. Pets in our house know of future mishap befalling us - if only they can speak to forewarn us in the language that we understand.
Animals see those invisible around us. If, The Only God permit us to borrow these animals' eyes, then we will have better understanding that surround us thus those who are keen looking out for ghost, vampire, supernatural or whatsoever, these invisible creatures are no different from those in 'Lord Of The Ring', 'Avatar' and other books and films far to many...
They can exist in any form, to whom they want to show themselves to, especially those who are keen in befriending them. They are, after all, like befriending humans and like occupying human's mind, body and soul.
If we wish, we too can live in their world.
The seal?
It is still playing in my mind and stirring my inner feeling after 2 days.
For a moment, I was brought to the time for penguin watching at Phillip Island when we were in Australia. The sight was awesome! SubhanALLAH. Mother nature surrounded me. Beautiful sunset at the endless end of the ocean. Nature painted sky with streaky orange red colour that placed me nowhere in the vast God gift to all breathing creatures.
Amidst all the electrifying beauty that brought tears to my eyes, I cannot stop wanting to get away from the picturesque beach enjoyed by seals. It's indescribable when we not only see things with our naked eyes, but our inner eye as well.
Spending sundown with no other humans except the 5 of us on the beach, with thousands of penguins swimming ashore to spend their night on land, I saw those penguins no difference from bats.
It brought creepiness to my heart.
Seal behind my house?
It took a while before I realised it was frog, as the old saying goes, calling the rain. But the difference in the croaking sound put my heart not at ease. What will happen? Only God knows, but the signal is there. If only we are made to understand animal language.
If people may say I'm superstitious, I'm not but for happenings that had taken place, there are reasons behind it, fate, the whys and the causes. My curious mind will venture out the possibilities, and our inner eye will see the reason why.
Of late, activities of rats, birds and even ants, as I see them, are on the hyper side. Only God knows the reason why, as He's the One who created them - if only I can understand the animal language.
They are creatures with higher sensitivity than us, they follow nature's order with no qualms and, shall I say, they commit no sin.
******
Then, again, because of human greed and vanity, Luohan, the designer fish was designed. Only the 'perfect' were chosen. The rest? To the rivers that caused nervous changes to the eco-system.
Growing (not rearing, mind you) by demand poultries for our consumption, we are culprits too. Shame on us!
Now, scientists are crafting human-safe mozzies...
Did all these animals retaliate in any way? Did all these animals demand compensation for their spaces that had been taken up by 'intelligent' humans? Did all these animals plead us to abide mother nature for harmonious living? If only we are made to understand their language.
Animals are lovers of mother nature and obedient creatures.
They serve humans as needed by nature. They live in the wild where they are placed. They roam the sky by order.
But when 'intelligent' humans expect them to go against norm, God The Hearer hears their cry, we can't.
He Who Sees everything watching them and us but we chose to see the result of our inhumane action.
God, He, Who Is The AlMighty Knowledgeable, knows these animals' plea. If only we can understand their language, then we will not self-destruct our human kingdom.
We live with humanity. Do animals live with animality?
Spare a thought. If our wish, our payers are not answered, check around.
If our lives are filled with misery, check our inner-self what makes all the going so wrong.
******
Animals see those invisible around us. If, The Only God permit us to borrow these animals' eyes, then we will have better understanding that surround us thus those who are keen looking out for ghost, vampire, supernatural or whatsoever, these invisible creatures are no different from those in 'Lord Of The Ring', 'Avatar' and other books and films far to many...
They can exist in any form, to whom they want to show themselves to, especially those who are keen in befriending them. They are, after all, like befriending humans and like occupying human's mind, body and soul.
If we wish, we too can live in their world.
******
Animals are sinless that make them very close to their Creator. These animals are close to their Creator that He, The Creator, will answer their prayers especially prayers of those animals being deprived by human beings of their rights, their spaces, their freedom, whatever reason rightfully theirs, are reasonably enough for God to answer them first.
The seal?
It is still playing in my mind and stirring my inner feeling after 2 days.
