Assalamualaikum wbt
We once surely had dreamt of becoming someone else from what we are now. When I was 6, I joined the kindergarten pretty late compared to the rest. It was in March I could say. Actually, I started my prekindergarten at 5 in Temerloh town for the reason that my parent wanted me to attend an Islamic kindergarten (Taski). So, there I stayed for a few months (or maybe weeks). I couldn’t stay there any longer because of the distraction from my so called cousin who was in the same Taski with me. And now, I can tell you that it was only my excuse to get rid of that Taski. I didn’t enjoy my daily lesson because I kept thinking at what time my mother will come to fetch me home. And usually, I would be the last student who left the Taski.
Later, I’ve been transfered to another Taski. Exactly in the town (the previous ones was in a housing compound of Taman Seri Semantan). For the first few days, my gradmother accompanied me to the school and stayed in the class with me. I was not embarrassed at all to be accompanied by my guardian because of the reason I knew I could reach home earlier if my grandma took me home. The first day over there, I remembered how I was accidentally noticed as a brilliant kid. Everything was because of a question from my ustazah asking what is Asadun (Asadun is an arabic word). I answered confidently Asadun means lion. My ustazah asked me twice did I ever learn it in my previous Taski? I said no. To tell you all the truth, I knew the meaning of Asadun is because of a children cassette compiling 10 songs teaching simple muslim prayers, arabic words and a few more telling about Allah and Rasulullah. I still remember the cover of the cassette. A little boy sitting on the sajadah held up his hands praying to Allah. The conclusion is, I was not brilliant back then in that incident. All credit should be given to my father who had bought the cassette for us.
When my grandma could no longer come to school with me, I always cried towards the end of the class session. Everyday, my father will come to pick me up with his big super duper red Yamaha. I can tell you what, I always proud to be riding on it. People would throw us a jealous glance. But now we own it no more. I think my father could not stand me crying not to go to school almost everyday. Therefore, I quitted and was not attending kindergarten since then until I reached 6.
What made me resumed my schooling? 20 years ago, my father owned a farm. Consisted of chickens, rabbits and quails. He would be around in the morning processing his chickens (Did ayah just finish study at that time? I’ve forgot everything in exact). Our current house was still under construction. For the time being, we stayed in a double-storeyed house located about 300 meters from our house now. Every morning, after my mother left to work, I would stand at the balcony and waited for Cikgu Izumi to pass by my house (we called that house as rumah sewa). Cikgu Izu is a kindergarten teacher. When she walked by, I would shout out loud to greet her salam or good morning. Seeing me being so good to her, I think, it became the reason to send me to her kindergarten. Tadika Kemas Kampung Lebak.
The first day in Tadika, I cried badly. So so badly wanted to go back. And now, if I could turn back time, I did not want it to happen. I have 2 second cousins who were in the same class with me. Ashiq and Shafiq. And up till now, if we happened to meet during family gathering, hari raya or any functions, their grandma will bring up the story to peak. Ya Allah. It is so embarrassing. She will tell the rest how bad it was. She knew everything because the boys told her the story when she came to pick them with her black old bicycle.
And luckily it happened only on the first day. For the second, third and the rest of the year, I have started to enjoy the school and friends that I made over there. I was the only student wearing scarf (hijab) to school. One day, Cikgu Izu reminded us to cleanse our ears because the next day, she wanted to check up our body cleanliness (ears and nails). At home, I forced my mother to help me to cleanse my ears but instead she said that my ears were clean enough. But I still wanted to do something to make them look cleaner for the check up. So, I took my towel and some kind like polishing my ears. It was painful but I kept doing it though. And the next day, I actually was excluded from the inspection because I was wearing scarf. Ouch. And my ears were already swollen. And I regretted for not listening to my mother.
In that Tadika, Cikgu Izu always regarded me as the class monitor (Wasn’t me who was the last student registered to the kindergarten? I didn’t get it till today). She always asked me to be the facilitator in solving the Maths problems. She once whispered to me like this: Sarah, kamu jawab laju sangat dari kawan-kawan yang lain. Jadi kamu tolong saya ajar kawan-kawan boleh? I sensed nothing in her words. Only years after that I realized that I was quite a fast learner especially in numbers back then.
During the graduation day, 3 kindergartens combined for one certificate giving ceremony. My school had to perform 2 dances. So I took part in Inang (seriously I’ve forgotten how the steps were!) and an Orang Asli dance (got a special name for it but I couldn’t recall it). Oh, before everything started, I had been given an opportunity to recite the ayatul Quranul Karim (maybe for the reason that I was the only one student who’s wearing scarf). If I tell you the story, promise me not to laugh over it ok. Promise?
I sat on the special podium in front of hundreds people. Microphone was placed very close to me. A muqaddam was settled on a rehal (the thing that we use to put Al-Quran on it). And so there was me starting to recite it politely with the proper attitude of reading the Holy Book. As a rule, we always should have started it with Isti’azah (A’uzubillahiminasy Syaitonirrajim). But I stucked there repeating A’u… A’u… A’u… for three times! I failed to complete it! Later, the father of the 2 boys (Ashiq and Shafiq) (who is my uncle named Ayah Long Naha) came nearer and said the whole complete sentence for me to repeat after him. Ya Salam. Only after that I could continue the recital. Right after the incident, the crowd addressed me as ‘Radio Buruk’ and up till now, Ayah Long Naha will tease me upon this incident. Anyway, I found it as a joke too. How could I be so nervous and fail to say it out in 1 shot? Ya Salam… Ya Salam…
In the end of the ceremony, while receiving my graduation scroll, the YB asked me one question. Besar nanti nak jadi apa? I smiled and firmly answered: Nak jadi doktor, Dato’. There he stood still, smiled to me and said: Belajar pandai-pandai, rajin-rajin.
And here I am to catch my dream. I am a dream catcher. And what about you?
Kisah Cuti Hari #4 dan #5
– Hari keempat, saya hanya tidur saja. Bangun hanya untuk solat, makan dan makan ubat. Kemudian sambung tidur kembali. Demam tak surut-surut lagi sehinggalah malam.
– Hari kelima, masih demam tapi saya tidaklah berbaring saja. Esok kelas akan bermula jadi saya mempersiapkan barang-barang, mencuci baju dan lain-lain. Lega. Cuti sudah tamat.
