BY FITRI JAMARI
We were excited to run away from the vagabond woman after she had suddenly acted violently and started screaming in a loud tone as she pulled out abusive words to make the people around us cross the road looking with a sharp and unhappy look . Some whispered to each other as they looked at us and some were just passing by ignoring what was happening.
A few hours before the incident.
The clock in the hand had pointed the needle at 8.40 minutes. But I and one of our group members, Sharmila who joined this mission are still in the LRT to go to the promised place. The congestion during the LRT made us both delayed and had to give way to other passengers to enter and enter LRT.
Our stop by stop.
The density and agitation of passengers in LRT made us both lost focus to hear instructions from LRT operators. Unknowingly, we've gone far away from the desired stop. We decided to leave the LRT and wait for another LRT to arrive.
The anxiety began to arise in our hearts when we passed almost 1 and a half hours to the promised place due to the negligence of both of us. Our call-to-call calls received from other members of our group reinforce their concerns. Wrong feelings come about. Maybe they've been waiting for a long time there.
As we arrived at Setiawangsa stop, we both hurried to leave LRT and headed to the parking lot. Without wasting time, we continued to break into a saga proton car belonging to one of our group members who had been waiting for a long time to leave.
"Why late? Do not you know what we were waiting for? You ride the train right,?"
The question of sarcasm came from the mouth of Syafiqah, the owner of the vehicle.
"Sorry Syaf, we are lost. It's the first time the LRT is up. We do not clarify the people who have to train the train to Setiawangsa again. Do not get mad. Sorry okay,? "
Mila replied just fine. Perhaps Mila does not start a quarrel with Syafiqah let alone we both ride her car. One of our friends who waited with Syafiqah since then just laughed at our behavior.
When we arrived at the Kuala Lumpur Flyer Transit Center (PGT), we found three other members of our group to meet Mr. Amir, who was responsible for managing this transit center.
"You guys have come to get permission to not? Or just play it? Because I did not receive any news from Miss Rebecca about you to come here for a vagabond interview. You sent email to Ms. Rebecca? "
Question by questions that came from Mr Amir's mouth made us look at each other, while we were emailing Miss Rebecca to ask before our date here.
"But we have sent, Mr. Amir. We do not want to get involved, we follow all the procedures that Miss Rebecca told us. "
Answer Azlan, one of our group members. But Mr Amir just shook his head and told us to leave immediately.
After leaving there, seven of us finally decided to go to Chow Kit Street. When we arrived, we needed to walk a little to find the bums there. On the way we crossed a woman who was sleeping in front of a shop. In terms of use, like a bum.
Without hesitation, Mila immediately greeted her by giving her a loaf of bread that had been bought during the journey. The woman seemed to be indifferent to receiving the gift from Mila. Then the woman got up from her bed and continued to stretch out her hand. Mila and I hurried, Mila and Shaf greeted her hand to shake hands.
"Call me Puteri".
The woman said with a cynical smile looking at the three of us. We felt something was wrong, but just nodded a sign.
“Boleh saya interview mak cik? Ini untuk assignment saya. Saya pelajar dari Universiti Selangor, ada beberapa soalan ingin saya tujukan, boleh mak cik,?”
Mila's question to the woman. The woman's face ripple suddenly turned furious. He continues to grapple us with abusive words.
“Kalau nak interview pergi lah dekat radio ke tv ke, buat apa jumpa aku? Bodoh tiada otak, Pergi berambus! Aku ingat kau nak bagi aku duit, setakat bagi roti, aku boleh beli sendiri lah. Haishh tak guna kau ni! Bodoh!”
We were surprised and awkward leaving the woman alone. But she continued to curse us without stopping even though we were far behind.
After leaving the woman, we finally arrived at Chow Kit. Each one split up to find a homeless for the interview. I watched a woman who was playing with a child. I was attracted by the behavior of the woman, and began to rebuke her.
“Akak, sudah makan ke belum? Kalau saya beri akak roti, akak nak tak,?”
The woman seemed touched and just nodded the sign.
“Sebenarnya, niat saya kesini untuk menyiapkan sedikit assignment. Saya pelajar dari Universiti Selangor. Kalau akak tidak keberatan boleh saya interview akak sebentar?”
I started my question to see the woman's reaction.
“Oh, boleh sahaja dik. Akak pun sudah lama tidak di interview ni,”
The woman replies to my question with a small laugh.
“Nama akak apa ya? Umur dan juga sudah berkahwin,?”
