Twelve and not stupid - A Famous story

Dad's still late. It's been two hours since school was over and I feel so stupid, standing here in my school uniform, in front of the mini-market Kong's. This is where I wait for Papa to pick me up after school; It's just on the other side of the road that goes to school. Dad is often late, but not so late. The people who look at the store on me, standing at the entrance with my school bag nestled between my feet. You seem surprised to see me, still standing here when you leave the store. Kong, who is already familiar with the sight of me standing and waiting in front of his tent, has a look at his face that seems to say, "poor girl." Where the hell is your father? How can you keep them waiting so long?

I see his car down the street and I feel relieved. For a while, I thought he forgot to pick me up. It happened once. When he came to pick me up, he was almost dark and he was crying. Mom was with her friends and was worried about not finding me at home when she came back. Then I called Dad. If mom could bring me to school, life would be much easier for me. She has a driver's license and drives earlier than we lived in Seremban. But it was a long time ago and now we live in KL. She doesn't want to drive to KL, where people, she says, drive like maniacs.

Dad's car slows down when he comes to Hong Kong's mini market. It stops and I am about to jump on the front seat when I notice that there is someone, a woman I do not recognize. She looks the same age as mom and her skin is just as good as Mom's, except that MOM is from Malaysia and this woman is Chinese. Her long hair is tied in a bun and she wears glasses. I came in the back seat of the car and smiled at me again. "Hi Sasha," she said in a rather sweet voice. "I am Aunt May." I am surprised that she knows my name, because I know for sure that I have not met her before.

Like I don't say a word and must watch it, Dad looks at me through the rear-view mirror and says "Don't be rude, Sasha." Salam Aunt May. She stretches her hands to me between the two front seats and I take them in mine. He turns forward while Papa leaves and I look at the back of their heads while they speak to each other in low voice. I feel confused because they seem to know each other well, but then mom and dad, the two very sociable people who like to parties, have a lot of friends and the aunt needs one of them.

When mom and dad go to a party, they look very shocking. Papa is an attractive man, with thick hair and his eyebrows are also thick. She dresses gracefully, coordinating her long-sleeved batik shirt, trousers, socks and shoes very well. Mama is almost as big as daddy and with her slender silhouette she looks good in everything he wears. His hair is dark and long and he wears it in a bun, just like Aunt May.

Waiting for Papa and having to endure so much time made me tired, and I can feel nap. The slow posture of the car as Papa makes its way through busy traffic KL stunned me to sleep. I don't know how long I've slept. When I open my eyes, I think the car has stopped, but we're not home. Instead, we are parked outside a semi-detached house on one floor. Aunt can get out of the car and, as soon as she goes through the door into the complex of the house, Papa leaves. As he does, he looks at me through the rear-view mirror and sees that I am awake. "When we come back, don't Tell Mama about Aunt May, okay?" I want to know why, but Dad has a star look at his face and I dare not, so nod his head. "And if Mommy asks you why you came home late, tell her you had a school and you forgot it." I have shaken my head, I wonder why you want me to lie.

It's night when we go home. I can see that the lights in our bungalow house are like Papa Parks the car under the porch. The front door opens before you get the motor of the car, and Mama comes out. She has to worry and wonder why she had not returned from school. As a dad and I are about to leave the car, he gives me a look and I remember the lie I need to tell mom.

 

Of course, Mama is not happy that she had not talked about the so-called school activity. "I was concerned about the sick thoughts about what could happen to them," he goes. Dad also has a reference, "I called his office, but his secretary said you were in the morning." I look at dad while he's on, "I had a job out there." Mama's making her attentive to me, "don't ever do that to me again, okay?" I almost called the police. Go take your bath now. We'll have dinner soon.

As we eat together, mom and dad talk about how they usually do, and Mama has no idea what really happened. Mom is no longer crazy, and she loves her stories and jokes. but also discreet. I don't like to lie to Mama, and I can't help but get mad at dad so I feel so strange. I can only be twelve years old, but I'm not stupid. There must be one reason why I'm lying to mama and this reason has something to do with Aunt Mai.

"Are you sick?" Mom looks at me anxiously and puts the back of my left hand on my forehead. "You are very quiet." Dad gets his hands washed, "she must be tired." She had a busy day. Mom's going to get up too. "You should go to bed early and have a good rest," he said. Dad keeps me under guard while I leave the table, wash my hands and climb into my room.

I try to go to sleep, but as soon as I close my eyes, I see Aunt May in my mind. Who is this? Why can't I tell mom? The questions give me a headache and I think it would be nice if I'm sick and I don't have to go to school tomorrow. Who knows? When I went to school, Aunty can be with dad when they pick me up after school and what should I do? Do I have to lie to my mother again?

