Eons ago… well probably sometime before Raya, I was cooking and Elsa came down with wild, wet hair, fresh from her bath. To tease her, I said, “Is that really my daughter ? Is that my little girl ?” fully intending to add, “Because my daughter usually has her hair neatly combed…”
Didn’t get the chance. Don’t know what came over her, but upon hearing that, she ran to me and enveloped me in a fierce hug (well, she hugged my bottom le… kecik kan…).
“I love you, Mummy… I really do. I really do not love Babah more….” Ha ha…. Lain pulak jadinya. My fault really as I like to draw attention to the fact that she positively worships the ground her father walks on. That much is true.
Aku pun apa lagi, “Ye ke Titi sayang Mummy ? Titi sayang Babah je ….”
“Oh Mummy ! I love you so much, Mummy ! You are my mother and a very good cooker…”
“Cook…” Mummy corrected.
“Cook. I love your cooking Mummy, It is soooo delicious. So I really love you…”
Hmm… Is that all I will be remembered about ? My cooking ? What about my loving touch and patience and grace ? Hehheheheh….
I have often read columnists, especially the British ones, writing about their mother’s grace and poise and smell. They talk about her style and her patience and only sometimes they mention her cooking.
One lady columnist remarked that she loves kissing her mother as Mummy still wears the same perfume and the smell would always invoke the sense of nostalgia of her happy childhood.
I feel the same way about my late Tok Cik. I grew up watching her putting on her makeup after her bath, liquid foundation and mascara afterwards. The liquid foundation has this very lovely powdery smell that I love so much. I love watching her pour some one her very plump palm, rub it with her other palm then applying it all over her face and neck, all the while infusing the whole room with its lovely scent. I saw it on sale once, bedak Tok Cik as I call it. Opened it up, took a whiff and felt so bereft. I cried inside because the smell came with the memory of how she felt when I hugged her and how her cheeks felt on my lips. I also remembered the feel of her baju kurung kedah as my hands encircled her body. I could also see her ears and where all her moles were !
Kelmarin, Elsa was watching me preparing for work and when I reached for my perfume from Britney Spears ( don’t worry… pakai perfume ni tak bermaksud anda akan berjangkit ngan perangai gila-gila dia and mula mencukoq rambut. Perfume ini guna nama dia saja and takdak langsung guna peluh dia…atau apa-apa pun dari badan dia yang boleh mendatangkan bau…), she said, “Mummy, don’t wear that… Wear this… Red Door….” She picked up my Elizabeth Arden perfume and handed it to me.
“Why ?” I asked.
“I like it better when you wear this one, It smells nicer….”
I smiled and thought about my Tok and so I complied.
Janganlah Elizabeth Arden stop production perfume ni lak. Aku pok satgi.
Itu Elsa. Ramadhan baru ni, after my prayers I entered the kitchen and saw Umar sprawled on the sofa, munching on Pringles.
Yumm… I reached for it but Umar informed me, “Dah habis….” I made a face. I wasn’t that disappointed but just made a face anyway. Aku ngan memek muka aku… My English teacher masa I was in form 3 Puan Jamilah once sighed, “Myra… why that face now ?” He he he he he…
Umar I suppose felt guilty. He does love his Mummy kan.
“Is it okay, mummy ?” he asked.
“Yeah… takpelah….” Pouted a bit.
“Are you sure ?” And aku kan kuat mengusik, so I replied with a sigh, “No it is fine. Mummy nak pi Batu Belah Batu Bertangkup je… I think kat situ ada jual lagi kot…”
The effect was immediate. He sprang from his chair and scrambled to the larder. Kelam kabut budak tu bukak almari and looked for food. Kebetulan Babah got some hampers from his clients, and habih semua dia bawak keluaq tunjuk kat kita. One by one tayang depan muka tanya mana yang Mummy mau.
“You want this, Mummy ?”
“This one looks nice….” He said, face bright like trying to entice a baby.
“What about this one ?”
Aku gelak tengok anak aku ni. My baby boy….
“Jomlah kita pegi beli Slurpee…..” Said I…
Didn’t get the chance. Don’t know what came over her, but upon hearing that, she ran to me and enveloped me in a fierce hug (well, she hugged my bottom le… kecik kan…).
