Tasah.......

Duduk rerungguk datas engkerarin rumah perintah ngenang diri tasah laban penyalah merening galun umbak tasik laut china selatan. Malik ke kulu nyau ayan ga perabung rumah panjai bala sida Polis DiRaja; malik kili nyau berupai panjai ga kemayang pasir tebing tasik Brighton. Engka ditu meh alai kami tiga sekaban tu ila ngapuska taun nyadi anak sekula Tanjung Lobang. Nasit bala nemu beguringka ikan masin gunjing tengkering kangking keru kerigai. Benasitka bala nemu berebuska telu segala bujur kerubung. Enti enda pia, sigi lapar tau lepi mali bediri duduk besugang deh. Ahhhh nadai ngachau nya deh kaban maggee mee betabas kari sigi mayuh deh! Tu meh gaya bala baru udah netapka diri dibaruh atap perintah alai ngendap. Benasit mega laban bekelala enggau Jimmy, siku urang tuai ti mentah, ngembuan penyiru enggau penyayau ke kami tiga ti tasah nadai alai ngenduh maya panas ujan; nadai panggau endur betunjan. Nyema ka semak Sri Aman nadai meh beleman.

Tumu pagi nyau meh kami tiga bedarat niki bukit enchugit jegit git ngelaban. Deka ngular ngelantar baka ripung belelak gelung kenyang, tak bedau ga bala kami kenyang bidik tau bekerja makai gaji baka urang. Enggai enda, lelak leliga, buntau empeliau pan mansang meh kami nurun ngerumban jam deka enggau kaban serambau bukai masuk ke kelas. Ahhh bisi ga maya 'udah terima' tu suba deh nepan bas laban mai buku lali ti udah besul mengkul besigung; mai pala patung ti udah kembai ngelaung laban ti 'ku jaku' ngarika sekula kin kitu betanding enggau urang. Pulai tengahari pan bakanya mega..ahhh kadang kadang enda mulai kediri bala laban ti nganti udah belatih peritis ngelelak tulang. Aki Gerubi, ka pan enda, laban ti udah sah di serah tau kumbai suah enda makai deh. Benasitka bala sekelas ti nemu kasih, sinu meda pendiau meh bala kami sebuat dipeda enda pungkang enda kurang. Yeap buddy, I still remember many of you willingly, without giving it a second thought, nyuaka handouts..Karulin, Jackie, Mary, Cindy, Stephen, Ngau to mention a few ..thank you for seringgit here dua ringgit there kena berundang kasang maya timpang pulai lemai nuju Brighton. Benasit meh aki Gerubi laban ti bisi Ruby nyadi kaki enggau jari, nyingkang kitu japai kia maya tu kelia. Nemu ga tudah datai ngusung nungkunka dapur bala kami. The rest is history, mere history remains to this very day how horrendous life could be.

An utter mess??? No lah, the beauty and deformity of being Aki Gerubi aja nya. Tang meh kami tiga naka pengaga laban bala bukai ti 'dibuai' udah diterima masuk buding kali ke berapa? Enda ingat laban untak udah tuai. Bisi meh kami tiga ngapil but to no avail. Endang bisi nyelai ga deh tudah pengetua...diau diri baka ti bisi utai??? Nama utai Cikgu? To say you gave a hoot would be a total lie..and if I lie, I wouldn't be lying to nobody but my lonesome self. Akai dai neh cikgu cikgi..enda nyalah nyalah baka lemetak bala kami neh..dibuai enda meh lari tak lekat ba kaki belama! Nya meh baka kesa nepan daun; baka kara nepan pun! Don't you worry... five or so odd months you guys have to put up with us, with me. Only then I chabut lari no more scarface to see lah until the next century! Till then, shut up and put up! We ain't goin' nowhere..up under the skin and skirts of course hehehe. Life went on. We all knew cikgu cikgi were there to teach, to progress, to climb the ladder, move up in the world, to take care of the family, to have 'golden' smile, to grow some misai and to move on..with all the blessing..enda pia? Were we the dying breed? Hell no! Aki Gerubi suspected many many more, more than a handful, who would be no less and perhaps more but who 'were' we to know?