NOT LIKE THE GOOD OLD TIMES

Papa, seem to have the littlest inkling that he must call Yvette that late morning Friday last. As it was nearing noon and prayers should be just after, he feels he still has time for a quick coffee and a bit of a chit- chat with Yvette but things really did not quite coincide with papa’s plans. The reason being: Yvette’s office is near ten kilometers away, papa had his info wrong, he had this notion even though from where, he could, not recall, that Yvette works quite near the golden mile zone. The strange thing was, he did not ask where Yvette’s place of work was, the last time they met which in reality was their first and only with none of the follow up afterwards. How did he arrive at the golden mile section, he, just did not, know.
He hung up telling Yvette that he would be calling, the soonest again, but, not really promising to go see her at Santana, she said ok and papa went about doing what he was planning to do that morning. It, was, very cordial, more like, two, Old Buddies calling, each other up, to say hello, and to meet up, should they, be the few minutes driving time from a mutual meeting point. It is, quite nice, to have, a, lady- friend in the strict sense of the word and a Golf- Buddy too. As to when would they be ‘swinging’ on, the course, only Yvette could determine the exact date considering, her overly tight, night and day work schedule. The probability of them not meeting so soon is the most likely should the trend prevalent among K.L ites nowadays has her following suit without knowing how it came to be in the first place. Exactly the question, how does it arrived, this obnoxious habitude of not answering calls or messages let alone attending tea tarik gatherings. At times most do not even bother to call or sms back should they not be able to join the informal get together albeit the earnest confirmations they gave earlier on. Perhaps the obvious fact that there are no rewards in whatsoever forms that can be gotten from meeting up ever so often, beside, the fact, that it was the near impossible to arrange for a fortnightly assembly- even. Maybe, everyone is just too busy with work or too ensconced, in, his or her, niche in life, to, even care- less. To, reciprocate tit, for tat, to papa is, a, little bit infantile or the quite childish considering we are all old enough to be grandfathers- in our own rights.
How different things are in far away Bukit Tengkorak, where everybody is kinsfolk even though not at all related by marriage or otherwise. To say that everyone there quite swore upon the quaint as, yet quintessential neighborly spirit is an understatement whence that notion goes much beyond the ‘accepted’ criterion. True to the Prophet’s PBUH teaching of one’s neighbor being closer to one’s sibling the littlest cum rustic kampong or village folk is never without the ubiquitous infectious smile whenever we care to make their acquaintance even though anywhere for they truly have that much sincerity and caring feeling: living and breathing, inwardly within their beings. No wonder most of our ‘simple’ clan members only last the odd three days staying in K.L before desperately needing to go home due to the nauseating disgust they felt at the veritably revolting apathy and the quite, really, unpalatable, selfishness of their city brethren.
But then again, what are we to expect, when, everybody, nowadays, is, adjudicated by what car they are driving, where about they are staying and what, watch, they are wearing. Notwithstanding that the abhorrent, albeit, degenerate, yet, inconsequential, papalados must only, be the, here, there and everywhere, Nickel and Dime Man, Ne’er Titles how high nor Money how Big can change the modest, in perspective and in fad, person he is.
Ya mari kita dangdut SAMPAI PAGI!