Steamy and Sticky

I woke up to the pitter patter of the falling rain….not heavy yet enough to make the whole atmosphere felt cold and numb. The banana trees growing wild around the house made the surrounding looked even darker and gloomier. Still feeling groggy from a long sleep, I tried to sit up straight….unable to do so, I just sat limply. I could hear laughters from downstairs. My siblings and my cousins were all there with my Mum and Ama Dumo, my aunt. I found myself alone in my parents’ bedroom upstairs…a little hungry..hmmm… I could smell something delicious from downstair. Must be Mum frying banana fritters.. I stood up and walked towards the door.

I was about to step out off the room when the front door connecting to the verandah swung open, abruptly…Four full-uniformed soldiers, carrying a gun each, entered. Terrified, I stepped back, sat quietly behind the curtain and peeped at what was happening. Following behind the four soldiers were three ladies in beautiful gowns. One lady was in red gown full of lace. She had a very elaborate flowery hat, complete with feather like decoration on top of it.The other one had a black gown. She also had a matching hat with a feather decorating it. The third lady had a pale yellow gown..her head was also covered with a flowery hat. Trailing behind the ladies was an army of soldiers, walking in two rows…maybe there were about 40 of them all. I was so scared. I remembered Mum telling us scary stories,..” siapa budak yg jajal, ada pulis pi tangkap”…I was wondering if I had been naughty and those soldiers came to get me..I statued behind the curtain…So scared yet having gut enough to keep watching them.. unnoticed by those strangers.

I saw them entering the door, walked straight to the ugly painted walls of my parents’ rented house…..amazing thing happened because one by one, they vanished through the walls. I waited till all of them gone. Then I went to touch the walls wondering if I could find an opening. There was none of course. I just went down, joined the rest of my family and proudly told everyone that those soldiers didn’t see me hiding behind the curtain, and that I saw those ladies and that all of them walked through the walls upstairs. My Mum and aunt said nothing. All I remembered was that we had a long rosary prayers that night. How much could a small girl of 6 remember ?…….

Now that I could understand the whole thing…errkksss…..Those were the spirits of the dead during the British occupation here…errmm…well, I would never want to have such an encounter with ‘them’, the citizens of the other side of the world. UUuurgghhh..spooky… No no.

Where do you live?

I’ve been asked this same question again and again,I’ve lost track of the counts. I’m sure, you also have been asked this very question. How do you normally answer ?….Basically,  in respond to it, we would give an address of where we live, of where we stay…and it doesn’t matter with whom we stay or where we live….it is only crucial that we have a roof on top of our heads..sheltering us from freezing cold and blazing heat…and of course offering us some privacy.

Recently, in one of my outstations, I made a stop in Kota Marudu…It was around 7.pm in the evening…Needing some cash, I headed to the bank nearby…While waiting  for my turn to the auto teller machine, I saw a middle-aged woman sprawled on the corridor, right in front of a closed shop. The woman was weeping bitterly. She started a weird, high-pitched wailing that began on a low, mournful note and whipped up to a frenzy, frightening shriek…She would simultaneously bang her hand on the wall and stamp her feet and shout as loud as she had lost her head. I noticed a small miserable bundle or slingbag which I assumed to be her few poor possessions. It was a heart-wrenching sight…scary too….. Startled and frightened, Toru, my sister,  who was accompanying me, jumped closer to my side. She whispered, “Yaaiii!!..Orang gila”.

The lady who was queuing in front of me, turned to us. “Memang selalu tu dia di sini..gitulah tu”..and she confirmed that the wailing women on the floor is indeed ‘orang gila’. At that moment, I was only thinking about her family. Where are they? Why in the world they let her stray alone along a dark isolated corridor?…aren’t she supposed to be having dinner with her family at this time of hour?…..Then I guess this must be the case of a homeless poor who, at the same time , is having mental illness.

Homeless people face many problems beyond the lack of a safe and suitable home…ehhmm…pity them. The world outside  is cruel. They just couldn’t protect themselves from becoming the victims of violence and abuse. You know, there have been many violent crimes committed against the homeless. I could only wish and pray that no harm comes to the pitiful wailing woman. The thought of my  little apartment,  makes me realize that I am far more luckier. Thank you Lord for giving me my Home Sweet Home.

I’ll be away again…. on the road most of the time.. Today, later this afternoon, I’ll be driving for Kudat…or Kota Marudu?..or be it Pitas then…?..Not so sure yet…I might end up in Ranau this evening and cherish the beauty and serenity of that mighty highlands.. I hope there will be no landslide this time…I must be prepaid with my bars of chocolate…just in case I will be stuck for hours while waiting for the road to be cleared…being alone with Tito, my dear old car and listening to some music would be much ‘fun’ if I have something to munch…. I think I would consider stuffing some cans of beer too …hahhaaa…but my family and friends always remind me of …’no drink and drive’…errkksss..ok..ok.

It is fun travelling, though it is tiring…if driving alone?….ahh!!..It’s scary. I remembered when I was heading for Ranau. I took the Kota Belud bypass….or Ranau bypass kaitu… well, the road was so so quiet…so lonely… I happened to pass by a few kampungs at the beginning but as I drove further, macam tiada manusia sudah…ada satu dua jak kampung people yang judging from their baju, mesti baru pulang dari sawah bukit…. I felt relieved seeing them… For a man driving alone tiada juga masalah bah…but kalau macam si kuku ni…errmm..susah sket.. I know how to change the tyre if terpancut tapi I don’t have a jack nie….alalah!..later mau pi beli laini. Hope it wont be too expensive. Macam mana jack yang baguspun I don’t know…. errkksss… My journey to Pitas last time was indeed errmmm…fun. Well, sesat pi kampung orang then pancut tyre lagi. Luckily ada two kind-hearted souls helped me. For those who never travel to this part of Sabah, be prepared with at least two sim-cards. There were some parts where we cannot get 016.. thanks god I got my 019 as well…(ini pun sia mau pi beli again later)…

In one of my outstation ni, I sengaja pi mansau-ansau sana tip of Sabah. I love the beautiful scenery there….it is one of the most beautiful places yang si kuku pernah pigi. So so…errmm..it’s beyond my explanation…. However, it was so windy when I went there….si Kuku yang pindik2 tagap gumuk ni pun hampir melayang kana tiup tu angin.. Sa punya mangkuk maggi pun melayang…nasib baik I have already finished eating…

Hmmm…. I feel hungry pula… Haven’t got my breakfast yet,..haven’t finished packing either for my next trip…well, I will continue writing again once I got the chance…..

The Nepenthes (pronounced /nəˈpɛnθiːz/, from Greek: ne = not, penthos = grief, sorrow; named after the ancient drug Nepenthe), popularly known as Tropical Pitcher Plants or Monkey Cups, are a genus of carnivorous plants in the monotypic family Nepenthaceae that comprises roughly 120 species, numerous natural and many cultivated hybrids. The greatest diversity occurs on Borneo and Sumatra with many endemic species. Many are plants of hot humid lowland areas, but the majority are tropical montane plants, receiving warm days but cool to cold humid nights year round. A few are considered tropical alpine with cool days and nights near freezing. The name ‘Monkey Cups’ refers to the fact those monkeys have been observed drinking rainwater from these plants.

Its pitcher, it swells and droops due to its weight. I love it… Kukuanga, the KadazanDusun term for Nepenthes, lures its prey into the pitfall trap …very interesting ya….has been using it as my ID…

This would be my very first expression of thoughts…in ‘my’ blog of course…Kind of busy..too much hanky panky thingies…errksss… Not so sure of what to say here for the time being…a reflexion of a numb mind…hheeehhee..