A Wave From Way Back

It is a well-known fact that fish gets to parts other comestibles only aspire to reach. The brain, for instance, and what memories does the Omega 3 rake up and fish protein (kerepok) brings all manner of hidden things back to the top of your head.

No one has yet come up with a description or the title of the school-book that I mentioned in A Book, A Beach & Memory”, and then, Ajidul of Kampong Kolang sends me this note:

“Mase ambe dalam darjah dua di Sekölöh Melayu Paye Bunge dulu, ambe teringat ade membace buku yang dème sebut tu.” When I was in Class II of the Malay School Paya Bunga I remember reading the book that you spoke about.

And then he adds: “Dalam bok tu, ade terulis rangkapan pantun nasihat ....*”
Terang bulan bintang berseri
Ombak memukul ke pantai landai
Rajinlah belajar setiap hari
Supaya cepat menjadi pandai.

Terang bulan bintang berbanjar
Kapal belayar di laut Jawa
Masa budak wajib belajar
Bila besar tidak kecewa.
And there you see it, the line I was looking for, in the second line of the first stanza. As you may well imagine, I was a cock and a hoop with delight.

If you carry an old map of Kuala Trengganu in your head you’ll know that Kampong Kölang is but a stone’s throw from the Sekölöh Paya Bunga (shorter if you walked through the cemetery of the long dead). But as you can see from this gem that has cropped up, Tuang Ajidul was not one to throw stones at the Sekölöh; he did go there to improve his head (and it has now brought results). Thank you Tuang Ajidul, very much!

And then my thanks to all of you who have sent in comments (publicly or privately), and especially to Suhaili [see Comments, below]. She suggests that perhaps the Trengganuspeak word lajök is a noun derived from another word form, just as sounds are turned into onomatopoeias in speech. There may well be something there as verbs are sometimes transformed into nouns in a process known as nominalisation in linguistics; though the reverse (verbification) is what we are more used to nowadays.

Thanks Suhaili, much appreciated! PS I enjoyed meeting all of you at the USM (but forgive me for the boring talk).

Mat Spröng Kelecak Barak VI

Habih hhanyar tepi lökang; tangang beleming dengang sapöh, apah nyör, perok ikang, daung tèh, serebok kawe belömör dalca masang hök tökè keda tohok buang ddalang lègè burok. Mat Spröng lèsèk tangang bbira pitu belakang Bhiku Coffee Shop, ppala dia mmusing pening ccapor löya, rasa macang nök jeluök.

“Kalu ggining aku kerja bandörang akok sapöh je baik,” Mat Spröng belèbèr ssörang. Kucing bapök kkejuk tidor belakang lègèr, lari celubu masok nnusuk belakang bawang ddalang jök. “Aku raung bandör Teganung rata cari sarong tangang getöh. Bilalah Teganung kita ning nök maju macang negeri örang putéh!”

Dia masok ddalang keda gi terus ke meja tökè dok tengöh nnuléh ddalang bok nota ada nombor ‘555’ atah kulit. Tökè napök mata Mat meröh ssinör, tangang dia seranggöh masa ccakak: dia tahu hari tu bukang hari Mat nök bayör hutang ddalang bok. Lepah Mat ccakak dia ngilling ppala, tangang dia tunjok ke sebelöh kanang, bukang ttepi keda, tapi satu tepak laing, jauh. Mat keluör jjalang dderah aröh tèksi Cik Kalèh dok tunggu ttepi gerè Pök Su nnèga pisang denge buöh paoh.

Cik Kalèh tengöh gösök perok, tundok sapa bökök, radio dia senyap ssunyi dok ggatong ddepang tèksi.

“Aku döh kata mung jangang makang pisang jela banyök sangak, tu lah senök perok,” kata Mat.

Cik Kalèh dök ccakak, badang dia bbau serbök — Minyök Cak Kapök — bila dia bangung nök gatéh téksi cepak-cepak, perasaang dia macang nök gi ssunga takut dök dang ök. Dia tahu ddalang bandör Teganung ada banyök sura kalu nök kena jembe keték-keték.