Friday, April 2, 2010
Smokey Issues
Some deejays of Singapore radio stations today, were expressing their disgust feelings, talking about a 4 year-old Indonesian boy who smoke, having the ambition to become a thief when he grows up and will patronise prostitutes with the ill-gotten money.
More than 1,000 people had viewed him on YouYube before it was brought down. The father, in his 50s said, his son had been asking for cigarettes since he's one.
Smoke?
I have a smoker-girlfriend who brand non-smoker males as 'incomplete' and 'not macho enough'. Needless to say, she chose a chain-smoker as a husband, but a close friend who looked after her baby nephew since birth had no choice - she had to blow cigarette smoke all over the newborn if his cryings and wailings went for hours.
She claimed his body's aching all over. She should had known better as the baby's father is her own brother.
The baby's parents were drug abusers. Cannabis brought them together as a couple and married them off. So, had the drug in any way affected the newborn? I bet.
The baby would cry for hours and my friend would lace a cigarette with white powder, keep the smoke in her mouth and blew it slowly all over the baby. Then the baby will sleep for hours too.
Maybe my friend was right - the baby's body aching all over.
Her brother refused to let his wife care for the baby for he pretty well understood she could not even care for herself. I had seen the baby's mother once before she walked out of the marriage - she's almost toothless or whatever teeth left were all black.
I am not a person to judge characters so, I was able to communicate with Ghani, the baby's father.
On many occasions, he tried hard to turn over a new leaf.
Upon being released from rehabiliation centre and for his child's sake, he became a cobbler at Pasar Baru. He found peace with shoes around him and yes, he did quite well with the new trade - but it's short lived.
The person whom he used to get his 'ware' knew of his whereabout and started frequenting his working place, sitting around for hours, persuading him to continue where he had left.
After a few months, I was informed he was being caught for cannabis pocession but was released after co-operating with police officers of his supplier - the supplier was caught, his house, car and money were confiscated.
The news of the haul was reported in local paper, but he's a free man again after 2 weeks, not reported, this time.
Again, Ghani was caught for reasons known best to him and sent to (either) prison / rehabiliation ( I've forgotten) in Negeri Sembilan. From then on, his life went downhill.
After spending time in Negeri Sembilan, he was sent home, feeling very sick. I was at his house on few occasions but his family kept him in his own room. I would hear endless coughing, and he's coughing out blood, until his death.
Baby? Thank God, he grew up a fine man who is now working in school lab, never give my friend any headache and choosy about his circle of friends - always refering to his father's circle of friends as comparison.
More than 1,000 people had viewed him on YouYube before it was brought down. The father, in his 50s said, his son had been asking for cigarettes since he's one.
Smoke?
I have a smoker-girlfriend who brand non-smoker males as 'incomplete' and 'not macho enough'. Needless to say, she chose a chain-smoker as a husband, but a close friend who looked after her baby nephew since birth had no choice - she had to blow cigarette smoke all over the newborn if his cryings and wailings went for hours.
She claimed his body's aching all over. She should had known better as the baby's father is her own brother.
The baby's parents were drug abusers. Cannabis brought them together as a couple and married them off. So, had the drug in any way affected the newborn? I bet.
The baby would cry for hours and my friend would lace a cigarette with white powder, keep the smoke in her mouth and blew it slowly all over the baby. Then the baby will sleep for hours too.
Maybe my friend was right - the baby's body aching all over.
Her brother refused to let his wife care for the baby for he pretty well understood she could not even care for herself. I had seen the baby's mother once before she walked out of the marriage - she's almost toothless or whatever teeth left were all black.
I am not a person to judge characters so, I was able to communicate with Ghani, the baby's father.
On many occasions, he tried hard to turn over a new leaf.
Upon being released from rehabiliation centre and for his child's sake, he became a cobbler at Pasar Baru. He found peace with shoes around him and yes, he did quite well with the new trade - but it's short lived.
The person whom he used to get his 'ware' knew of his whereabout and started frequenting his working place, sitting around for hours, persuading him to continue where he had left.
