Serve her right..

   

     The sky looked dark. In a short time there would be a heavy downpour I thought.Hastily I made my way to the market. Walked past a few stalls.Grinned and smiled at the sellers there ( dah jadi kawan most of them, maklum everyday pi market now )..
      Fish was scarce today. Maybe sebab ribut kerap sangat kut.And the fishermen tak dapat ke laut. Ingat nak buat laksa hari ni.Tengok ikan pun tak da ..bihun laksa dah rendam sejak semalam lagi.I have to look for ikan selayang sedap for the kuah. Tak da pulak.jumpa ikan kembong.tu pun ada hanya 2 kilo saja.someone grabbed one kilo, I grabbed the last one.At least jadilah..buat pelepas teringin..
      Next for the ulam, picked up serba sikit, then to the last stall for daun putat. Pucuk putat ni memang paling sesuai for laksa.And there is this pak cik's stall who sells all ulam kampung .
     He was attending to a lady I knew too well. Dulu masa rajin ke salon rambut , this Chinese lady was the only good one in Kangar. Never expect to see her here after all these years.
     "Boleh la, kurang sikit dua kupang " She pleaded.
     "La kalau kurang dua kupang saya nak boleh apa.Harga 5 kupang minta kurang sampai 2 kupang.Susah la macam ni nyonya." Pak cik gerai dah fed up.
     " Ala cincai la. Ni semua you pi kutip belakang rumah saja.." She continued.

     Pak cik gerai saw me and said  " Adoi teruk saya macam ni " ..
     Lastly she got what she wanted and left.

      My mind wondered back to those years when I was her regular weekly customer at her saloon.Cuci rambut, steam, treatment lagi.Banyak juga duit I masuk poket nyonya ni..
      One thin fragile looking Chinese girl was her helper then.The girl was quite young , maybe around sixteen or fifteen years old.Everytime I went there I jadi saksi si nyonya ni memaki hamun the girl.Once I saw the girl crying while doing her work.

      I whispered to her " Pi la cari kerja lain, buat apa tiap2 hari tahan diri kena maki dengan dia "
      " Tak boleh kak, saya punya mak suruh training sini, saya orang susah, saya punya bapa jual sayur di Kaki Bukit, saya mau buka kedai rambut macam ni ."

     "Saya sedih tengok kamu hari2 kena maki dengan dia."

     " Tak pa, dalam satu tahun lagi saya nak berhenti dah "
     "Satu tahun you nak tahan maki dia ..adoi..." 
      So sad to look at the girl's thin fingers combing my hair, while her face menahan caci maki nyonya yang dah tak tau malu walaupun di perhatikan oleh customers lain.

       I stopped going to her saloon soon after that, when I found another saloon just as good.Walau kurang baik pun tak apa asal tak tengok kezaliman di depan mata.

       Pak cik gerai turned to me. " Cik tau hari2 macam ni, minta tawar yang bukan2. Ulam2 ni berapa duit la sangat.selagi tak dapat harga dia nak , macam tu la dia .Semua yang jual di market ni dah tau perangai dia."

       I got my pucuk putat , sedap la laksa nanti.bila add timun , daun selom,telur rebus, bawang besar, limau kasturi  and cili padi.

      Ditepi tangga market, I saw nyonya rambut tengah pegang slipper jepun dia .
      " Awat xxxx, slipper you putus ka ? "

    She looked at me.No recognition in her eyes. " Ha , tali dia putus , haiya, macam mana mau jalan macam ni. Saya punya kereta sana nu "

     She pointed to her car.Memang jauh pun.

     Today I memang kejam gila. I did not offer any help. I left her dengan muka dia dok pikir what to do next. Biaq pi kat hang.

     In  my head masih terbayang muka budak Cina kurus yang dia maki2 dulu....Serve her right..
     When I drove passed her, she was still holding her slipper in one hand and her ulam in another...ha ha...Tuhan itu satu..


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