“Mummy… your next birthday kan I will buy you a car….” Said my son last Thursday.
“Ye ke ? That is nice…”
“I will have 2 bags of money ready. Your car is 10 thousand kan so I will get a bag and put 10 thousand ringgit in the bag… full of money tau…” His face was very animated. Berangan.
“I will get Babah a 10 million car…” cess Babah punya 10 million Mummy punya 10 thousand je ?
“So I will get another bag to put 10 million in it… erm… a heavier bag, with a big ribbon… Then I take the 2 bags full of money and pegi beli kereta for you and Babah…”
“That is nice… but where are you going to get the money ?” I asked.
“Hmm…. That is a good point….” He said thoughtfully. He was quiet.
Then…”Semalam kan Mummy I found a 1 penny (1 sen) coin !” He announced happily.
1 sen….
“Um…. You want to buy Babah a 10 million car kan ? You right now have 1 sen. You still need 9 million 9 hundred and 99 thousand, 9 hundred and 99 ringgit and 99 sen to make 10 million !”
He looked shocked. Tak pegi sekolah ke ?
“Say it again, Mum..”
I repeated.
“Whoa… that’s a lot.”
“Exactly.”
“Where is my duit raya ?” He asked, hand rubbing his chin.
“Your duit raya is only 2 ribu Umar. You still need 9 million 9 hundred and 98 thousand !’
He winced. He heh…
“Then if I want to buy your car ?” He is very persistant….
“Okay, you still need 8 thousand … but what car can you buy with 8 thousand ? This stupid Gen-2 is 65 thousand ….”
“That is a lot, Mum……” He said. Kesian pulak.
“Then Mummy, I cannot get you a car this year. Maybe your next, next birthday or even the one after the next, next…..”
“Umar….” I said gently. “You might afford to buy me a car when you are over 30….”
“That is a long time !”
“Yes it is… You wouldn’t even know if I would still be around then…..”
“Mummy….. people usually die when they are 70 right ?”
“No… people can die anytime, sweetheart… A friend of mine right, her brother died when he was 3…”
“Three !!” He shouted, horrified. “But why ?”
“Cancer….” I answered.
“Does that mean he died?”
“Ermmm… yes….”
“That is so rude. Saying people die as cancel… Like you cancel a tv programme…” He fumed, shaking his head.
I was shocked.
“Cancel ? Not cancel. CANCER.. with an R ….It’s a name of a disease.”
He laughed. “Oh, I thought you said cancel…. Like canceling something….”
He he… aku tergelak sampai sekarang.
“Ye ke ? That is nice…”
“I will have 2 bags of money ready. Your car is 10 thousand kan so I will get a bag and put 10 thousand ringgit in the bag… full of money tau…” His face was very animated. Berangan.
“I will get Babah a 10 million car…” cess Babah punya 10 million Mummy punya 10 thousand je ?
“So I will get another bag to put 10 million in it… erm… a heavier bag, with a big ribbon… Then I take the 2 bags full of money and pegi beli kereta for you and Babah…”
“That is nice… but where are you going to get the money ?” I asked.
“Hmm…. That is a good point….” He said thoughtfully. He was quiet.
Then…”Semalam kan Mummy I found a 1 penny (1 sen) coin !” He announced happily.
1 sen….
“Um…. You want to buy Babah a 10 million car kan ? You right now have 1 sen. You still need 9 million 9 hundred and 99 thousand, 9 hundred and 99 ringgit and 99 sen to make 10 million !”
He looked shocked. Tak pegi sekolah ke ?
“Say it again, Mum..”
I repeated.
“Whoa… that’s a lot.”
“Exactly.”
“Where is my duit raya ?” He asked, hand rubbing his chin.
“Your duit raya is only 2 ribu Umar. You still need 9 million 9 hundred and 98 thousand !’
He winced. He heh…
“Then if I want to buy your car ?” He is very persistant….
“Okay, you still need 8 thousand … but what car can you buy with 8 thousand ? This stupid Gen-2 is 65 thousand ….”
“That is a lot, Mum……” He said. Kesian pulak.
“Then Mummy, I cannot get you a car this year. Maybe your next, next birthday or even the one after the next, next…..”
“Umar….” I said gently. “You might afford to buy me a car when you are over 30….”
“That is a long time !”
“Yes it is… You wouldn’t even know if I would still be around then…..”
“Mummy….. people usually die when they are 70 right ?”
“No… people can die anytime, sweetheart… A friend of mine right, her brother died when he was 3…”
“Three !!” He shouted, horrified. “But why ?”
“Cancer….” I answered.
“Does that mean he died?”
“Ermmm… yes….”
“That is so rude. Saying people die as cancel… Like you cancel a tv programme…” He fumed, shaking his head.
I was shocked.
“Cancel ? Not cancel. CANCER.. with an R ….It’s a name of a disease.”
He laughed. “Oh, I thought you said cancel…. Like canceling something….”
He he… aku tergelak sampai sekarang.