“Pasa apa hök putéh dia pegang, hök mèröh dia tohok?” kata Mat, mata dia kuyu dok tèngök ke lori kecik tengöh mmungöh bbira jalang. “Murtuja bin Mohammad Salim,” dia tuléh ddalang bok hök dia wak tubék bila siasatang dia jjadi hot. Hot, satu lagi perkataang hök keluör dari ppala dia dari jamang Sekölöh Sultang Selèmang bila ötök dia gelegök.

“Ado-o-o-h,” ngerrang Cik Kalèh, badang dia making bökök.

“Pasa apa hök putéh dia pegang...”

Cik Kaleh ppaling ke Mat. “Aku dok tengöh mmulah perok ning, mung dok ralék nök mmaing teka-teki pulök!” Muka dia masang ccatung, tèksi dia imba bbelöh kiri sikik lagi masok parék.

“Pisang jela ning bisa, Lèh, aku dok kata sökmö ke mung, mung ning babér ccapor tekök.”

Mata Cik Kalèh ssinör, macang api lak atah bukit.* “Ning bukang pisang ning; kemarèng aku makang dalca kkeda Bhiku tu, rasa macang pelèk sikik.”

Mat Sprong lèsèk tangang bbawöh punggong dia atah kusyéng teksi bila mata Cik Kalèh dok tèngök tang kelaéng; Mat ciung jari dia, masih bbau töng sapöh.

“Mari kita gi cari Budök Nama Ku Ali tu, ada aku nök tanye dia sikik pasa budök-budök,” tamböh Mat.

“Ado-o-o-h, Mök,” kata Cik Kalèh. “Kemarèng aku tèngök dia gi kkèmöh denge kupolang Sekaok ttepi jèrak tapi aku kena tingga mung ttepi Jalang Wailiéh mung gi cari sediri sebab tèksi dök léh masok.”

“Dökkang aku nök gi ssorang ssitu kak-kak ggarék ning, Lèh,” jawak Mat. Dia butang baju dia sapa ttekök. Sejok.

Cik Kalèh senyung ssörang, mata dia sila kena matahari tengöh jatoh belöh barak. “Ado-o-o-oh, Mak!,” kata dia sambil gösök perok.

Löri Murtuja pötöng tèksi Cik Kalèh ddepang Jél; dekak Panggong Rex örang dok tengöh berebuk nök beli tikèt cerita Bujang Lapok. Cik Kalèh nnyanying ‘Pok-pok-pok...” sambil dok gösök Minyök Kapök atah pusat.

“Mari tuju, lor...” kata Mat. “Mari tuju, lor...” dia kata lagi macang orang dok tengöh ratéb.

Tiba-tiba Mat Spröng löpak dari tèksi Cik Kalèh masa örang tengöh jemerang ddepang dia di sipang jalang. Mat akat seluör naik atah perok, buku catatang dia masok ddalang köcèk. “Lèh,” dia kata, ppaling ke kawang dia hök dok ngökkör atah tèksi. “Mung gi ita di stèsyéng bah, mung jangan gi sebelong aku balék.”

Mat Spröng jjalang teruh belong Cik Kaléh dapat jawak.

"Ado-o-oh, Mök! Ado-o-o-oh, Mak!" bbunyi Cik Kaléh ngerrang sakit.

---------------------------------------
* Api lak atah Bukit Tteri.

[Bahagiang Hök Suk Sekali Minggu Depang...Final Part Next Week]

Other Parts:
The Return of Mat Spröng; Mat Spröng Kelecak Barak II; Mat Spröng Kelecak Barak III; Mat Spröng Kelecak Barak IV; Mat Spröng Kelecak Barak V.

A Book, A Beach & Memory

Whenever I talk to people who aspire to write I always tell them that most words come wrapped in emotion, with a story to tell; and they will have to learn to understand that if they want to be a serious scribbler. For a long time I was haunted by the word landai — and this does take me back to my single digit years — and the yellowish tinge of the shore, and perhaps a soft breeze blowing, and thin, long fronds of the coconut fingering the sky.