“I love you, Mummy… I really do. I really do not love Babah more….” Ha ha…. Lain pulak jadinya. My fault really as I like to draw attention to the fact that she positively worships the ground her father walks on. That much is true.
Aku pun apa lagi, “Ye ke Titi sayang Mummy ? Titi sayang Babah je ….”
“Oh Mummy ! I love you so much, Mummy ! You are my mother and a very good cooker…”
“Cook…” Mummy corrected.
“Cook. I love your cooking Mummy, It is soooo delicious. So I really love you…”
Hmm… Is that all I will be remembered about ? My cooking ? What about my loving touch and patience and grace ? Hehheheheh….
I have often read columnists, especially the British ones, writing about their mother’s grace and poise and smell. They talk about her style and her patience and only sometimes they mention her cooking.
One lady columnist remarked that she loves kissing her mother as Mummy still wears the same perfume and the smell would always invoke the sense of nostalgia of her happy childhood.
I feel the same way about my late Tok Cik. I grew up watching her putting on her makeup after her bath, liquid foundation and mascara afterwards. The liquid foundation has this very lovely powdery smell that I love so much. I love watching her pour some one her very plump palm, rub it with her other palm then applying it all over her face and neck, all the while infusing the whole room with its lovely scent. I saw it on sale once, bedak Tok Cik as I call it. Opened it up, took a whiff and felt so bereft. I cried inside because the smell came with the memory of how she felt when I hugged her and how her cheeks felt on my lips. I also remembered the feel of her baju kurung kedah as my hands encircled her body. I could also see her ears and where all her moles were !
Kelmarin, Elsa was watching me preparing for work and when I reached for my perfume from Britney Spears ( don’t worry… pakai perfume ni tak bermaksud anda akan berjangkit ngan perangai gila-gila dia and mula mencukoq rambut. Perfume ini guna nama dia saja and takdak langsung guna peluh dia…atau apa-apa pun dari badan dia yang boleh mendatangkan bau…), she said, “Mummy, don’t wear that… Wear this… Red Door….” She picked up my Elizabeth Arden perfume and handed it to me.
“Why ?” I asked.
“I like it better when you wear this one, It smells nicer….”
I smiled and thought about my Tok and so I complied.
Janganlah Elizabeth Arden stop production perfume ni lak. Aku pok satgi.
Itu Elsa. Ramadhan baru ni, after my prayers I entered the kitchen and saw Umar sprawled on the sofa, munching on Pringles.
Yumm… I reached for it but Umar informed me, “Dah habis….” I made a face. I wasn’t that disappointed but just made a face anyway. Aku ngan memek muka aku… My English teacher masa I was in form 3 Puan Jamilah once sighed, “Myra… why that face now ?” He he he he he…
Umar I suppose felt guilty. He does love his Mummy kan.
“Is it okay, mummy ?” he asked.
“Yeah… takpelah….” Pouted a bit.
“Are you sure ?” And aku kan kuat mengusik, so I replied with a sigh, “No it is fine. Mummy nak pi Batu Belah Batu Bertangkup je… I think kat situ ada jual lagi kot…”
The effect was immediate. He sprang from his chair and scrambled to the larder. Kelam kabut budak tu bukak almari and looked for food. Kebetulan Babah got some hampers from his clients, and habih semua dia bawak keluaq tunjuk kat kita. One by one tayang depan muka tanya mana yang Mummy mau.
“You want this, Mummy ?”
“This one looks nice….” He said, face bright like trying to entice a baby.
“What about this one ?”
Aku gelak tengok anak aku ni. My baby boy….
“Jomlah kita pegi beli Slurpee…..” Said I…
2 comments:
Hi there!
I was re-reading my old posts and I stumbled upon your comment in which...
I tak sedar langsung!
Don't know if you still remember commenting on my post cuz it was back in June and it's already mid-october now...
Huhu.
Anyway, thank you so very much for the well wishes!
:)
Hello there ! I do remember and now I am glad you dropped a line here because I have forgotten how to get to your blog again !
Ha ha... silly me.
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