Nama : Nur Syawalni Atikah binti Ahmad Rahmattullah
No matrik : 197358
Tolong masukkan semua barang dalam
kotak biru ini. “Ok mak, Along nak buat sekarang ni. Habis nanti Along angkat
kedepan,” jawab Along sambil mengangkat buku-buku yang bertaburan di atas
lantai.
“Ada kasut mama ke dalam ni? Ni mesti
mama lupa beli kasut lepastu letak 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 4x9 tersusun dengan rapi.
Sampul surat tersebut juga kelihatan berwarna perang seperti sudah lama tersimpan.
Along mengambil satu sampul surat tersebut lalu dibukanya. Sehelai kertas
berwarna biru dan berbau harum. Along membuka surat itu dengan perlahan.
“Surat cinta ke ini? Surat cinta mama kepada
abah ke?” bisik Along perlahan lalu membaca.
Kehadapan
mak yang dikasihi,
Mak
apa khabar? Along doakan mak sihat sahaja. Sihat hari-hari pagi petang siang
malam. Along doakan mak sihat. Mak masak apa harini? Ikan tenggiri sambal ke?
Along suka sangat sambal mak. Kat sini Along tak boleh nak masak hari-hari sebab
tak sempat. Kadang-kadang Along teringin nasi kukus. Tapi mana la sedap kalau
dibandingkan dengan masakan mak. Terutama sambal mak yang memang sedap sangat.
Harinikan mak kat
pejabat, Along ada jamuan raya. Bukan harini ja mak, nak dekat hari-hari ada
jamuan raya. Along hadir mana yang sempat je mak. Along selalu ingat pesan mak.
Kalau keluar pejabat waktu kerja tu mesti catit berapa minit Along keluar.
Sebab along kena ganti balik waktu yang along keluar tu. Ganti lepas pukul lima
petang nanti. Mak kan selalu ingatkan along yang kita kerja ni kena ikhlas dan
jujur. Mesti ada integriti. Tak boleh mengelat dan mengular waktu kerja. Nanti
tak berkat. Along ingat sangat pesan mak.
Minggu lepas kan mak, kawan-kawan
along kat pejabat ternampak along catit waktu keluar dan masuk bila Along bila
Along keluar pergi makan. Along tak sempat bawak bekal. Diaorang tanya kenapa
mesti tulis. Mula-mula tu along taknak cakap. Sebab nanti ada yang marah.
Lepastu bila didesak, Along cerita pesanan mak tu dekat diaorang.
Diaorang terkejut tau
mak. Ada yang tergamam bila Along cakap begitu. Lepastu lepas dari haritu,
ramai yang Along tengok yang buat macam tu. Setiap kali diaorang keluar makan
pagi atau petang diaorang akan tulis dalam buku nota. Setiap hari Along tengok
diaorang akan habiskan kerja sampai pukul enam setengah petang. Ini pun waktu
tengahari rehat cuma sejam. Along tengok pukul dua diaorang dah ada dekat meja
pejabat. Sebelum ni kan mak, ada ja alasan diaorang masuk balik kerja pukul dua
setengah petang dan ada yang pukul tiga. Lagipun dekat meja diaorang tu kan mak
asyik berdering-dering bunyi telefon. Along pula tak sempat nak tolong
angkatkan telefon sebab Along pun nak kenal layan orang yang nak tanya itu dan
ini dekat telefon along. Kesian orang yang telefon tu kan mak.
Kadang-kadang along
terfikir jugak mak. Masa mak beitahu Along pasal semua orang yang anggap orang
yang kerjaan yang asyik 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 lapan pagi lepastu keluar minum pukul sembilan
masuk balik pukul 11 pagi. Pukul 12 tengahari dah hilang entah kemana. Pukul
tiga petang baru masuk pejabat. Ada yang pagi dan petang tu keluar minum banyak
kali. Entah bila diaorang buat kerja.
Entah apa-apa Along ni
kan mak. Asyik cerita pasal kerja Along je. Sepatutunya Along tanya pasal mak.
Eh mak pokok ubi belakang rumah tu dah besar ke mak? Along tak sabar nak tolong
mak cabutkan ubi ni. Nak minta mak masakkkan pengat ubi. Lepastu Along nak ubi
rebus cicah sambal mak yang sedap tu. Along nak juga ubi ketuk makan dengan
kelapa dan gula. Aduhai terbayang-bayang dah ni. Jap mak nak lap air liur
meleleh ni.