It's weeks and there's no Aunt May in the car dad's. Dad didn't say anything about her, and it's like she never met her. I'm curious, of course, but dad doesn't seem to want to say anything. Dad was never one to tell me things; It's mom who keep me posted on the family plans of what we will be doing during the weekend where we will go for our vacation. People told me Dad was busy and didn't talk much. that is true; Every time grandpa, Mom's father, comes to visit us for a few days, he and dad can sit in the living room together for hours and not say much to each other. But once again, when his friends come, Papa is not posted at all and is often the most talkative in the group. So dad has a lot of pages for him and I wonder how he is with Aunt May; You booked or chatting with her?

It's a Saturday afternoon and mom and I are home. Dad went out with his friends. Mom is busy with her embroidery, which I'm not particularly interested in. I prefer to cuddle with a book instead of sticking a needle in a drawing of a piece of cotton material. We are both in the living room, she sits in a chair and I lay on the floor, my chin hollow in my palms while reading the book Open in front of me. He looks at me and says, "You really should sit down when you're reading." "It will ruin reading this view." I'm not answering, but I'm still reading.

She keeps looking at me; Something seems to be in his mind. From the corner of my eye, I can see her mouth open as if she wants to speak to me, but she closes, shakes her head and makes her attention to her embroidery. Mom is a very correct person who gives a lot of thought to what she says or does. And they constantly teach me how they are in the company of other people, a young and educated man. That's what his friends say when they meet me, "My God, she's so polite for her age."

Right now, mom puts on the embroidery and tells me to bathe and get dressed. "Daddy will be home soon," he said. "We'll go to dinner, remember?" Make sure you do something right. "We're going to a Chinese restaurant." Mom and dad like to eat, and they both like Chinese food mostly. Me too and I surprised a lot with my ability to eat with chopsticks.

 

We arrived at the restaurant where Papa obviously booked a special table because the waitress puts us in a room on one side of the dining room. She pushes the sliding door, we walked into the room and I'm surprised to find aunt can already sit on the table. With her it's a boy who looks like he's about ten years old. I don't know what to do or say. Should I pretend that I have not already met you? When I know you, Mama will ask why and discover the lie I told her a few weeks ago.

Aunt can get up when we go to the room. When Mama is surprised at our guests, she doesn't show it and she's waiting for Papa to introduce her to Aunt May. They will each other and the aunt can then look at me and I Salam without saying anything. I am thankful that you have not given any indication that we have known before. Then he lays his hand on the shoulders of the child, "It is Kassim", and Kassim rises and the father and mother Salaams. We all sit and Papa must have ordered the food as it does not take long before the waitress in the room with a large bowl of shark fin soup. I eat and listen to adult speeches, and they talk as if Kassim and I are not in the room.

"May called me a few weeks ago," said Papa to Mama. "That's how I learned that" Yem "she had married without the knowledge of Marta." May is still married to "Yem", this boy is his son. She came to see me because "Yem" she and the child has neglected. "Yem" is Papa's Big brother and Marta is his wife.

"Oh my dear, my husband told me that there is a family problem compared to" Yem "but I didn't know it was so complicated," says mom to Aunt May. "But what do you want us to do?" It's a family thing, between "Yem", Marta and you. I don't think we can participate, especially because she doesn't even know it. She's my closest sister-in-law, and I don't want her hurt.

Aunt can shake her head. "I don't want anyone to get hurt." But I also have my rights as the second wife of "Yem". You can't leave us alone. I haven't seen him for months. Luckily, I have a job. If not, Kassim and I will have no roof over his head. I pay for everything, the house, our food. "But" Yem "is my husband and he is obliged to support us." Kassim looks at Aunt Mai on the mention of her name, and I wonder if she understands what is being said. I can be twelve years old, but I'm not stupid. The aunt can continue, "All I ask is that you remind her of your duties to Kassim and me." If he doesn't want to see us again, he should at least be divorced.

"I think we have no choice but to help," said the father to Aunt May and mom. "Yem" does so much harm here, first marrying without the knowledge of Marta, then pretending that he does not have a second family and, worse still, neglected this second family. " We know all this, we can't keep quiet about it. We will participate in it if we do nothing. Aunt can watch dad with relief and mommy nods. "You must advise him," he said to Papa.

After our pancake dessert, Papa pays the bill and we all get up. When Aunt Mai and Kassim had arrived at the restaurant in a taxi, Papa offered them a lift back home. Everyone is silent while driving. When we get home, the aunt can open the back door, but before she gets out of the car, she thanks mum and dad for dinner and the willingness to help her. She looks at me, "I haven't invited you to my house for the last time." It's too late, so I can't invite you now. You have to come back and get to know Kassim better.

Mom turns her head in my direction and one of her eyebrows is raised in a question.

End)