TERJEMAHAN AUDIO
Along, tolong masukkan semua barang-barang dalam bilik belakang tu ke dalam kotak biru, jerit mak dari dapur. okay mak, Along dah buat separuh ni, habis nanti Along angakat ke depan, jawab Along sambil mengangkat buku-buku yang berterabur di atas lantai. Ada kasut mama kot dalam ni. Ni mesti mama lupa beli kasut lepastu letak kasut entah mana. Along mengomel sendirian. Along memegang kotak kasut tersebut dan berasa hairan kerana terdapat banyak lagi kotak kasut yang hampir sama rupanya, lalu Along membuka penutup kotak kasut tersebut dan kelihatan sampul surat bersaiz 4 darab 9 tersusun dengan rapi. Sampul surat tersebut juga kelihatan berwarna perang seperti sudah lama …. along mengambil satu satu surat tersebut lalu dibukanya. Sehelai kertas bewarna biru dan berbau harum. Along membuka surat itu perlahan-lahan. Surat cinta ke ni? Surat cinta mama kepada abah ke bisik Along perlahan dan mula membaca.
Ke hadapan mak yang dikasihi,
Mak apa khabar? Along doakan mak sihat harii-hari. Pagi, petang, siang, malam. Along doakan mak sihat. Mak masak apa hari ini? Ikan tenggiri sambal ke? Along suka sangat sambal mak. Dekat sini Along tak boleh masak hari-hari sebab tak sempat. Kadang-kadang Along beli je nasi bungkus, tapi manalah sedap kalau dibandingkan dengan masakan mak. Terutama sambal mak yang memang sedap tahap gunung Kinabalu. Harinikan mak, dekat pejabat Along ada jamuan raya. Bukan harini je mak, nak dekat hhari-hari ada jamuan raya. Along hadir mana yang sempat je mak. Along selalu ingat pesan mak, kalau keluar waktu pejabat mesti catit berapa minit Along keluar, sebab Along kena ganti balik waktu yang Along keluar tu. Nanti lepas pukul 5 petang nanti, mak kan selalu ingatkan Along yang kita kerja ni kena ikhlas dan jujur. Mesti ada intergriti. Tak boleh mngelat dan mengular bila bekerja, nanti tak berkat. Along ingat sangat pesan mak. Minggu lepas kanmak, kawan-kawan Along kat pejabat tu nampak Along catit waktu keluar dan masuk bila Along keluar pejabat. Along tak sempat bawak bekal. Dia orang tanya kenapa mesti tulis. Mula-mula, Along tak bercakap nanti ada yang marah. Lepastu apabila didesak akhirnya Along cerita pesanan mak tu kepada dia orang. Dia orang terkejut tau mak. Ada yang tergamam bila Along cakap gitu. Lepastu lepas dari hari itu, ramai yang Along tengok ramai buat macam Along.setiap kali diaorang keluar pagi atau petang dia orang akan tulis dalam buku. Setiap hari Along tengok dia orang habiskan kerja sampai pukul 6 petang. Ini pun, waktu tengah hari rehat cuma sejam, itu yang Along tengok pukul 2 dia orang dah ada kat meja pejabat. Sebelum ni kan mak, ada je alasan diorang masuk balik kerja pukul 2.30 petang dan ada yang pukul 3. Telefon kat meja diorang tu kan mak asyik berdering-dering bila pukul 2. Along pulak tak sempat nak angkatkan telefon tu sebab Along sibuk melayan orang yang nak tanya itu ini dekat telefon Along. Kesian orang yang telefon tu kan mak.
Kadang-kadang Along terfikir kan mak, masa mak bagitahu Along yang semua orang anggap orang kerja kerajaan yang asik keluar minum je Along rasa macam tercabar. Betul kata mak, sebab Along pun ada dengar daripada kawan-kawan Along yang kakitangan kerajaan ni masuk kerja pukul 8 pagi, pastu keluar minum pukul 9 dan msuk balik pukul 11 pagi. Pukul 12 tengah hari dah hilang entah kemana. Pukul 3 petang baru masuk pejabat. Ada yang pagi dan petang pun keluar minum banyak kali. Entah bila dia orang buat kerja. Entah apa-apa Along ni kan mak, asik cerita pasal kerja Along je. Patutnya Along tanya pasal mak. Eh mak, pokok ubi yang tanam kat belakang rumah tu dah besar ke mak? Along tak sabar nak tolong mak cabutkan pokok ubi, nak minta mak masakkan pengat ubi lepastu nak bubuh cicah sambal mak yang sedap tu. Along nak jugak ubi ketok makan dengan kelapa dan pulut. Aduhai terbayang-banyang dah ni. Kejap mak, nak lap air liuh meleleh. Sebenarnya Along rindu banyak jugak dekat mak, rasa nak peluk mak hari-hari. Rasa naktidur dengan mak hari-hari. Nak tolong cabut uban mak, nak tolong buang kelumumur mak, kepala mak gatal lagi tak? Nanti Along tolong belikan syapu baru untuk mak.