This need not have been Trengganu, though we did live by the shore; but this was Trengganu, and the yellow light of the naked bulb was shining weakly on the round marble top of a table. And there I was, with my two cousins Dah and Yöh (and my elder brother Mat too probably) looking into the first page of a school-book that now still sticks in memory as something very beautiful. ‘Beautiful’ here of course is an amorphous word: it is probably memory that makes it so, it could have been this picture and the words beneath it that I now find emotionally and aesthetically agreeable. But then again, the book could have been really wonderful.

This is the line from the book that, in my mind, I still find so hauntingly beautiful —
Ombak memukul di pantai landai.
That was probably early night, and the lamp was shedding light on the picture-book shore. There was much darkness around us. The big house we lived in was covered in much darkness at night, and I think I kept fit by rushing from one pocket of light to another — from the dining space lit by a single overhead bulb to the dimly lit apron area that served the master bedroom and another unlit room that led to an even bigger room that had the old bakelite radio and the inner guest area. This was where we were that night, but the fluorescent light that Father installed on one of the long cengal pillars wasn’t yet there, so we sat around a table lamp, not far from the soon-to-be settee under the glass skylight that brought in the moon’s glow where I slept most nights of my Trengganu childhood years.

It was only much later that I found out what landai meant. It is the shelf of the shore where the sand slopes into the sea. So the waves were lashing on this part of the sea; and don’t you hear a voice too when you read a book taken from the shelves of old, probably your own voice reading the line when you were then and there?

I can’t think of a Trengganuspeak word that is similar to landai, but the word lajök instantly comes to mind but this probably isn’t what we’re looking for.

As schoolchildren, we used to cycle down Jalan Banggol, and this was what it used to be when you cycled from the Paya Bunga end of the road, past the Bus Station on your left and the Kelinik Zakaria to your right in the new Bangunang Pejabak Ugama. The road sloped down to the river, and that experience to us was turun lajök, going downhill and taking the bend at great speed where the road turned into Jalan Kampong China where my friend’s father Yeo Yan Poh sold his Fiat cars.

Lajök is of course the Standardspeak lajak in Trengganu voice. It means going beyond what you intended to, exceeding your remit, a vehicle that has gone past its intended place. On our bicycles, if we went into extreme lajök, we would have landed in the laps of some haughty taxi drivers plying for trade on the bank of the river. But why do we call it lajök in Trengganu when lajök is not really the incline but the act of going too far? Perhaps some of you will be able to help me here.

I remember most of the school-books of my childhood years, the Kitab Kiliran Budi and the Bayan Budiman and the fascinating Old Lob in his Farm (where lived Mr Grunt the Goat, Mr Willy the Pig, Dobbins the horse and Percy the Bad Chick). And I remember another book (that was not part of the recommended text in our class), that had the “Kelentong Man”, the bell-ringing hawker.

The book that had the waves lashing on the pantai landai was about A4 sized, but I don’t remember the name that it went by. If you do have one at home or know where to get hold of one, could you please relieve this aching in my heart and let me know what else transpired on the shore in the lines of this haunting piece of poetry?

Mat Spröng Kelecak Barak V

Bètèng ddepang kuala napök panjang bila tèngök dari tengöh Padang Malaya . Mat Spröng tarék cölök dua tiga batang dari ddalang kötök, Cap Lada, buatang kilang Kemaf, Kelatang Match Factory. Bila tökang masok sebuöh ke tepak tedoh dari ömbök bbalék bètèng, ddalang pelabohang kawasang Syöhbandör, dia letök seputong cölök atah bedél ddepang Istana Maziöh. Dari jauh perahu besör Wang Mang masok dok tengöh pèro mmuka kuala, menuju ke Pata Telok. Mat Spröng letök sebatang macis lagi atah bedil.

Burong mura ccakak bising bbangor sama mura laing ccelöh daung pohong pinang gata atah ppala Mat, telinga dia masih dok bengang lagi masok air hök Lijöh simböh ttepi telaga hari tu. “Siok!” Mat kata, cuba nök hala burong, tapi bunyi mura making galök. “Siok!” kata Mat lagi, suara dia tinggi sikik, tapi burong-burong wak dök je ke dia.

