NoktahHitam is my alter ego. I am a nocturnal Web Developer at 
I was having a long talk with a friend, a sales person came from behind.
“Anak nak kerepek?”
Without looking, I lifted my hand and gently said that I’m not interested. My family isn’t actually fond of kerepek. Plus we’ve already stocked up enough to last 2 more weeks. More kerepek would mean more unburnt fat.
“Terima kasih”, she wanders off to another table.
As she passes by, I saw her. Roughly in early her 70′s, her petite figure was over shadowed with a huge orange plastic bags over her shoulder. She had a slight hunch and with wrinkles all over her face. She moved slowly, yet surely.
A sudden sadness wrapped around my heart.
Millions of question flashed in my head. Where are her kids? Why is she still trying to make a living? What’s forcing her to work? Is she well taken care of? Where does she sleep? Did she walk all the way from home? and the list goes on.
I could no longer bear the thought of her being burdened at such age. I grabbed my wallet, left my friend dumbfounded and chased that makcik before she fades into the night.
Intensely gasping for breath, I asked ,”Ni semua berape?”
She looked me in the eyes, staring in disbelief. As tears build up, she softly replied, “due puloh”.
For the price of RM 20, I bought a temporary happiness. For RM 20, she could go home and not worry about today’s sale. For RM 20, I felt relieved. For RM20, I can stop feeling sorry for myself and be happy, that underneath this thick shield of ego, lies a man with a very warm heart.
Or maybe, I’m easily touched.
ps: Still looking for the opportunity to break down and weep like a broken widow, but what the hell, there’s always tomorrow.
pss: If you can procrastinate your work, you can procrastinate your feelings.
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