Sebenarnya along rindu
banyak juta dekat mak. Terasa nak peluk mak hari-hari. Rasa nak tidur dengan
mak hari-hari. Nak tolong cabut uban mak. Nak tolong buang kelemumur mak. Kepala
mak gatal lagi tak? Nanti Along belikan syampu baru untuk mak. Syampu lama tu
mak tu tak lut dah tu yang kepala mak gatal tu. Minggu depan Along balik tau.
Mak ikut Along tangkap ikan dekat Sungai Kantan ya mak. Nanti Along masakkan
mak ikan sambal. Ikan kecil pun kecil la mak janji sambal along dah hampir sama
dengan sambal mak. Along akhiri surat ni dulu ya mak. Mak jangan risau Along
balik naik bas macam biasa iaitu waktu siang. Along pun takut nak naik bas
malam. Takut terlajak tidur.
Salam sayang yang amat sayang kat mak
Along yang sorang ni. Peluk cium dari Along untuk mak yang cantik.
Along
7 Oktober 1993
Surat ke 97
Please put everything in this blue
box. "Ok mom, I'll do it now. Then I’m lift up,” Along replied while carrying
the books that scattered on the floor.
“It's your shoes mom? You must forget
to buy the extra shoes and put it somewhere,” Along grinned.
Along holds the shoe box and feel curious
because that there are many more same shoe boxes.
Along, opened up the box and the are
many 4x9 envelope was neatly arranged. The envelope also appears to have been
colored as if it had been stored for a long time. Along took one of the envelopes
and opened it. A piece of paper is blue and smells good. Along slowly opened
the letter.
“It’s that a love letter? Mom and dad’s
love letter?” Along whispered slowly and read.
My dear mother,
How are you? I wish you a
good health. Healthy morning and evening. I’m always pray for your health. What
are you cooking for today? Mackerel fish sauce? I love your cooking. Here, I
cannot cook every day because I do not have enough time for it. Sometimes I’m craving
“nasi kukus”. But it tastes not so
good compared to you, mom. Especially your delicious “sambal”.
Today at my office, there
are “jamuan raya”. Not only for today
mom, but it's close to having it every day. I just attend if I have the time. I’m
with always remembering your message. When you’re out of your office, you have
to keep track of the minutes. Because I have to replace it if time that comes
out. Replace it later after 5pm. You always say to me that what we must work in
sincere and honest. There must be integrity. Cannot scrape and spread work
hours. There a no blessing. I’m always remembering your message.
Last week, my friends at
the office saw me took a note of the time out when I’m in and out from lunch
break. I didn't have time to bring food. They asked me why I had to write. At
first, I’m don't tell them. Because someone will get angry later. After
pressing me, I’m decided to tell them about your message.
They were shocked to find
it out. Some are dumbfounded when I’m says so. After that incident, I saw many
of them doing the same thing. Every time they go out for breakfast or evening
they will write in the notebook. I have seen that almost every day they finish their
work until six in the afternoon. It's just an hour's break. When the time
almost at two o'clock they were at their office desk. Before this mom, there
was many excuse if they start work at two and half in the afternoon and another
at three. Anyways, the phone next to their desk, kept ringing while they were
not there. I’m not being able to answer the phone because I also need to answer
for my call. I feel sorry for the person who called.
Sometimes I think about
what you said mom. You told that everyone who working with the government
always goes out. I feel challenged. That's right, because I’ve heard from my friends
too that the government staff went to work at eight o'clock and went out to
drink at nine o'clock and returned at 11am. At 12 o'clock it's gone somewhere. And
start their work back at three o'clock in the afternoon. Some people go out in
the morning and evening to drink. I don't know when they do their job.
Are you fine with this mom?
I Just told about my work. I should have been asking about you. Do you think
the backyard sweet potato is big? I can’t wait to help you get rid of this
sweet potato. I want to ask you to cook “pengat
ubi”. Then I want sweet potato dip in with your delicious “sambal”. I also want sweet potato tap
with coconut and sugar. Oh my gosh. Wait, I want to wipe this saliva.
In fact, I miss you many
millions. Feel like I want to hug you every day. Feel like sleeping with mom every
day. Help you to pull out your white hair. Help get rid of your dandruff. Is
your head itchy again? Along the way back, I will buy a new shampoo for mom. Your
old shampoo is not that good anymore, that’s why your head still itchy. Next
week I’m back. I want you to accompany me went along to catch fish near the
Kantan River. I will be cooking some “sambal”.
Never mind if the fish is small, as long as my “sambal” is almost same to you. I need to end of this letter, mom.
Don't worry I will come back with the usual bus ride during the day. I’m also afraid
to ride at night. Fear of falling asleep.
Best regards to my dearest mother.
Hug a kiss from me for my beautiful mom.
Along
October 7, 1993
Letter 97
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