Hello again!
Today is my wedding anniversary. 25th.anniversary. Through many tears and happiness, both of us are still standing tall and strong.
As promised, I am back with my The Men In My Life (part 2) post. Where was I? Ahh yes, I stopped until the part about my husband.
Today I will continue with my uncle. I've got many uncles but my favourite one was my late uncle, Othman. He was a police officer. His wife is my biological aunt. I was so attached to both of them that I once called them mom and dad. Come to think of it, I was much more attached to them than I did towards my parents. By the way, my aunt is still around but we live too far apart for me to visit her regularly.
As I grew older, I soon started to call them aunt and uncle as I was continuously teased by my peers and friends alike. I totally loved him dearly. And so did he towards me perhaps because he 's got five boys and I was like a daughter he and my aunt never had.
He was a very funny person. He was respected by his staff and colleague at the precinct. I had this incident when I was working at an island resort in Perak (about three hours drive from Kuala Kedah/Langkawi). The hotel is situated on a private island. Only guests staying at the hotel has the access to the resort. And the hotel has a site office on the mainland pier. Every week, one of us alternatively had to man the site office for one week.
So one day, I had to be the staff on duty for that week. I left by the first ferry and when I reached the pier, I started to walk to my office which was about 200 meters away from the pier. Suddenly, I was stopped by a police officer and asked where am I going. I told him to the office. Are you alone, he asked again. I said yes. Do you have any other bags or luggage? By now I am getting annoyed and puzzled at the same time. I asked him what's going on. He asked me to get inside the police patrol car. I refused since I don't know what's going on. He said again in a quiet voice, please follow us as we don't want to embarrass you.
My mind was racing trying to figure out what was happening. Anyway I followed them and got into the car. The police station was just 5 minutes away. Once there they took me into the office and ask me to sit down.
And then the interrogation began. What time did you wake up this morning. What was your shift yesterday? Who was working with you yesterday? I was terrified at first not knowing what had I done. After I regained my composure, I started to ask them. Why was I brought here? Did anything happen to anybody and what are you doing with my lipstick? One of the officers was toying with my lipstick. He took off the upper cover of my lipstick and watched closely. He looked like an idiot. What the hell was he doing. By now I was livid with anger. What are you doing? I raised my voice slightly. Guess what he said. " This looks like an expensive lipstick. Where did you get the money from. And your handbag looked expensive. I stared at him with so much anger that he could be dead if looks could kill. I thought of answering him by saying I sold my body but I held my tongue.
Just for the record, I can afford to buy those expensive clothes or make ups since the hotel provide food and lodging for their staff and I am still single then, and living inside the secluded island where there was no shopping mall. I've got bundles (fine, I am exaggerating a little) of money to throw away.There, I let off my steam even though it happened years ago.
Anyway, once the interrogation wrapped up, I was told they had to bring in all the hotel staff that came out that morning for questioning following reports from one of our guests from Hong Kong who lost some money the day before. Okay, that explained it.
After I was sent back to my office, I picked up the phone and called my uncle (his precinct was not too far from where I worked, about half an hour by car),. Once I heard his voice I started crying. He was trying to calm me down. What's going on? Are you all right? I spilled out to him between sobs at what had just happened. He consoled me and after I calmed down, he asked me what was the officer's name. I gave him the name.
Months later when I went to visit him, sitting next to him watching T.V. I asked him about that officer as I hadn't seen him at the resort lately. My uncle simply said that the officer was transferred elsewhere. He didn't elaborate. I don't know if he's got anything to do with it or it was just a coincidence.
I realized now that the officers were just doing their jobs but at that time I can't think straight. It was humiliating being whisked into a patrol car witnessed by many. I am sorry if I had caused his transfer.
As for my uncle, as I was about to sleep last night after writing about him, I cried missing him. May he be placed among the chosen one. I believed if had intervened with that officer's transfer, he did it as a father would for their daughter and I loved him for that.
My next person is our mutual friend (my husband and I), Muhaiyuddin. We knew him when we were at the same resort that I was talking about (above paragraph). We've known each other for about twenty seven years. I was a receptionist then and he was just a bell boy. A smart bell boy though. He is now a group General Manager at one of the leading hotels in Subang Jaya. He is a true friend. I can talk to him about anything without the usual reticence with other male friends.
I remember when my husband and I were to get married (in 1988), all of us were young and enjoying life tremendously, with no savings whatsoever to start our new life as a family. We got married just the same. We had a pleasant surprise and Din (we call him by that name) and a few other great friends chipped in among themselves and present us with quite a big amount of money to start our new lives.
And we still are like that to this day. Din, it's great to know you and stay friends with you always!
Another family friend is Izzat, he was my husband's classmate since their elementary years. He is a lawyer in Kuala Lumpur with his private firm. I said quite a big name because, once he recommended me to see this guy for my cancer alternative treatment, I couldn't get to see the actual person he recommended me as there were too many people queuing up to see him. I was given number to see another person.
After about 1/2 hour waiting, Izzat called me and asked did I get to see him. I said no as there were too many people. He insist that I request to see the person. I told him it's alright, I will see the other person. He said ok and put down the phone. A few minutes later my name was called. I went up to the counter and the guy said they will change and give me another number so that I can see the actual person that Izzat wants me to see. As if an afterthought the guy asked me how did you get to know Tuan Izzat. In Malay, Tuan means Sir. I said he is my husband's friend. And as you may guessed it, I was called not too long after that.
He had helped us many times and on numerous occasions under his capacity as a lawyer and never once charged us for his services or legal fees. Whenever I faced any problems pertaining to courts order or being sued, I would consult him as what needed to be done next.
He had at one time drove all the way from Kuala Lumpur just to appear in court for us. It took about 6 hours to reach Kedah state from Kuala Lumpur. When were sued he was there for us and paid the fine for us without asking anything in return. You can read about me being sued at this link The Ups And Down of Life .To Izzat and Zana, we will forever be grateful to having you as our friend!
My last male favourite male are my two boys. I'e wrote and spoken about them a few times. Ariff and Soffian. Ariff has always been the gentler one whereas Soffian has the typical bad boy trait. The same thing both of them shared is whenever they got home, they will surely asked whoever they see first, where's mom? I mean our house isn't a bungalow but they still ask if they didn't see me upon entering. Ariff has this telephone pick-up manners that I like. Whenever I call him, his first answer will be Hello, yes ma. Or if I asked him to do something, he would say Sorry ma, I can't. There will always be a "Ma" at the end of his conversation. It sounded sweet.
Soffian or Pian as we called him has always been a headache for me. Bad boy as he is, he would still kiss my head and uttered a "Mom, I'm going". He would sometime roughed me up by twisting my arm to the back and mocking me to pull my arm free. He played this little wrestling game with me like he did to his sisters. I don't know if he will ever grow up.
These two boys had given me much love and care that I don't bother much what other antics they might pull on me.
To all the men above, thank you for all the love, attention and support that was given to me. God bless you all.
Have a great day everyone and good night to those who live half way across the world from us here.
Love,
Rose
22nd.October '13
