Ring Ring, Who’s There?
I am home alone.
I had noodles for dinner. That’s what guys have when they are left home alone. Boil some water, throw in the instant freeze-dried noodles and viola! you have dinner (an egg added for extra protein)!
I was washing up the dishes when the phone rang. It’s really annoying when the phone rings at such a time; your fingers are covered with soap, the dishes half done. Since neither of my children are around (they are the self-proclaimed phone receptionists in the family), I grudgingly cleaned my hands and ran to the phone (it was onto its 10th ring or so). No one actually calls us via the land line (thanks to mobile phones) except my parents or her parents.
It wasn’t any of them this time.
Me: “Hello”
She: “Ini siapa?”
Me: (oh dear, another one of those annoying people who asks you “WHO ARE YOU?” when it should be the other way round) “Nak cakap ngan siapo?”
She: “Siapa ni?” (she obviously was quite determined to find out who she called!!!)
It was on the tip of my tongue to say “P. Ramlee, makcik” but Ididn’t want her to get a heart attack!
Me: “Makcik nak cari siapo? Makcik ni siapo ya?” (I guessed she must be a ‘makcik’ age group since she didn’t sound like a teeny-bopper)
As soon as that question left my mouth, I deeply regretted it.
She: “La, ni ha, makcik ni makcik soleha….(or some name sounding like that), dok kat kampung (I didn’t catch the name) ni ha, (and then she proceeded to describe to me her ancestry stretching back to about 3 generations. I stopped her before she reached the 4th generation)..
Me: “Makcik salah nombor kot, ni umah orang cina lah.”
Either my Malay was so bad or she was totally clueless as to who she was talking to because she went on..
She: “Eh, takla, makcik nak cakap ngan Pakcik Salleh. Ni siapo ni ha?”
Me: (I raised my voice half a decible, you gotta take care not to perforate old folk’s ear drums) “Makcik, ini rumah orang cina, takde pakcik Salleh kat sini”
She: “Oh ya ke…., pakcik Salleh pi mana yek?”
Good grief!
I hung up on her.
Gaargh!
Tues, 171207 @ 2029; now I am going to finish up the dishes and shower, then put on a clay mask and relax; and then watch Amazing Race! Woo hoo! I hope she won’t call again!
Update: Gaargh!!! Astro moved the ‘Amazing Race’ and put ‘David Blaine’ on instead. Anyone knows when will AR be on?
The Buzz