After a few months, I was informed he was being caught for cannabis pocession but was released after co-operating with police officers of his supplier - the supplier was caught, his house, car and money were confiscated.
The news of the haul was reported in local paper, but he's a free man again after 2 weeks, not reported, this time.
Again, Ghani was caught for reasons known best to him and sent to (either) prison / rehabiliation ( I've forgotten) in Negeri Sembilan. From then on, his life went downhill.
After spending time in Negeri Sembilan, he was sent home, feeling very sick. I was at his house on few occasions but his family kept him in his own room. I would hear endless coughing, and he's coughing out blood, until his death.
Baby? Thank God, he grew up a fine man who is now working in school lab, never give my friend any headache and choosy about his circle of friends - always refering to his father's circle of friends as comparison.
Sunday, March 28, 2010
The Crime Story - Their Darkest Hours
Her facial expression revealed the excruciating pain she's bearing.
I asked her why?
She said she was locking the door to her flat when came a young man from nowhere, knocking her head with a motorcycle helmet and grabbed her handbag.
He walked away along the dark corridor...
The lights were all there.
So, was the then-flat in the middle of JB town took part in the 60-minutes 'Earth Hour'?
'Earth Hour' or not, the lights that's supposed to light-up corridors were simply not working since ages, as far as she could remember.
Fatmah, the single woman in her 50s I supposed, said, luck was still on her side as she was just about to put her house keys in her bag when one of 'the darkest episode' in her life took place.
Feeling dizzy with blood oozing out from the back of her head, she scrambled, unlocking her house, and rested in her house with more fear she felt than the excruciating pain she endured - her head injury needed 6 stitches.
She made a police report.
To her surprise, the police officer was not convinced with her story - Even with the stitches on the rear of her head as prove.
Reason?
No witness to verify her story...
We were on our way to Gazebo, our usual dinner place when, from far, a girl was seen having a 'misunderstanding' with his boyfriend - the boy was on motorbike.
The scene was outside one of the gated terrace-houses in Taman Suria, about 500 metres from Giant Supermarket.
The dark, quiet lanes that enveloped the neighbourhood made me think that the girl was outside her house, meeting her boyfriend, without her parents' knowledge - but as we travelled nearer to them, there's not one, but two boys on the bike.
The pillon-rider was pulling away the girl's sling-bag from her and she struggled hard to save it.
Alas, the sling snapped and the boys sped away with their prey, the girl's sling-bag.
I tried to memorise the number on their licence-plate, but the bike was without lights. They knew we gave chase as we gave signal to another bike-rider about the snatch-theft, but as we approached Larkin Perdana, there's red light ahead.
Our chase stopped there as the thieves raced across the red-light.
Plunged into darkness or broad daylight, brave individuals put their 'wave of hope and action' into full practice.
It was about 5pm when outside the then temporary police station at Christine Place, traffic was understandably slow as thousands of workers were heading home from their day job across the Causeway.
In the midst of the chaotic road, I thought a drama or film-shooting was taking place.
A Chinese man was asked to alight from his motorcycle, stranding the motorcycle at the roadside. He was bundled into a car by 2 men - vehicles were redirected to the first and second lane.
The car was on the third lane. It was heading towards the flyover - and we trailed behind the car as we were on our way west of town.
Once the car was on the flyover, it turned left, and zoomed away...
My Husband and I realised, we were the only two other souls, beside the men in the car that were on the deserted flyover.
A real-life kidnap drama had taken place in broad day-light, amidst the busy road, just outside...
As cities, towns and countries worldwide plunged into darkness to bring awareness and meaningful action of changes, what is darkness to these people and many others?
Although the cause may differ, these people, and many others, hope rays of light may shine, sincerity and responsiblity will be held high.
I asked her why?
She said she was locking the door to her flat when came a young man from nowhere, knocking her head with a motorcycle helmet and grabbed her handbag.
He walked away along the dark corridor...
The lights were all there.
So, was the then-flat in the middle of JB town took part in the 60-minutes 'Earth Hour'?
'Earth Hour' or not, the lights that's supposed to light-up corridors were simply not working since ages, as far as she could remember.