Mat senyung ssörang, tangang dia tunjuk ke batang cölök, lepah se, se.

“Nasib baik aku,” suara dia keluör macang dia ccakak denge örang laing, tapi örang laing takdök ssörang masa tu, cuma Pök Löh Tuk, dok mmusing ttepi bangunang Posöpéh* dekak jalang besör; Pök Löh Tuk pulök dök léh wak lawang ccakak sebab dia kurang sèhak di bahagiang ppala dia. Sambil ngilling Mat akat sebatang cölök dari bedil. “Out,” dia kata. Dia ccakak orang putih sekali sekala bila siasatang dia napök macang nök jjaya.

“Munöh bukang kena susuk di hantu,” Mat kata, suara dia kerah, tegah. Ccelöh jari dia dia repéh batang cölök nömbör satu. Pök Löh Tuk mmusing making ligak ttengöh jalang ke aröh Tanjong Pasör.

“Nömbör dua, out jugök!” Mat kata. Jari dia repéh batang cölök atah bedil hök nömbör dua.

“Susuk di hantu pong dök, jjadi pelayang keda pong dök,” kata Mat. “Kalu dia kena paksa jjadi pelayang keda köpi tetu Cik Kalèh tau sebab takdök pelayang hök dia dök kenal.”

“Mung jangang ccakak pasa pelayang-pelayang keda köpi pagi-pagi Jema’ak ning, Mak,” keluör suara dari belakang bucu pagör istana. Ppala Ustaz Lèh napök dulu, paka semuta kaing ssahang burok, kaki dia paka selipa Jepung warna dök sama. Bila badang dia keluör, dada dia hitang llegang sebab lama ddö’öh dok kena bakör panah matahari. Pakaiang dia macang biasa, sehela sepinggang, kaing pelèkat cak Gajöh hök orang beri ke dia barangkali masa jamang Pök Mat dök ngammök lagi.

“Mung jangan buak aku kkejuk ggitu Ustaz Lèh, aku dok tengöh mmikir ni,” kata Mat sambil dia selok köcèk, kötök cölök dia letök ddalang seluör.

“Mung dök jjua öbak hari ning?” dia tanya bila dia napök Ustaz Lèh dök bawök akör kayu.

“Aku keluör petang sikik ari Jema’ak ning, pah örang semayang asör.” Mata Ustaz Lèh tenung Mat dök kkelik; pah tu dia tanya, “Guana budök Munöh mung tu, dök ttemung lagi?”

Mat ssedök air lior, batok köh-köh dua tiga kali.

“Macang mana mung tau pasa Munöh tu, Ustaz Lèh?”

“Kuala Teganung ning Mak, pagör buléh ccakak, anging macang surak kabör, bedil buléh beranök, burong mura bawök cerita,” kata Ustaz Lèh sambil dia tarék senyung bbira bibir.

“Kalu ggitu buléh aku tanya mung sikik: di mana gök kalu kita nök tau ha kegiatang budök-budök kita le ning?” Mata Mat tengök jauh aröh pata.

“Maksud mung kalu ada sape-sape napök Munöh?” jawab Ustaz Lèh. Cepat.

Mat anggok, mata dia tundok ke tanöh selok kerah Padang Malaya.

“Kalu ggitu mung gi tanya budök hök nama Ku Ali lepah Jema’ak hari ni, dia ada di semejid sökmö, dekat orang timbong kayu tu. Jjuruh budök nye, buléh mung wak nnatu. Lagi pong dia sekauk**, dok kkèmöh sökmö ngatta tepak, banyök dia tau ha ha luör,” kata Ustaz Lèh lagi.

Mat tarék kaing batik lepah dari bahu, dia apör atah tanöh. “Aku nök jerèngèng sebetör, pah tu aku gi,” dia kata, mata dia napök kuyu.

* * *
Sörang budök muda ddiri ccegak ttepi kayu setimbong, di bucu jalang ddepang Mansor Press, keda cètak bok hök besör sekali di Kuala Teganung. Rambut dia luruh kkilak denge minyök Brekering***, mata dia ceröh belakang cerming mata putéh bbika hitang.

