aku tetak mampuih..

        I was teaching in a village school then, quite far from Kangar. It was my first year fresh from college. There was this new teacher , Hamidah (not her real name )a girl two years my junior teaching in the lower primary, year 2 or 3.
       From the very first day she came to the school I've seen her lost her temper with the pupils.Maklum budak kecik.Ada yang menangis , ada yang duduk diam in one corner tak mau menulis, ada yang asyik keluar pi toilet.tak tau la apa dia buang banyak kali sangat..

      I was walking to the staff-room, Hamidah was in this year two class teaching art. She called me as I passed by.
      "Oi cuba hang tengok budak ni, nak kena dengan aku dah " Her face merah padam.marah sungguh.
      "Awat ? "
      "Aku suruh bawa benda untuk pendidikan seni apa pun dia tak bawa."
      "Apa yang hang suruh depa bawak ?"
      "La, benda nak terap atas kertas lukisan ni,. bawang, kentang, bendi "
      I look at the girl, she did not seem like a bright one.Nampak macam still a toddler, walaupun dah 8 years old.Manja semacam .

      Then she pulled the girl's ear," Hang ada telinga dak ? "
      "Kemarin saya suruh bawa benda untuk buat seni hari ni awat tak bawa." her voice makin tinggi.
      "Lupa..." one word from the girl.

      Pang...satu penampar singgah di pipi. Then she asked again, " pasai apa tak bawa? "
     The girl did not answer.Her face merah kena tampar.
     Pang..once again kena on the same cheek.
     "Oi sudah, sudah.budak kecik oi, jangan la tampar budak macam ni.Ni sekolah kampung oi , nanti orang kampung mai cari hang." I said.started feeling scared looking at the girl's cheek nampak bekas jari 5 atas pipi.maklum pipi budak2 kan lembut..
      
      I did not wait to see more , made my way to the staff-room .Felt so sad for the small girl.Salah sikit biasala budak2.

      It was 1230.noon. masa tu the lower primary went home at 1230.I was going down to my year six class.Parents started coming to take their children.

      Then I saw some parents circling around the girl Hamidah just slapped. Suddenly our senior assistance cikgu Zul, came to me.
     "Maznah, Hamidah mana ? " muka dia kelam kabut.peluk mercik di dahi.
     "Ada dalam bilik guru." I said.
     "Tolong panggil dia turun bawah  .tunggu dekat kereta saya la ni juga."
     I did what I was told.Hamidah turun tergesa-gesa ke belakang sekolah and masuk dalam kereta cikgu Zul.

      I saw the car sped off, laju out of the school compound through the back gate.

      Then I knew why, the mother of the girl balik ambik parang nak tetak Hamidah.The marks on the girl's face masih tak hilang.maklum kejadian baru terjadi.
       A few relatives of the girl mengamuk di sekolah. Ada yang mencantas pokok2 around the staff-room.
       "Kalau cikgu gila tu tak tukaq sekolah esok kami tetak dia.." One young man shouted.
       "Kurang ajaq punya cikgu..salah sikit ja tampaq budak macam nak bunuh orang , kalau aku jumpa mampuih aku tetak "..
       It was the first time I saw such a scene. One lady came to me and said" mana cikgu kurang ajar tu ? "
      I shrugged my shoulders. One lady teacher pulled me into the staff-room.whispering
     " jum masuk bilik guru, jangan tunggu sini, nanti kita yang tak salah pun kena sama."


     The next day Hamidah did not go to school. The kampung folks went to Jabatan Pelajaran Negeri and mengamuk di sana pula. At last the parents menang. Hamidah was transfered immediately to another school.
    
     What I learned from the incident was, orang kampung ni jangan buat main. They can be so thickheaded sometimes. But if you are good to their children.do your work, they can be so kind.Semua benda you will get.Benda kampung la.like vegetables, fruits..sebut saja, esok sampai.Jangan merungut depan budak2 like " ish sedapnya buah mangga  kalau makan dengan garam belacan...esok sampai la mangga penuh plastik for you.

     Teaching budak2 kecik ialah mendidik kanak2 yang suci bersih.Kalau we beat them , ingat anak2 kita, kalau you think anak2 you cannot stand the pain, those children pun sama.Jangan sedap tangan saja nak pukul anak orang, nanti anak you pun will be treated the same.

      To those young teachers out there, kerja dengan jujur, so that when you retire , you retire in style, you are rewarded with those smiles on the small faces, those sad eyes looking at you as you waved goodbye...puas.Being a teacher is indeed a very noble profession if you act like one...

                                  Me in the kampung school that brought a tragedy to Hamidah...