Fatmah, the single woman in her 50s I supposed, said, luck was still on her side as she was just about to put her house keys in her bag when one of 'the darkest episode' in her life took place.
Feeling dizzy with blood oozing out from the back of her head, she scrambled, unlocking her house, and rested in her house with more fear she felt than the excruciating pain she endured - her head injury needed 6 stitches.
She made a police report.
To her surprise, the police officer was not convinced with her story - Even with the stitches on the rear of her head as prove.
Reason?
No witness to verify her story...
******
We were on our way to Gazebo, our usual dinner place when, from far, a girl was seen having a 'misunderstanding' with his boyfriend - the boy was on motorbike.
The scene was outside one of the gated terrace-houses in Taman Suria, about 500 metres from Giant Supermarket.
The dark, quiet lanes that enveloped the neighbourhood made me think that the girl was outside her house, meeting her boyfriend, without her parents' knowledge - but as we travelled nearer to them, there's not one, but two boys on the bike.
The pillon-rider was pulling away the girl's sling-bag from her and she struggled hard to save it.
Alas, the sling snapped and the boys sped away with their prey, the girl's sling-bag.
I tried to memorise the number on their licence-plate, but the bike was without lights. They knew we gave chase as we gave signal to another bike-rider about the snatch-theft, but as we approached Larkin Perdana, there's red light ahead.
Our chase stopped there as the thieves raced across the red-light.
******
Plunged into darkness or broad daylight, brave individuals put their 'wave of hope and action' into full practice.
It was about 5pm when outside the then temporary police station at Christine Place, traffic was understandably slow as thousands of workers were heading home from their day job across the Causeway.
In the midst of the chaotic road, I thought a drama or film-shooting was taking place.
A Chinese man was asked to alight from his motorcycle, stranding the motorcycle at the roadside. He was bundled into a car by 2 men - vehicles were redirected to the first and second lane.
The car was on the third lane. It was heading towards the flyover - and we trailed behind the car as we were on our way west of town.
Once the car was on the flyover, it turned left, and zoomed away...
My Husband and I realised, we were the only two other souls, beside the men in the car that were on the deserted flyover.
A real-life kidnap drama had taken place in broad day-light, amidst the busy road, just outside...
******
Although the cause may differ, these people, and many others, hope rays of light may shine, sincerity and responsiblity will be held high.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Recapping The Unpleasant Moments
It was in June 1996 when we went to several of Wali Songo's graves but one I could remember well was atop Gunung Muria.
There's an army personnel guarding the donation box.
Not thinking of any adverse, we were about to push in the rupiah notes into the slot when swifly the army man swung out his loaded arm, placed it before the slot, for the money to be placed just on top of the box.
There's heapful of rupiah notes on the box - I was astonished seeing him sweeping the money with his loaded arm to his direction and into his trousers' pocket.
Local visitors did not bat their eyelids seeing such horrific incident but the army personnel's violation of trust trusted onto his sholuder really question my innerself of our sincere wish in seeing our neighbours a no pauper on their own land.
******
We were visiting a kiyai (or was it an ustaz, not very sure) of one of the local pondoks (or was it pesantren, not very sure too) in Central Java. His wife changed into several kebayas for photo sessions with us.Whenever her outfits changed, so did her genuine gemstone accessories, to complement her outlook.
Did she 'transform' herself into a model out of respect for her visitors? To convince us that Indonesians too are loaded people themselves?
Anyway, from that day onwards, no more donation was ever forwarded from us.
Even as were heading to another 'kabupaten', we were being sent off by another pesantren's girl students with their fingers manicured and painted. When asked why they did as such, their reply was, "Enggak apa-apa, Bu."
******
When money start to trinkle in, so does the number of family members.
Where once it was meant for the orphans and poor, it now covers not only the home's operator and his immediate family, but his step children and their families wanted their voices to be heard, too.
******
My sincere hope is, such personnel at Gunung Muria had returned monies not rightfully his and the likings of the religious leader's wife had been ticked off by the husband.
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