“Tu dia Budök Nama Ku Ali,” kata örang dari semejid hök bawök Mat Spröng ssitu.

Masa Mat gi ddepang dia Budök Nama Ku Ali akat ppala dari bok hök dia dok baca. “Scouting for Boys,” Mat Spröng baca dalang Bahasa Inggeris pèlak Teganung. Tangang dia pegang bahu Budök Nama Ku Ali.

“Rasa macang pernöh tengök ning, kkeda kerepok Awang Hitang Ppaya Tok Bèr,” kata Budök Nama Ku Ali.

Mat Spröng anggok selalu, “Benör tu, Pök Mak selalu gi ssitu. Ning Pök Mak ada ha sikik nök tanye mung.”

“Ba’pe yang dahi Pök Mak tu napök macang bicuk sikik?” Tanya Budök Nama Ku Ali, belong apa-apa.

Mat Spröng kisör kaing hök dia paka atah seluör dia dua tiga kali. Mulok dia ssengèh antara kkejuk denge malu.

“Ning takdi Pök Mak jenera bbawöh pohong pinang gata Ppadang Malaya. Ada dua tiga èkör mura dok ggalöak cceloh daung, jatoh pelepöh kering ddamör ddahi Pök Mak. Tèngök jang döh puko dua, Pök Mak mari jembe selalu nök buak Jema’ak tapi dök dang setabok, takdök satu sa döh, pisang pong döh habih takdök ssutér.”

Budök Nama Ku Ali selok köcèk wak keluör tikèt mèröh Teganung Bah Kömpeni. Dia selik tikèt ccelöh muka surak, dia tutop bok, masok ddalang köcèk baju Melayu.

“Ada ha apa Pök Mak?” tanya Budök Nama Ku Ali bila bang waktu asör keluör dari serömböng di pucök nnara.

[Ssambong lagi...To be Continued]

-------------------
* Post Office
** Scout (Boy Scout), also known as ngakkak.
*** Brylcreem™

Fish With A Tale

The Wans of Trengganu, for reasons not known to fish or men, shun the ikang (fish) of the kkacang variety.

I did not know what the kkacang was until my friend Ajidol sent me this photograph of man and fish basking in the midday sun off the coast of Marang. The kkacang is of course the geminated Trengganuspeak version of the kacang-kacang from the family of Sphyraenidae which, in this variety, comes in two forms, the kacang merah, the red kkacang) and the kkacang putih, the white Sphyraena barracuda that Ajidol is now holding on his hook in the photo.

Stories about fish abound in riparian and littoral communities of Malaysia. A friend from Perak once told me that his family avoids the ikan tapah,the Wallago leerii, a carnivorous river catfish from the family Clupeidae that can be more than a metre long. These families of Wallago shunners are descendants of Pak Kadok from the Lambor Kiri and Lambor Kanan parts of the State. The tapah is a beast of a fish that snaps at monkeys, and little fish and probably the odd little boy in its travel along the river. Looking at the fish, with its nasal barbels and sheer body weight, I too would have run a mile while urging my family members to steer clear like Pak Kadok must have done some 300 years ago if it came biting at my toe.

There are family descendants of Pengiran Liga in Brunei and Sarawak that avoid the patin, another catfish of the Pangaslidae family, not because the fish is weird or scary, but because they believe they are descended from them. The patin now widely farmed in Malaysia, is a silvery fish with much fat in its belly, and it cooks well in asam and chilli.

There must be many more men (and women) who avoid particular types of fish (the Minang people of Sumatra, I hear, don’t touch the talang, the Queenfish Scomberoides lysan) but from my conversations with fish I am told that they in turn avoid types of men (and women) too, especially those that carry nets or hooks with them to the water.

