Lelaki Harum Sundal Malam

Bab 27

2012

Habis saja prep petang itu, aku dan Samson sudah standby di bilik warden. Nampak saja bekas Wanita Tercantik Singapura 1991 itu, aku dan Samson sudah siap berdiri. Daddy kami juga yang memang dah lama sampai pun berdiri dan menyapa Mommy dengan dingin.

"Your boyfriend tak ikut pulak?" Daddy menyindir Mommy. Almost all Singaporean tabloid sekarang tengah focusing on Mommy's 25 years old boyfriend.

"He has his own life. Where's my successor? Tak ikut pulak?" Mommy kalau throw shade.

"Just like yours. Tulah, Kartini. Stoplah dating young dude. Know your age."

"Being funny, Andrew? At least I still look like I am in my 20s. And you? Tak tahu pulak my successor tu is in our age."

Been years and dorang tak pernah okey. The only time they have to meet each other is bila Mommy nak ambik aku kat Malaysia. Ceritanya sebab as long as aku dengan Samson ada kat Malaysia, Daddy hold full custody pada kitorang. So setiap kali Mommy nak ambil kami di SEBESTES, Daddy kena ada sebab dorang kena cop borang apa entah. Lesson is don't divorce guys. Don't married at all pun takpe.

"Encik Andrew dan Puan Kartini, masuk kejap." Cikgu Fahmi, warden bertugas memanggil Mommy dan Daddy untuk berurusan. Bosan, aku pun pergi ke kereta dan menunggu mereka di situ saja.

Oh ya, boyfriend Mommy ada je dalam kereta tu. Aku tahu kenapa dia tak nak ikut turun. Mestilah nak jaga air muka Mommy tu depan Daddy.

To be honest, Samson is closer to anyone yang close to Mommy. Boyfriend Mommy yang sebelum ni pun, dia agak rapat. Despite his geeky behaviour, orang lebih senang dengan dia. Maybe aku memang ada that vibe macam most of Malaysia's politician. Asal pandang nak lempang.

Mommy masuk saja dalam kereta, boyfriend dia (nama dia Faisal based on yang aku dengar dia borak dengan Samson) terus memulakan pemanduan. Samson masih galak berborak dengan Faisal dan Mommy. Menang aku ni kena biar sajalah.

Mommy sedar akan itu. Jadinya semasa di R&R Pagoh, dia duduk semeja dengan aku sementara Samson dan Faisal berbual sesama mereka. Di meja yang berbeza of course.

"You two still aren't speaking?"

"We are. Occasionally."

"Syahid Zachariah, berapa kali Mommy nak kata? If you have anything to share, you can always tell me."

"Dah takde apa nak tell, what else nak ceritakan?"

"Syahid..." Mama mengeluh kecil. "I only have two sons. And both of them are not talking to each other. Can't you feel how I feel, Syahid?"

"First of all, you supposed to have three. One of them passed away 15 minutes after he was born, three years after we were born. Second of all, we are talking but not that casual. Lastly, Mommy, it's not that deep. We just cannot clique. People can't be close with everyone."

"Sayang, it's not about that..."

"Then about what? Syah dah try nak jadi the best brother for him but what I got in return? You yourself hear yourself that whenever kitorang balik, all he would talk about cuma Hasbi, Hasbi and Hasbi. Kat sekolah pun, memang dia tak nak pun bertegur dengan Syahid."

"He told me because you have your own friend jugak. And also, he told me you broke up with your girlfriend."

"Since when did he care?!"

"He's your brother!" Ketika Mommy meninggikan suara, orang meja keliling dah mula memandang. Mujurlah Faisal dengan Samson duduk jauh sikit. "Okay, look. I'm sorry for that tone. I didn't mean to."