Remembering Shauqina

Chapter 12: Follow the leader

CHAPTER 12: Follow the leader

             Oh God! Oh God! I’m late! I’ll surely be skinned by Mdm Bedah…what was I thinking last night, as I almost ran towards the school, ranting to myself like a lunatic. The SLs were supposed to report for a meeting at 8.30 a.m. and it was already 9.00 a.m.! And the clock was still furiously ticking away! I prided myself on NEVER, EVER being late – but now! OH! Why did I watch that scary ‘WUJUD’ CD last night??? I kept on seeing white robed beings with long black hair that I went to peaceful sleep only at about five in the morning. When I awoke, it was already eight, not to mention I had missed my subuh(fajr)  as well. Forgive me God…

             As I finally, thankfully entered the school gate, I saw a sauntering figure in front of me. I know that figure anywhere, even with my eyes half-closed. Zak! Perhaps sensing my presence, he turned. He saw me, paused in his tracks, and then smiled. Then he did the most bizarre thing. He ran! Yes! He started running and then it hit me. The devil! He wanted me to be the last – so he would not get ALL the scolding from Mdm Bedah! If the devil wears Prada, then this one wears the songkok! I was so fuming mad that I started running myself, albeit having to pull up my long jubah/gown a bit. Amazingly, I was only one or two steps behind Zak and we reached the SL Operation Room almost together. Mdm Bedah actually dropped her thick, black organizer on the floor with a HUGE, LOUD thud and 35 pairs of Upper Secondary SL’s eyes looked on us. We were still red-faced  and panting.

             “What!!! MasyaAllah! You two gave me a scare! 5 demerit points for each of your houses!” Mdm Bedah declared with finality.

             “Er…we’re from the same House,” Zak said sheepishly. The nincompoop!

             “Ah! Good! 10 demerit points for your House then!”

 You could actually hear the moans from other Earth House members among the SLs and some were already giving Zak and me killer looks. But Mdm Bedah was not appeased. In fact, she was on a war path.

             “Wait at my room.”

             “But, but…” I was about to protest, however, one infamous look from Mdm Bedah sent both of us walking meekly away to her room.

             Her room was just next door to the meeting room and she met us in no time. She pointed to her office’s cramped shelves and books and files and to some boxes on the floor.

             “These are my things. Pack them into these boxes. I want the books together, the files together, understand? See these labels? Paste them on the boxes, AFTER you label the contents ACCURATELY! Understand? Good. When you are done, call me.”

             “Err.. are you moving, Madam?” Arrgh! When will that fool learn to keep his mouth shut?

            “Not me dear – all of us are! You are graduating and will leave the school – the rest us poor mortals will shift to the new school. Of course, you’re too busy being late to notice that!”

            “Oh! I thought the move was going to be next, next year…”

Zak managed to give a silly grin which was charming at the same time. But Mdm Bedah was not charmed at all. Not at all. She gave us another look and Zak brought up his hand in a salute. With one stare, she left us alone.

             Both of us looked forlornly at the books and files and stuff. Zak started to bring down the files.

“She is so kiasu (an attitude of always wanting to win) you know – all the rest have not seem to start packing yet!” Zak was musing aloud to himself.

“This is all YOUR fault!” I hissed. “Why would we care if she is so kiasu? Why did you run?”            “Why did you follow?” he asked, a little triumphantly.

 Aarrgh! He was so infuriating when he wanted to!

“Why must we start with the files?” I demanded.

            “Because, I started first.”

            “And why must I listen to you?”

 Zak paused and it was obvious he was thinking of some answers which I could not counter and then he smiled.

             “You have to listen because – I am TALLER!”

 Hah! How lamer can you get!!! But I was tongue-tied, nevertheless. Then he laughed and I was not laughing, but I continued anyway with the files for fear that other teachers would come over because he was laughing so wholeheartedly. When he had quietened down, we went about the work very seriously and silently. In fact, the silence was warm and peaceful and both of us worked like clockwork servants, without speaking. There was the occasional ‘Over here’ and ‘Over there’ and ‘Help me’ from Zak and I let him be in charge. He would also grunt softly as he picked up an overweight box and the sound always made me turned to see whether he was alright.

 We were somehow about to pick up the same file when our fingers accidentally brushed, just so briefly and I almost recoiled in shock. When my fingers touched his or was it the other way around – I felt like I was just hit by an electric shock – like being buzzed by a shocker. I was confused momentarily, not expecting such feelings and I saw the confusion in Zak’s eyes too. In fact, he was worst, he stood, transfixed, one hand in mid-air. Then the colour came to his cheeks and he muttered almost incoherently,

           ‘Afwan, afwan…wasn’t intentional.. I..I think I can managed on my own, Eza..go home, go   home! I am really sorry..” 

 He averted looking at my face and was looking rather hard at the cement floor.

 “I have to ask Mdm Bedah first,” was the best answer I could muster.

Zak merely nodded his head, his hands so visibly shaking, that he quickly plugged in both into his trousers’ pockets in two tight fists, as if willing them not to touch anything anymore. .Slowly, I felt tears welling in my eyes but I stopped myself, for fear that others might see us and misconstrued as to what had actually happened. I didn’t want the tears and I didn’t want Zak to see me cry over well, nothing actually for in actuality, nothing happened, but for two kids who have been brought up under the Islamic umbrella and have come to believe that physical contact, whatsoever, no matter how minute, is FORBIDDEN, then what happened was well, simply sinful. I was about to thankfully leave, when Zak turned and said softly,

             “We go together.”

             I merely nodded my head.

             Mdm Bedah had finished the meeting and was in fact having a cup of hot drink when we saw her. She crinkled her nose and raised an eyebrow.

             “Can Hafeza go back first, Mdm Bedah? She has a headache. I can manage on my own.”

             Mdm Bedah looked at her watch. Tyrant that she was, she was still a fair person. She smiled:

 “Hmmm…okay, enough then. I trust that everything is in order, right? Both of you may go. Next time, don’t be late! And you better have a good rest, Hafezah! You are already looking pale…”

             As we were going back, Zak was still in front and I was still following him from behind. However, unlike the sprightly strides and run we had in our first encounter that morning, I guessed both of us were too much in our own thoughts that getting from school to the bus-stop was done in an almost zombielike, auto mode way.