Monday, October 16, 2006
The Cockroach which made headlines...
No better way to illustrate the forthcoming "Me Generation" than to take a peek in my very own housewhole... No better way to display the "Biar lambat, asalkan AKU selamat"... No better way.. No better way....
I was always the Ms I-want-it-that-way in the house. Ahhh, the prerogative of the eldest of 4 younger siblings. As long as my argument sounds logically, especially to my parents, I get to do it my way, most of the time. But wait, this story isn't about me... its about the cockroach which made headlines..... Muahahaha.
Well, thanks to my elder sister role in the family, I get to sleep in the bedroom with no lights on, doors all shut, while my 2 sisters had to bring their school stuff and finish them outside my room, so as not to disturb me. Neat arrangement, cause its sleeping time for most people at that time of the day. So I was sound asleep, when my 2nd sister walked in. I was ready to shout, "Jangan keluar-masuklahhh..." (translates to: stop going thru and fro). I had to do that because I am a really light sleeper, that the slightest noise would keep me awake for hours. But this time round, I was dead tired that I let her off with a stern warning,"Tutup pintu eh.." (translates to: Close the door as you leave) And then my sis said,"Eh ada lipas", she started to panic, I wasnt sure whether she was lying. (I usually think she will tease me) Soon after, my 3rd sis came in," Ah Ah , ada lipas" Both the sisters dah kecoh (translates to : panicked) My 2nd sis went to dad's room but his room was locked, while my 3rd sis dutifully kept her eye on the lipas (cockroach) so that when the 'saviour' comes to kill the cockroach, she could pinpoint the direct location. Yes, our family has a strategy in place for hazardous animals like cockroach and beetles.
While Kaisah (my 3rd sis) was watching over the cockroach, she caught a glimpse of me leaving the room with my pillow and blanket, in my half-dazed state. She was surprised that I didnt join to enforce the strategy of killing the cockroach. Geared with my sleeping gear, I resumed my sleep with an assurance that my lady-killers, more like sister-killers will, in the end, kill that cockroach.
Unfortunately, the 'saviour' supposedly, my dad, didnt wake up. So Khairun, my 2nd sis, tried to knock on Sadiq's door, to see if any of these Men can kill the cockroach. However, all that screaming and knocking is to no avail... The sister-killers had no one to kill the huge, fat, brown cockroach which is stucked to my bedroom's walls, at 3 am in the morning! Worst of all, we ran out of Sheltox!! The sisters were also overwhelmed by a rude shock, that I continued sleeping, while they had to endure the ordeal themselves. Self- conceit had the better of Khairun as she ran inside the room to salvage her matress.
Kaisah reacted,
" Eh, ambilkan tilam aku sekali-lah" (Translates to: help get my matress too from the room)
Khairun rejected the request selfish-ly and said,
" Ambil sendiri ahh, ada lipas besar dalam bilik tu" (translates to: get the matress yourself, there is a big cockroach in that room)
While Khairun was still fumbling to get her matress out of the room, the giant, collosal cockroach spread its wing and fly. All of a sudden the silent night i enjoyed for the last 3 hours became stormy night! Both Kaisah and Khairun shrilled and shouted,
"Lipas terbang!! Lipas terbang!!" (translates to : Flying cockroach!!)
And it was at that very moment, my Dad the saviour woke up, also a rude shock of the sight of those 2 sisters jumping and running to avoid being in the path of the flying cockroach. My Dad ordered for a broom while he tracked the movements of the cockroach. When he gets a clear shot, he aimed, he paused and focused...AND PAP! He hits the cockroach, spot on, and mercilessly hit it time and time again, until he was satisfied that the cockroach was indeed dead. And where can you find me? I was sound asleep on the couch, right next to where the cockroach rested-in-peace. See what I tell you... " I always have it my way...Beauty sleep is primary"
The next morning, while we were having pre-down break-fast (sahur), Kaisah narrated the whole cockroach saga. The whole family burst into laughters. I was semi-shamed of myself for being so darn self- centered. Yea, I should be more caring and sensitive in future :)
Myra Abd Kadir~ at 17:24
