On the way home from Shah Alam, I saw Lan Mantoya again in Bangsar Sphere yesterday evening. I was reluctant at first but after he gave me a call, I dropped by to see him. Letih sikit takpe...hati kengkawan mesti jaga...
This time he came with another old friend, Junid Jinggo. What a reunion! We were in the same class from Standard 1 until Form 3. I wasn’t with them in Form 4 and Form 5. After PMR, I went to a religious boarding school in Seremban, but our friendship remains until today. I was very excited to see both of them, remembering the old days in school, being chased by the discipline master, Cikgu Zahari Papa Bear. We were often canned publicly, at least twice monthly, in the weekly assemblies for smoking in the school toilet. We were known for being mischievous, yet admired by the girls in our school…jahat-jahat kami pun…dengan budak pompuan, kami gentlemen…..
Lan Mantoya parked his Yamaha 135LC carefully...boleh tahan jugak kawan aku ni…tak pakai motor cikai-cikai… “Aku tau la helmet X-Dot kau tu mahal…tapi takkan nak minum pun pakai helmet”, I teased Lan. …Junid Jinggo gave me pat on my back with his big hand,…nak tersedak aku… “Long time no see, steadylah kau sekarang Jang…tu... CRV bapak kau ke?” I smiled ... ko hingat aku baharat sangat ke.... ikut suka kau lah Jinggo…
As suggested by Lan Mantoya, we cancelled the previous plan to ‘lepak’ at the Coffee Bean… “Kalau takat nak minum kopi secawan, baik pegi Shukran je..,buat mengkayakan puak2 cilanat tu jer….buat aper..”, said Junid Jinggo… So we then went to The Chicken Rice Shop, at the second floor.. “This time, Jinggo belanja, Tokeh Gas Pantai Dalam,” ….I nodded agreeingly…samalah jugak tu Jinggo, bukan kedai Melayu jugak pun…Ah, belasah je lah, janji ada makan…
The view of the previously known Kg. Kerinchi from Bangsar Sphere caught my interest...I’m grateful of the government’s effort to upgrade the area, the people here ( of course I'm happy because my friends are included ) obviously now live comfortably and enjoy the bliss of the new lifestyle…Lan Mantoya ordered our meal while Junid Jinggo bragged about his business.
“ So far, kat area Pantai Dalam ngan Kerinchi ni aku la supplier gas yang terunggul, rumah, apartment mana aku tak masuk? Semua makcik dan awek kenal aku….” I am proud of him, at least his business is doing well and I’m sure his family is now in good welfare. His late father was a DBKL labourer, with six children cramped in the stuffy rumah panjang. My frequent existent there after school is like “adding salt to the wound” to this family but I thanked his mother for being caring and generous to me…I remembered her smile and the kind hearted face, always asking me… “Nak makan ke Jang, makcik goreng telur, nak?”..and usually I returned home happily with my belly full.
“ I started this business right after we finished school with a very limited capital. With the help of our former ADUN, two years later I managed to get a loan from the Govt. through the Pinjaman TEKUN…..ni lah yang jadi modal aku,”.. “Mak aku bukan main sayang lagi pada Sharizat tu…kalau tak kerana dia nolong....boleh jadi, aku jadi buruh DBKL je macam bapak aku dulu..”
Lan Mantoya were grinning guiltily towards Junid Jinggo’s remark… I know what’s in his heart..
“Alah…aku bukan tak mau ‘masyuk’ macam kau Jinggo….nak meniaga tak reti..kemahiran aku merempit….jadi Despatch Rider ni sesuai le ngan jiwa aku, takpelah...buat masa ni terpaksa jadi ‘machai’ kat kompeni Cina dulu, nanti aku ikhtiarlah keja lain..”…he defended himself.
…“Only that I’m worried about the future of my children…ko takpelah, takde anak lagi Ujang, Jinggo....Aku dah khianatkan masa depan anak-anak aku…..letakkan diorang dalam keadaan yang tak selamat…, nyaris2 BN tak lingkup ari tu... bukan salah orang lain…aku yang tak berapa cerdik masa tu…pecaya bulat2 kelentong Nuar Berahim…rupanya dia nak gunakan orang2 macam aku ni lah, jadi nak jadi PM…aku lupa, masa aku sekolah kat SK Bangsar dulu, kerajaan Federal ni lah…bagi aku makan RMT free sejak Darjah 1, dapat pinjaman buku teks sampai Tingkatan 5, tu pun semedang jer hilang aku tak ganti pun…”
“Skema betui la pulak statement kau ni Mantoya...Kalau ye pun, makan le....Gua lapar nihh,” said Jinggo. “Udah-udah le nyesalnya tu, Mantoya...... ‘agak-agak’ sikit lain kali, jangan le buat lagi...dah tau niat dia tak elok nak meng‘kantoi’kan bangsa kita...ko jangan le terpedaya lagi..tak hingin aku berPMkan balak songsang tu...” said Junid Jinggo, throwing his cigarette butt inside the flower pot next to him..
I nodded in agreement...but at the same time felt pity for Mantoya... If he studied hard last time and multipled his effort....I’m sure he would be more successful than he is today....or at least, able to think wisely, and decide sensibly. Kat sekolah dulu pun, dia bukan la bingai sangat.....
These are the things I worry most...something has to be done to make the Malays change their “tak apa” attitude and realise how important education is and possessing good qualification for our future. To gain power, the Malays have to be strong, wise and united. How could I contribute so that the power would remain in our hands?
The nasik ayam in my plate has long gone disappeared into my stomach...Bila dah kenyang, otak pun tak berapa mau jalan....my bantal kekabu keep appearing in my mind...I will think about this later... Rilek la....aku kan Melayu...
