..."ooo parang terbang!"
..."ooo cina jatuh!"
..."ooo cina!"
these were among few of the many phrase that you can hear once you "kacau" a lady named Long Nor. she was our neighbor ever since i could remember. she was also our family's tailor. sewing dozens of baju kurung and baju melayu for the Eid.
i have a blurred memory of visiting her house when i was younger. the small garden in front of her house is full with bird cages. doves to be exact. there's a swing which i used to play on the verandah. upon entering her house, you can hear the radio blaring from the kitchen and smell the strong tobacco. she smokes. and i mean a lot! dia suka hisap rokok "apong" -what we locals call it. its the type of do-it-yourself cigarette. a plastic wrapper holding the tobacco and a smaller one inside with the thin white rolling paper. there is no filter of some sort.
there is a room reserved for her to work. a pile of colourful clothes in plastic bags in one corner, and weird looking machines at the other end. everyday she would sit here sewing and smoking. (i used to complain my baju raya smell like tobacco before the wash). but hey, her handwork is excellent. not a single baju kurung that she made for me ever has any flaw.
i remembered she used to drive a minivan. once my brother jumped out of a bush to surprise her. dan automatiknya dia terkejut, she started to "melatah" and drove her van straight into the bushes. nasib baik tak jauh. oh dear, i wouldn't want to mention the canning my brother got from mummy after that. haha!
this morning, i was awoken by the sound of people crying outside. so i got up and, its a bad news. no more Long Nor Latah. from what i heard, she fell into a drain while talking a walk yesterday evening. doctors suspected she had a stroke and fell. accidentally hitting her back skull at the edge of the drain. that was the actual cause of death.
few nights ago, i had a nightmare. i lost one of my tooth. in some cultures (whether you're superstitious or not, just hear me out for a while), it means there will be a death some time. i dont know whether to believe this, but usually i never tell anyone about my dreams. until something happened which i can relate to it. believe it or not, your call.
i will always miss the arwah. few years back, she came to visit and managed a strong tobacco-scent hug on me. she said she loved me and told stories of how naughty i was. i never get to say a proper goodbye.
stroke is cruel.
p/s: eat healthy. live healthy.
i have a blurred memory of visiting her house when i was younger. the small garden in front of her house is full with bird cages. doves to be exact. there's a swing which i used to play on the verandah. upon entering her house, you can hear the radio blaring from the kitchen and smell the strong tobacco. she smokes. and i mean a lot! dia suka hisap rokok "apong" -what we locals call it. its the type of do-it-yourself cigarette. a plastic wrapper holding the tobacco and a smaller one inside with the thin white rolling paper. there is no filter of some sort.
there is a room reserved for her to work. a pile of colourful clothes in plastic bags in one corner, and weird looking machines at the other end. everyday she would sit here sewing and smoking. (i used to complain my baju raya smell like tobacco before the wash). but hey, her handwork is excellent. not a single baju kurung that she made for me ever has any flaw.
i remembered she used to drive a minivan. once my brother jumped out of a bush to surprise her. dan automatiknya dia terkejut, she started to "melatah" and drove her van straight into the bushes. nasib baik tak jauh. oh dear, i wouldn't want to mention the canning my brother got from mummy after that. haha!
this morning, i was awoken by the sound of people crying outside. so i got up and, its a bad news. no more Long Nor Latah. from what i heard, she fell into a drain while talking a walk yesterday evening. doctors suspected she had a stroke and fell. accidentally hitting her back skull at the edge of the drain. that was the actual cause of death.
few nights ago, i had a nightmare. i lost one of my tooth. in some cultures (whether you're superstitious or not, just hear me out for a while), it means there will be a death some time. i dont know whether to believe this, but usually i never tell anyone about my dreams. until something happened which i can relate to it. believe it or not, your call.
i will always miss the arwah. few years back, she came to visit and managed a strong tobacco-scent hug on me. she said she loved me and told stories of how naughty i was. i never get to say a proper goodbye.
stroke is cruel.
p/s: eat healthy. live healthy.
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