Alice didn’t speak to me that morning. I so very badly wanted to tell her I am sorry. But I just couldn’t do it. The way I grabbed her bag kept playing in my mind over and over. I shouldn’t have done it. I should have told Jessy that I know Alice very well. She would never steal anything. Why didn’t I stand by my one and only best friend?
The third period that morning was Maths. Jessy got up to collect the homework books from all the students. When Jasmine handed her home work book, something fell down from the book. I saw Jessy looking at the floor stunned and I looked where Jessy was looking. The missing pink eraser was lying on the floor. It was inside Jasmine’s work book all the while. Nobody stole the eraser.
“That is my eraser”. Jasmine said.
Shamelessly she got up from her desk and went to pick it up from the floor.
She shrugged her shoulder and said
“I must have left it in the work book after correcting the mistakes last night. Sorry Alice. I thought you might have taken it, because you said it was a nice eraser when you borrowed it the other day!”
When the bell rang for lunch interval, I watched Alice walking towards the cassurina tree near the boarding school. She didn’t eat lunch and I also didn’t want to eat. I followed her and sat next to her.
“I am sorry for hurting you Alice”
She didn’t respond. She stared at the space infront of her.
“Why didn’t you want anyone to see what is in your bag Alice?”
Tears were flowing down her cheeks and I desperately wanted her to stop crying.
” Alice, please don’t cry. I didn’t ask that to make you cry.”
She pretended that she didn’t hear me.
I didn’t know what to do. Suddenly I had a brilliant idea. Whenever my grandmother was grumpy, my grandfather would sing P. Ramlee songs to make her laugh.
I started singing P. Ramlee’s “barang yang lepas jangan dikenang“. When I reached the ‘oooo’ chorus Alice started to laugh. She wiped the tears with her hands and said
“Stop! You are a lousy singer, you will scare all the crows sitting on the tree!”
“I know, but I made you laugh isn’t it?, so it is ok”
“What song was that? Is it a Malaysian song?” Alice asked me
“Hmm, it is a Malay song, sung by P. Ramlee”
“Who is P. Ramlee?” She asked me
I tried to think of the best way to tell her who is P. Ramlee. What do I say, when I have only seen him in movies, but like every Malaysian I adore him? My grandfather says P. Ramlee is a true Malaysian icon.
I looked at Alice and told her
“P. Ramlee is all of Prem Naseer, Adoor Basi, Shankaradi and Yesudas in one person. When I was little, my grandfather used to take me to P. Ramlee movies. One moment you will be laughing seeing all his antics and the next moment you will be crying, when he sings all the sad songs. I love to watch P.Ramlee movies!”
“Will you go back to Malaysia, Nina?”
“Of course I will. That is my home!”
“What about your family?”
“Don’t know. I think Amma like India better. Even if she doesn’t go back, I will go back.”
” I will miss you” Alice replied
“We can always write letters. You can come and visit me.”
“Do I have to come in a plane?”
“Ofcourse”
“How does it feel flying in a plane Nina?”
“it feels nothing. It is boring. You sit and sit and sit. If the air hostess is nice, she will give you paper and crayons, then you can colour.”
“She gives free crayons?”
“yes she does”
“Nina, will you save some crayons and give them to me the next time you go in the plane?”
“Of course I will”
“Thank you Nina, you are a good friend. Do you know why I didn’t let anyone open my school bag this morning?”
“No”. I shook my head
“I didn’t bring rice for lunch today. We only had banana at home and my mother boiled one and gave me half and my sister took the other half. I was hungry this morning, So I thought I will take a small bite, that is when jessy walked in to the class and I quickly closed my lunch box and kept it inside the bag. I didn’t want anyone to know that I brought banana for lunch. You know how Jessy and everyone will laugh at me, if I don’t bring rice for lunch?”
“Why didn’t you tell me, you had no lunch. You could always share my rice.”
“No Nina, I can’t. If Jessy and her gang see me sharing your food, Then they will say that I am beggar. See this morning they said my father is a bad person.
Nina, my father was a good person. His own cousin(brother) stabbed him, because he wanted my father’s share of the property. I have a crazy family Nina”
“Oh No you don’t. My family is even more crazier”
“Really?”
“Really!.”
Tan Sri P. Ramlee
“join me as I go down the memory lane.”