My friend Ajidol in the photo above, has no such fishy taboo, but there may be things that he may want to look at again for here (below) is a picture of him before he caught the kkacang and ate it too:

Mat Spröng Kelecak Barak IV

“Ddalang kerja aku ning Awang, mung kena ada dua jenih panda,” kata Mat Spröng sambil dia junga ambék kertas halus panjang dari dalang tèng rökök atas meja batu bulat kkeda Bhiku. Bila dia cöcöh kertas tu masok ddalang cimni kaca, ke ujong api pelita, hujung jari kertas nnyala ceröh, dia bawök naik ke rökök daung hök dok ggatong bbibir dia.

Mata dia sipik bila dia mmbuh asap keluör, bila naik ke atas kena kipah anging, asap mmusör atah ppala. Mata Awang dök kkelik dok tengök kelakuang Mat, tapi tangang dia masih dok wak kerja. Dia masok jari telunjok ddalang telinga dua butir cawang kosong, pingggang-pinggang kösöng dia tindang mmolèk, buboh atah lengang, bira pinggang dia kepit ccelöh siku.

“Mung kena panda nnusuk, mung kena panda bang dengör,” kata Mat lagi sambil asap keluör kkebok dari mulut. “Satu lagi, mung kena panda tèngök. Mung buak macang mung dök tèngök, padaha mata mung dok keléh bbeto.”

“Mana aku tahu Mak, aku ning tukang angkat pinggang je,” kata Awang sambil tangang kiri dia lak meja.

“Dök lah, aku nök cerita ke mung je,” kata Mat.

“Tengök mata kita ning,” kata Mat lagi. “Kadang-kadang kita tengök benda ceröh kita naik ppinör mata, tapi bila kita buak mata kita sipik sikik, baru napök betol.”

Awang berhenti kerja sebetör, tèngök Mat sipik mata ke aröh pagör pasör. Suara R.Azmi keluör dari serömböng radio atah keda Bhiku, lagu ‘Itang Manih’: Pandang tak jemu-u, panda-a-ng tak je-e-mu...

“Ggitu jugök bila aku gi keléh tengök satu-satu ha, aku paka ppiöh lembèk sebak orang ingak hök paka ppioh tu jenih tok leba, bukang hök jenih dok ngitta.” Mat jjalang keluör dari keda, belènggang punggong dia bila suara R.Azmi keluör bberè dari permintaang petang Radio Malaya, Si hitam manis, ya-a-ng hitam manis
...pandang tak jemu-u, panda-ang tak je-e-mu.

Dia teringat pada jamang-jamang dulu masa Cik Kalèh bawök dia gi tengök orang darak mmaing pata.

* * *
Ibu ayang kibah sayap keluör dari tepak ngerrang telör, kketök bising bbangör. Lijöh balik dinding papang jarang hayong timba dengang kuat sekali lagi, air telaga hök dia simböh tu masok ccelöh papang sapa ke luör. Mata dia pandang bulat ccelöh dinding jarang, nök pasti orang ke kambing dok ggerök di luör. Dia selit puce kaing kemah-kemah, takut telöröh sebab kaing ssahang döh mula lönggör bila dia hayong timba habis rèng ke aröh bayang hök ggerök di balik pagör kayu sama tinggi denge dia, di antara telaga denge rök di luör. Dia töhök timba ddalang telaga sekali lagi, sapa nök nnelah tangang bila dia kara balik cepak-cepak, sebak hari ning dia paka tali timba baru.

Dia jjalang derah dari tepi telaga, teröpöh kayu mmukol bising atah batu bata hök ssusong ddalang pasir, dua belöh tangang dia naik ke belakang nök hayong timba sekali lagi, warna timba meröh nnyala macang api ddalang ppala dia. Bila dia naik bèkèng mulok Lijöh bböbèk dengang kata-kata dök bbutér, di antara belèbèr denge mmaki, susöh nök kata sebab bila ötök dia gelegök, mulok dia bbölök, mata dia ssinör macang lapu kerèta. Lijöh berenti hayöng timba dengang tiba-tiba.

Ttepi pohong kedudok ddiri Mat Spröng, baju dia basöh jjerok, ppiöh lembèk atah ppala döh mula nök keruk jjadi kecik.

