FARAWAY MOTHER'S DAY

On the road again and I am thinking about them practically every free time that I have. It is always hard to leave them for an extended period of time. Despite it being the recurrent theme for me and the kids. Despite the fact we could still communicate by phone(when near) or by email (when time difference proved phone cumbersome), I would still miss them terribly. Despite the fact that by being away, I am actually free from their constant nagging for computer time, pleas for toys, bickering and sibling rivalry and all sorts of other things, I still can't get used to this freedom and long for their tyranny over me. It keeps me wondering.

I wonder whether Baby Faim will look for me at 6 am whenever he opens his eyes. Whether He will get his chance to go on his usual morning rounds. Whether he needs my cuddle when he woked up frightened in the middle of the night. Whether he will answer every phone rings by shouting Ayah.

I wonder whether Adik will look for me to pat him to sleep every night. Whether he will wait for my sweet talks before taking his bath or eating his breakfast. Whether he will run to Ibu or Atuk whenever he gets in a fight with Abang now that I am not around for comforting words or righting the wrongs. I wonder who he will ask to sit next to him when he is watching Sagwa or Codenamed Kid Dext Door...

I think about Abang... my eldest who is my hope for taking charge whenever I am not around. Thinking whether he will look after his brother instead of finding faults. Make things easier for Ibu in the morning instead of sleeping in the bathroom. Abang who will never sleep alone in his room and would run away to Ibu or Nenenk in the middle of the night if he found out he is alone. I am thinking whether Abang would be thinking about others more rather than himself.

And finally, I do think about you Ibu. Whether you are OK. Whatever problems you might have. Whatever things you have to cope with. How would you fend for yourself without me around. What worries you before you close your eyes at night. But then, I am not worried. Cause all these years, you have been the one that cope. The one that fend. For us and for me. You are there even when I am not. You who always find time to call me wherever I am around the world, just to ask what I had for dinner last night. And I am always relieved.

Happy Mother's Day, Ibu. The wish may be a little late in coming, but you would undertsand as it had to take some time to travel halfway around the globe to reach you.

Happy Mother's Day. Hope you had a good one.

INDECENT PROPOSAL?

Aku bersiap nak keluar dengan Ibu tengahari semalam. Abang dan Adik tak ikut sebab Nenek dan Atok dan book diorang untuk lunch. Baby Faim baru tido jadi tak elok dibawak. Jadi kami berdua aja la yang keluar.

Sebaik kami nak melangkah keluar dari pintu, Abang datang dan berkata, 'Are you guys going dating?'.
'You are welcome to follow if you want!', jawab Ibu.
'Naaa.. I'll follow Nenek and Atok. Have fun, but guys remember...', Zaim cuba nak mengingatkan. 'What?', kata aku pendek sambil mengenakan kasut.

'Indecent behavior in public is illegal now... hahahahahhaha', Zaim ketawa sambil berlari ke dalam.

Ibu senyum dan paling ke aku. 'That's your son', kata Ibu dan terus masuk kereta.
Aku hanya kata,' Anak dah tige'.

SOCCER PHILOSOPHY

'Aiyaa.. look at that, Ayah', kata Abang sedikit kecewa.

' Yela Abang! We wear green and they are wearing white pulak', jawab aku.
'It's ok la Ayah, we just watch. It revenge time!!!', sahut Zaim.
'Yup, let's hope so', kata aku sambil terus menumpukan pandangan ke tengah padang. Abang pon berbuat sama.

Sesekali Abang bertanya tentang permainan dan aku cuba menjawab mengikut pengalaman aku.

'Ayah, why the defenders keep fouling the opponents?', tanya Abang.
'Well, if you would notice, both the left and right defenders are much shorter than KL's strikers, especially the big Orang putih No 23 tu. So, you got to play a little rough, hurt them a little bit... that would keep them from trying to be clever ..' kata aku. Itu jawapan aku masa aku main bola dulu.
Abang hanya angguk. Tak tau kalau dia setuju atau tidak.

'But, that's not good, the guy can die', kata Abang.
'No la Abang. It's all about psychology. Apart from physical skills and stamina, you gotta use your head as well', aku cuba nak elaborate. 'Like that look now,' aku menunjuk ke petak penalti pasukan baju putih. Seorang pemain baju putih tergolek kesakitan kerana dikasari penyerang baju merah. Seorang pemain baju putih lain dengan cepat menerpa ke pemain baju merah seolah-olah mencari gaduh.

'What's happening Ayah!', tanya Zaim.
'The obvious thing is that the red guy kicked the white guy down. But, you know why the other player confronted the guy in the red eventhough thereferee has blown his whistle to indicate foul?', tanya aku kepada Abang.

'Why?', tanya Abang balik.
'What he meant by confronting is to tell off the guy that if you hurt one of us, there are 10 more of us who is gonna get you. You better not do that if you know what's good for you. He didn't say it but his action spoke the same thing', cerita aku.

'Why he want to warn like that?', tanya Abang lagi.
'It's called playing as a team, if one guy is down more will come to take his place. One down 10 more to face. It's a mental thing. It will also draw your team together to be more cohesive and united', cerita aku lagi.
Zaim mengganguk lagi.

Adik tak banyak tanya. Sesekali dia tanya tadi ialah berapa minit nak half time. Sebab dia nak makan KFC. Dan sekali lagi dia bertanya ialah bila nak habis.

Selesai perlawanan, kami keluar dari stadium dengan cepat. Memang pon begitu macam masa dulu sebab tak ramai yang datang menonton. Tapi aku lihat Abang macam puas aja. Sebab agaknya dendam dah terbalas. Aku pon puas.

Johor FC 1 Kuala Lumpur 0

...The reason to rush home after work...