Syampu lama mak tu tak lut dah, tu yang kepala mak gatal tu. Minggu depan Along balik tau. Mak ikut Along tangkap ikan dekat Sungai Kantan ye mak. Nanti Along masakkan mak ikan sambal, ikan kecik pun keciklah mak, janji sambal Along dah hampir sama dengan sambal mak tu. Along akhiri surat ni dulu ye mak. Mak jangan risau, Along baoik nanti naik bas macam biasa iaitu waktu siang. Along pun takut nak naik bas malam, takut terlajak tidur. Salam sayang, Along sayang dekat mak Along sorang ni. Peluk cium dari Along untuk mak yang cantik.
Along
7 Oktober 1993
Surat yang ke 97.
“Along, please move all the things in room at the back into that blue box!” yelled his mom from kitchen. “Okay mom, I am partially done. Will bring this things to the front in a minute!”, Along answered while he picked up the books that scattered on the floor. There might be mom’s shoes in here. She might has forgotten about the new shoes she brought and left it nowhere, Along mumbled. Along held the shoes box that already in his hand, however he got confused when he saw there were so many box that look alike. He then opened the box and saw a row of 4 times 9 letters were put in order. Those letter were getting dull like they have been there for so long. Along picked one of the letters and read; a blue color letter with a blissful scent. Along opened the letter carefully. “A love letter? From mom to dad?” Along whispered and began to read with concentration.
To my beloved mom,
How are you? May you always in the pink of health. All the time. What did you cook today? Was it mackerel fish with sambal? I love your sambal so ardently. I cannot make some here as I am always busy all day long. I had no choice than to just buy a regular nasi bungkus, but one thing to be sure is that it can’t never beat yours. Especially your sambal which is the tastiest in the world. Today I had a festive party in my office. Just to let you know that I had this for almost every day. Yet, I only managed to attend several of them. I always remember your advice to note every single minute when I was outside the office as I have to repay those minutes after 5. You always remind me to be honest and sincere while doing my work. Integrity is the key. Take the work seriously, do not waste a time while we are working. There will be no blessing by doing that. Your words remained intact as my principle.
Last week, my colleagues at the office saw me jotting down time when I was in and out from the office. They asked me why I am doing all these things. At the first, I was really scared to explain but after so many times I was being asked then I let them know. They were all in shocked. Some of them were completely speechless. From that moment, I noticed most of them started to practice what I have been practicing. Every time they were out of the office, they will note the timing in a notebook. They even stayed back until 6 o’clock. We had our rest for an hour, and all of my colleagues were in the office by 2. It was totally different from then where they were always giving excuses for being late up to 2.30 until 3 o’clock. Phones were ringing non-stop at 2 and I was not able to picked up all incoming calls since I had clients to entertain. I feel sorry for their clients.
I remembered the things you told me about the stereotype of government workers, and I feel challenged. Nevertheless, it was proven to be true. My friends from the government office told me that some of them came in by 8, went for their breakfast at 9 and continued to work at 11. and by 12 o’clock, they already disappeared, until 3 in the evening. I wonder when they did their works. I am sorry for telling you all these things, I should ask more about you. Mom, how about the potatoes that you have planted? Does it grow well? I cannot wait to have my favourite potatoes porridge along wth your sambal. Besides, I also long for the potatoes crisps with glutinous rice with sweet coconut toppings. I already imaging that delectable dishes, it made me drool. I miss you a lot, mom. I long for your hugs. I want to pluck your gray hair, clear your dandruff. How was your hair? Did you still feel the itchy? Do not worry, I will buy you a new shampoo.
Your old shampoo must have not working out well isn’t it? I will be back next week. We go fishing at Kantan river okay? I will cook the best sambal fish for you, as you know I already mastered the samba making. I can beat yours! Okay mom, I think to finish my story here. I will go back by bus as usual, but will ensure it is at day. I am worried if I might get asleep if I took the night bus. I love you to the moon and back, mom! Hugs and kisses for you, my beautiful fair mother.
Along
7th October 1993
The 97th letter.
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