“Rupanya mung! Ba’ape yang mung gata sangak dok ita aku mandi? Nasib baik aku dök röcöh mata mung Mak!” kata Lijöh sambil dia puèk air dari mulok ke tepi pagör. Dari mulok dia keluör lumut hök turong dari dalang timba masa dia jiruh air ke badang dia takdi.

Mat Spröng ddiri bökök, dia cabuk ppiöh lembèk dari ppala, tangang dia ketör bila dia peröh air.

“Bukang aku takut kat mung Lijöh, aku baru keböh demang, idong aku dok ddepè lagi,” kata Mat sambil dia tarik baju basöh dok lekak ddada dia. “Ba’pe yang mung dök tanye dulu?”

“Mung ning dök abih lagi tebèak lama, Mak, dok ita anök dara,” kata Lijöh sambil ngilling ppala.

Mat rasa lega bila tengök Lijöh jiruh air timba ke kaki dia.

“Kalu nök kata mung ning anök dara tu ddo’oh lah sikik,” kata Mat sambil mulok dia senyung; tangang dia ura tali kasut supaya senang dia nök curöh air keluör dari dalang Bata warna putih dia.

Mat dudok atah gerè ddepang rumoh Lijöh. Dia rasa pelèk bila paka kaing batik hök Lijöh beri. Seluör panjang denge baju kemèja dia ggatong di dawa jemo kaing, ppiöh dia nnonèng lembèk macang ddèra putéh di penyepit baju atah wayar; badang dia mula rasa panah, tapi tangang dia ketör bila dia jamöh kemèja-T hök Lijöh beri dia paka. Tangang Mat ketör bila dia rasa tulisang ddada baju tu:

Hari Sukan
Sekolah Menengah Sultan Sulaiman
Dia tahu dia paka baju sapa.

Lijöh keluör denge air kawe ddalang cawang, kuih ggènang ddalang piring, rupa masang di muka.

“Aku nök tanya mung sikik, Jöh,” Mat kata bila dada dia berenti ddebör.

[Ssambong lagi...To be continued]

Mat Spröng Kelecak Barak III

Bila lenggök ke langik napök awang kkupo macang kapah, macang kayu keramat, macang jjeput pisang pong ada jugök. Mat Sprong ssètök terus angkat ppala dari hood tèksi hök Cik Kalèh buka sebab hari tu ceröh mölèk.

“Aku mmipi ke aku napök beto ning, Lèh?” tanya Mat.

Dia lenggök lagi ke langik, awang tu ada lagi macang muka Lijöh – masang ccatung, mmusang takdök aröh.

Cik Kalèh berenti göhék tèksi, masok ttepak tedoh bbawöh pohong asang gelugor dekat könar rumöh Èzèk, ccelöh löröng kecik masok ke sebelöh Istana Kolang. Dia pasang gelang tali hök dia buak untok pegang berék dök beri tèksi ggerök. Radio National hök dia beli kkeda Tokèh Ubang ada ggatong ddepang, dekat lapu tèksi, dok bbunyi wa-wa lagu permintaang suri rumöh-tangga, buat Mat serabuk perok.

“Mung napök Lijöh duane?” Cik Kalèh tanye bila tengök Mat dok lenggök ke langik, mata dia dök kkelik.

“Tu, muka Lijöh lah di awang tu, muka dia lèk-lèk. Dok cerlöng kat aku,” jawab Mat.

Cik Kalèh aléh mata ke kereta Jaguar Èzèk baru keluör dari setar, dia sebok denge suara köhör: “Aku bukang nök ccapor ha mung, Mak, tapi baru takdi aku jjupe Lijöh dia tanye mung duana sebab dia dok cari mung rata cerök.”

“Dulu kalu aku ngajji bbeto di Gramma Seko tu gamök öh aku döh jjadi D.O. le ning.” Mat nnengung sebetör, dok tenung tapök tangang. Hidong dia ddepè sikik, tapi badang dia gagöh döh lepah makang makjong hök Cik Kalèh sipang ccelöh tepak dudok tèksi, ddalang kötök.

Cik Kalèh ngelloh panjang.

