By: Hafiz Jasri
It was raining heavily that night. But nevermind, the old midwife already prepared since maghrib to deliver the baby from its heavily pregnant mother. After half an hour the mom is fighting with life and dead, 10 p.m 12 March 1995, a tiny boy weight arround 1.5 kilogram was born. Both were safe. The boy was later named Razila, the first child of Abdullah, a local farmer in Selama, Perak.
Live in peaceful countryside, far from the center of the city. To be precise, they live in an obsolete hut in a wide palm plantation. It seem like an absolute discomfort place to live for some people, but here Abdullah manage to live happily with his wife and three children.
For Razila, or else known as Razael. Living in the “jungle” is an opportunity for him to learn about the nature and its variety of wildlife because wild animal often visit them regularly. Sometimes there is a group of monkeys break into his cribs, sometimes there is a herd of pigs hanging in their lawn and sometimes, there is a dangerous reptiles that caught Razael attentions which is snakes.
Snakes is an animal that scares many people. They were afraid by many not just for their disgusting worm look but because some of them is deadly that their venom can caused death if it was not treated fast.
The diversity of the snakes attracted Raz to learn more about them. Since then, he manage to caught several types of it including venomous and non-venomous snakes that break into his house. It is undoubtedly intimidating animal, but for him, the creatures have right to live too. Thus, Instead of killing them upon their encounter, he kept them for future references.
He have the knowledge about the snakes, but for him, it is not enough. Later he joined a course how to handle the exotic animal for three straight month located far from his village at Melaka. Since then, he gained more knowledge and have the courage to held a forum around his hometown.
Invited by many organizations to give a talk how to handle this exotic creature, he gained a massive popularity and were known in his hometown and several neighbouring villages. He decided to continue giving talk to the public in order to increase awareness among them.
To held a show, he need to train himself how to handle the snakes. The reptiles have its own moods and it is his job to determine how to handle the snakes at that time. One faithful gloomy night, when he was training with his King Cobra, he was bitten. It was only a mere second when he was talking with his partner. All of the sudden, The King got his finger. Finger is only a small part of the body. But the venom spread all over the body through the blood caused the blood to thicken and coagulated in the blood vessel.
Situations became jeopardize when there is only him with his friend during the faithful night. But luckily, they both knew what to do if they were in that desperate situations. Raz was sent to the local hospital that only half a miles away from his homes. But thing are not going accordingly to their plan.
They thought their misery will ended once they reached the hospital. But no. Hopes and dream were crushed that night. The hospital does not have the anti-venom for the King’s bite. Therefore, he need to be transferred to state hospital which is in Taiping that is one hour car’s ride from Selama if the road’s traffic is not heavy.
Every seconds counted. Every minutes, the venom spread further into his body. His left arm are getting dark pitch blue as it is swollen. As they reach Taiping Hospital, Raz lost his consciousness. Numerous anti-venom were injected, nothing else can be done. It is 50/50 situation whether there is still tomorrow for him or tahlil feast that night.
He fought a good fight with the death. After three days being in coma, he opened his eyes infront of his parents who wait in agony for this moment. The first sentence he uttered was; “what happened to the snakes who bit him?”. They both sighted.
Before he was sent to the hospital. He manage to stored the King back into its closure. He afraid that his family will kill the King as he knew that it was his mistakes, not the King. It deserve to be left alive and let this incident be as a lesson to him.
People around him especially his family forbid him to continue his passion. But being deeply interested in this hobby made him obligated to continue what he have started; to educate society. He never feared the snakes. Only mutual understanding between them.
His finger were left boneless when doctor need to remove his bone due to venom’s infections. Now, his finger seem to “hanging” around his hand like a strawberry hanging around its tree. It is only a small part of the body lost compared to losing his own life. He felt grateful.
Now, he work as a firefighter and hold the position as a leader of Wild and Venomous Animal Division at Serdang’s fire stations. He have never regrets sorrowful things that had happened to him, as for him, this is a valuable experience that will make him gain more knowledge in future. Obligated to educate the public, he still conducting public shows around his neighbourhood.
Survived from the King’s venom have gotten him a new nick name. Which is; The King of the King. This is not just a story about the snakes lover, nor do it is just about a boy who live in the countryside. This is the story of a King who survived the snakes handler nighmare. This is Razael.
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