I ask the question in rushed because my watch is about 11.30 pm. It's already late!.
“Nama akak Lia. Umur 26 tahun dan sudah berkahwin. Kenapa kelam kabut sangat ni? Akak belum nak tidur lagi lah. Akak tengah tunggu suami akak balik dari kerja ni”.
Reply to that woman while looking at me with a sad eye when mentioning the words of a husband. I keep going for the next question.
“Maaf akak kalau soalan saya ni agak sensitif, nama suami akak apa? asal dari mana dan kerja apa,?”
“Nama dia Rahim, asal dari Sumatera, Indonesia dan bekerja biasa-biasa sahaja,”
This woman's answer to her husband's work made me wonder. Perhaps she was ashamed to tell her about her husband's work.
“Tadi saya ada ternampak akak bermain dengan seorang budak perempuan, anak akak ke tu,?”
“Ha ah anak akak tu. Umur dia sudah 6 tahun. Tapi dia anak kedua akak. Anak pertama akak bagi orang jaga. Akak terpaksa dik. Akak nak dia bersekolah, biar dia ada pendidikan, biar dia pandai. Nanti dah besar, tak mudah kena tipu dengan orang. Yelah akak kan duduk dekat tepi-tepi jalan, mana mampu nak jaga apatah lagi nak sekolahkan dia. Orang yang jaga anak akak tu selalu datang sini bawa dia melawat akak. Belikan keperluan akak sekeluarga. Dan dia tak pernah ajar anak akak supaya lupakan akak ni mak dia. Pernah juga ada orang nak cuba ambil anak akak yang nombor dua tu, tapi akak tak bagi sebab dia nak ambil terus tak nak pulang kan. Dia paksa-paksa akak, tapi akak merayu dekat dia jangan ambil, dia boleh maki-maki cakap akak tak sayang anak, tidak ada otak lah apa lah. Akak diamkan saja. Walaupun akak ni tiada rumah, hidup pun harapkan belas kasihan orang, makan pun orang yang beri tapi akak sayang anak-anak akak,”
The length of the answer given by the woman even though I did not ask. Maybe she's comfortable talking to me. Scattered his eyes when she talked about the fate of his life. I can only hear.
“Akak ni asal orang sini saja, Gombak. Tapi disebabkan akak berkahwin dengan orang seberang, family akak halau akak sehelai sepinggang. Family akak ni boleh dikatakan orang senang juga, ada rumah banglo, kereta 5 biji, ada maid lagi. Mungkin mak ayah akak malu akak kahwin dengan orang seberang. Kad pengenalan, kad kredit, duit akak semua mak ayah akak ambil. Akak rasa dah macam pendatang asing. Bila polis datang, cepat-cepat akak sembunyi. Sedangkan akak orang Malaysia. Pernah akak kerja sebagai cleaner, bila tiba hujung bulan akak tidak diberikan gaji. Alasannya, akak ni tiada kad pengenalan, pendatang asing tiada passport. Menangis akak masa tu. Ditipu hidup-hidup dengan bangsa sendiri. Nak buat macam mana dah nasib akak kan. Dah lah kena buang keluarga, lepas itu di cop sebagai pendatang asing. Tapi akak redha apatah bila ada sesetengah masyarakat cakap orang yang macam akak ni yang duduk tepi jalan sampah masyarakat, kotorkan pandangan bila pelancong datang, pemalas nak kerja, tahu tunggu orang beri makanan sahaja. Biarlah mereka nak kata apa, mereka tak rasa apa yang akak rasa. Mereka tidak tahu pekara sebenar, hanya tahu menilai dari luar saja,”
The woman bowed to her after telling her story about her life. I was only able to hear, as if to understand the situation.
After asking for permission to go home, I asked for some advice from her. The woman just said,
“Jadilah orang yang berjaya dan berguna untuk diri, keluarga dan masyarakat. Jangan terlalu percayakan orang lain walaupun bangsa sendiri sebab bangsa kita terkenal dengan hasat dengki. Semoga Berjaya ya adik."
Just briefly advise her. Smiling I heard the words out of the mouth of this woman. After a ride home, I just kept quiet. Thinking for a moment about what the woman wanted to say.
Although life as a homeless is often humiliated, it's being banished from society but the spirit of their life is really strong.
They are still a worthy human being to live like other people. Living happy with their family. Living happy with the people they love. It is not their fault if their destiny is not as desired. Maybe all this is just a test.
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