I think I will! I enjoyed reading your posts. It’s a very interesting story told well. It’s like sitting and talking to a friend. Keep blogging!
“Lupakanlah semua yang lalu
Tidak kan nanti kembali lagi
Barang yang lepas hai jangan dikenang Kalau dikenang meracunlah diri.”
If you will excuse my language.
long ago I heard somewhere, “every family is dysfunctional in its own way.”
I think it’s true.
How sweet! Life is so uncomplicated as children. Alice must have had a tough time growing up in that school.
There is a story behind every sad face.. story behind every truth untold.. a story behind a bag not opened.. a story behing every half of a boiled banana..
P.S: – Its incredibly sweet that ur grandfather used to sing to ur grandmama to pacify her..
🙂
..Me
so emotional..
will try to listen to that song 🙂
Children can be so terribly cruel!! Alice was fortunate to have you as friend …
You tell that so beautifully … so life-like!
Thanks so much for sharing!!
Jac – next time I will comment on your blog in German .. ha-ha!!
every family has its own troubles and trials
so sad for Alice. But children say cruel things and it hurts.I am glad Alice and YOu remained best friends.Are you in contact with her now.
Glad that you apologized to your friend.
Sarah, I came here from Jac`s blog and I must say I am glad I did. You have a way of writing that made me feel like I was sitting there with you both under that tree. Memories, some great, some not so great, they are what makes us who were are today.
Hi Sarah. Your posts have become an integral part of my life.I have known you through your posts. And its been such a pleasure. Wishing you a very happy freindship day. Your post about Alice couldnt have been timed better.
it is so nice to see nina and alice be great friends again after that brief mistrust. no better message on the friendship day.
Ah!everyone has a crazy uncle in their family.I confess my family has only crazy uncles.Sometimes I even pray they go to hell for all the harm they cause.I know I shouldn’t but I feel I would be happier without them around.
I like the friendship you share with Alice.It’s innocent and pure.Alice is a lovely child.
Happy friendship Day ,Sarah.Am glad I met someone like you on the blog.I come here like an addiction.
to tell her who is P. Ramlee. What do I say, when I have only seen him in movies, but like every Malaysian I adore him? My grandfather says P. Ramlee is a true Malaysian icon.
I looked at Alice and told her
—- ah how true 😉 i can still laugh seeing bujang lapuk 😉
annaku sazali was one of the saddest songs
how romantic of ur granpa singing to gran 😉
yeah all families have crazy stories
reality is stranger than fiction they say
Twisted Dna: Thank you for visitng my blog.. and yes..join me in my journey..down the memory lane!
jac: it is a beautiful song eh?? He sung quiet a few good songs
Neihal: Everyone has a story to tell… everyone..
Silverine: Oh yes, she did.. somehow children can be cruel to those who don’t confirm to their standards
Rose: I sing to my kids too… son’t know why I do it.. but it makes me happy..and what u said is true about the story behind a half a banana!
Rocksea: It is emotional..sometimes when I see my kids wasting their crayola crayons, I think about Alice and how she wished for a packet of ‘free’ crayons
I love Munich: We are all lucky to have good friends.. and yes please comment in German in jac’s blog!!!!!
Thanu: agree fully
Starry: I don’t know where she is now.. When i left India, I lost contact with all my friends.. I did go back to Kottayam to find her.. but they have moved from their old house..
Shankari:I did apologize..but the burden still remaines.. sometimes even apologies won’t take away that pain within you!
dotM: Thank you for visiting my blog.. I read in Arjun’s( the link is after Neihal’s comment) blog, “if one moment of our past were to change, we would be someone else!”.. That is so true..our experiences make us unique
neihal: I wish you a very happy friendship day.. I am sure My grandmother is smiling..
Maya: Greed and ego.. two things that destroys all tht we hold precious.. and our uncles are epitome of both..eh?
Visithra: I wait for Raya.. so I can watch Ramlee movies.. I still adore him..
Currently I am missing Shiela majid’s “Cinta Aku”
I even miss the balik kampong song!..
so right..greed and ego…that’s all most our communities are based upon…sadly
ah sudirman 😉
the both of them were truly msian favs
i think u can find the songs online
i hope alice will read this one day..or even her kids!…