The K-O-C-I monster

This is Bibik Ana. She is my maid who has been working for me almost two years now. I have always told her she is my first maid ever working for me and she will be my last one. She loves to cook. If given the opportunity, she will cook almost everything she knows. Spicy dishes, all kinds of noodles recipes, cakes, doughnuts, curry puffs, chicken rice, etc..etc..etc... Just put the raw ingredients in front of her, she'll tranform them into something delicious. Hmmm...Not bad for an Indonesian maid. Not bad at all....





But then one evening, when I came home from work, my son rushed to the door to greet me and also to whisper an unexpected message,


"Ibu, bibik buat kuih koci hari ni. Pergi la tengok kat dapur"


Having said that, he gave me a wide smile and then ran upstairs. Hmm... that's weird! What's so funny about "kuih koci"? So I went straight to the kitchen and have a check on the dining table. WOW! What have we here?

Gosh! What are these? Are these KOCI? How come they look more like LEPAT?

Feeling curious, I took one of the koci and peeled open the banana leaf covering it. Soooooo greeeeeen!!!!!! Yikes! It did not look edible at all! This is the first time I saw a green koci in my life! Perhaps it's related to the family of the famous incredible hulk. Or perhaps Bibik Ana is revolting against my choice of colour for her dress I bought her during the recent Eid Mubarak celebration (I bought her a red baju kurung that looks 96% similar to the one I bought last year). Oppss...that's me being forgetful..!

And so an interrogation process was carried out on her new controversial invention. She confessed that that was the first time she made koci in her entire life and that she did not actually know the exact ingredient required to make one. She found the green colouring in the refrigerator and carelessly pour excessive amount of the liquid in the ingredient mix and then regretted it and prayed hard that it will not make the taste of the koci bitter.

Nevertheless, the taste was as nice as any other koci sold outside at the stalls. Huhu....! Weird koci... Green, big, square-shaped koci! Not bad at all....

I love you too...

Aliya has been so stubborn today. What got into her, I don't know but she just refused to listen to what I said to her. Instead, she purposely tested my patience by saying something that raised my temper. It was then too late when I realised that I was actually screaming and hitting her hard with the cane in my hand.

Having done that, I marched into my room and closed the door behind me. It took me some times to ponder on what had just happened. It was terribly disturbing to see the child enduring the amount of pain on her body without even twitching. That was so daring of her.

Suddenly a piece of paper appeared from under the door. It was for me. I took it and unfold it. From the neatness of the hand writing I know who sent the note. It read....

I hate you

I closed my eyes. There must be something wrong with the way I teach this child that she has the courage to write such words to me. I felt sad, defeated, worn out, beaten, angry, frustrated. For all that happened just now, I only have myself to blame. If I want to be a good mother, then I should act like one. There must be a proper way of educating all of my children, Aliya especially, without having to hurt each other's feelings. I need to rectify this. Immediately!

I came out of my room with the note in my hand, just to find out that Aliya had shut herself in her room too. Grabbed a pen, I sat down at the study table and drew a line underneath her message. A line lower I wrote this...

But I never hated you. I love you so much.

I pushed the paper under her door and waited patiently. A few moments later I saw her silhouette behind the door, picking up the paper. It was silent for a long time before the door creaked open and Aliya standing in front of me. She was crying quietly.

Seeing her that way made my heart melt. Not long after that Aliya was in my arms, sobbing out her sadness. That is my six year old daughter regretting what she had done to me and repeatedly asking for my forgiveness. How else could I refuse her? She's my baby.

Don't cry my precious one. I am sorry for being so inconsiderate and selfish. I promise I will change. I'll be by your side everytime you need me and protect you with all my strength. Hush now. No more tears. Yes dear, I love you so much ...

Stop bothering me!

~Prologue~

I have always hated lizards in the house.

.......cet... cet.... cet....cet...cet......

The sound iritates me everytime I hear it.

.....cet....cet....cet......

Damn! You make another one more sound, I'll hunt you down! The pencil in my hand broke into two pieces. I made a big hole in the paper I was writing with the pencil.

Silent.

Good. You understand.

Let me concentrate with my work. Now, where did I keep my other pencil...... oh! here it is! OK, where was I? Oh ya! Now I remember.... The value relevance of information of intangible assets in the financial reports.....

.....cet...cet.....cet...cet....cet.......

Arrrgghhhh!!!! That's it! You are so in deep shit now!!!

I went downstairs to get several rubber bands in the kitchen. Fold some papers till the size of a finger. That will do it. My slingshot! I am going hunting for lizards. Saw one at the corner of the ceiling in the living room. Took my aim. Inhale. Let go.


Bullseyes! The lizard fell down onto the floor and tried to escape. Unfortunate, for I was ready to hit it with the broom in my hand. Too bad. Had it not made that iritating sound, it might still be able to go smooching every Tom, Dick and Harry of its own kind up there on the ceiling.

Goodbye! To the sightseers, don't mess up with me!

I hate lizards!