“Aku pong kalu ngajji bbeto dulu aku döh jjadi ustad le ning Mak, tapi nök wak guane dulu aku ralék dok gi tèngök orang mmaing rödak. Dunia ning ggitulah, serema orang ada hök masing-masing, memang ada ttuléh ddalang kitab. Kalu serema örang jjadi D.O., sape nök göhék tèksi, Mak, sape nök akot tahi, sape nök wak kerepok? Mung ning aku megöh denge mung, dulu mana ada di Teganung ning örang jjadi mata gelak?”

“Tapi aku nök kata sikik, Mak, mung jangang maröh.” Mata Cik Kalèh pandang jauh. “Takdi Lijöh tanye aku mung duane. Gi lah tèngök dia sikik, tulong pujok sebab Munöh tu döh tiga hari dök balik. Aku kata döh kat dia mung dok usaha cari, tapi dia asyik nök jjebèk je, nök nnangis selalu bila aku sebok.”

“Aku bukang dök cakne, Lèh. Aku pong rusing, tapi aku tak dök aröh nök buak döh. Mung örang ngajji, tetu mung tahu. Mung ingak Munöh tu kena susuk?”

Cik Kaleh tutop radio transistor di basika tèksi dia. Mata dia sila sebab kena cahaya mata hari hök ssinör dari aröh Sekölöh Paya Bunga, atah kubor Kapong Ttani.

Cik Kalèh kacing butang atas baju dia; jang dia kkelik ddalang cahaya ceröh.

“Kadang-kadang aku ambék budök Dol tu dari sekölöh, Mak. Dia dudok ssitu, dekat kubor lama tu, jadi aku kena sangaklah kawasang ning. Satu malang aku bawök sörang ppuang muda kèndöng anök ddalang kaing atah bau dia, dia nök balék rumöh dia ssitu...” Suara Cik Kalèh berenti sekejak.

Mat bikah bangung, turong dari tèksi teruh gi ssandör di pohong asang jawa. “Dökkanglah Munöh tu beranök pulök, lari dari Lijöh sebab takot. Ada apa-apa hök mung dök cerita kat aku, Lèh?” Mat buat macang nök sèng hingus, tapi dia telang teruh, ddegök.

“Bukang ggitu Mak, aku nök cerita pasa hök mung kata tu takdi. Orang ppuang hök aku ambék tu kata rumöh dia ssitu, kat rumöh budök Dol sekölöh SS tu, bila aku gatéh sapa ssitu aku tèngök dia senyung ssengèh, pah tu dia ngilla kah-kah!”

“Nasib baiklah aku ingak hök aku belajör dulu, aku baca sebutir dua ayak, aku tembör lari teruh, esökkang baru aku gi ambék teksi.” Tamböh Cik Kalèh.

“Di Teganung ning banyök kejadiang ggitu le ning,” kata Cik Kalèh lagi bila dia tengök mata Mat Sprong dok cerlöng bulak. “Bila aku gi ambék teksi aku èsök tu ada batu nèsang sutér ttepak dudok; tulah anök hök dia bawök.”

“Aku pernöh döh siasak kéh macang ning. Budök ppuang jugök, hilang lepah mmaing cökök. Mung tau Lèh, pah dua hari aku jjupe budök tu atah dahang pohong kerekuk dok makang mee görèng ddalang pinggang.” Mat Spröng apör dua tapök tangang ddepang Cik Kalèh.

“Pah tu?”

“Hök dia dok makang tu bukang mee, Leh, tapi cacing sepinggang,” kata Mat.

Kambing ddembèk dari jauh, daung asang jawa luroh atah ppale Mat. Dia geliak dua tiga kali, napök gelisöh.

“Eh, Lèh, makjong hök mung beri kat aku ning utok apa? Aku rasa pelèk sikik.”

Cik Kalèh ppaling ke rumöh guru besör Gramma Sko, Mister Èzèk, mulok dia senyung, napök gigi mah kkilak.

Cerita ning adalah karangang rèkaang semata-mata dang takdök kena mengena denge ssapa pong sama ada masih hidop, sudöh mati atau pong dok tengöh berasa dök rök.