Chapter 2 : Bugged

He finished the drink and looked back to the sky. The rain was slowing down. He paid the bills to the mamak and ran to the bus stop. He sat down and checked the time, 7.15 p.m. It seems hopeless, as he knew his ears would bleed as soon as he arrived home. Busses after busses past by. The cab drivers honked at him, thinking that this poor guy need to get back home early. He did not really interested in taking cab. He remembered his last cab experience. It cost him RM20, from Chow Kit to Greenwood Alley, while it took him only RM2 by taking a bus. Plus, the cab driver can be quite disrespectful. When it comes to transportation, Areef can be quite a cheapskate. While waiting for the bus, Areef managed to take out his DSLR and snapped a few pictures, snapping the rain drops, the splash from the coming cars and motors, people running in the rain, and a school of crows. People watched his action, but Areef dont give a damn. He learn one thing in the photography world; Dont give a damn on what people think, always with your camera, as you may missed some great moment. Areef is in his own world, seperating the real world with his camera and his mp3. Waiting for the bus, with him are a couple of ladies and an elderly man. The ladies were wearing Baju Kurung, while the elderly was wearing formal suit, with a brief on his right hand, gripping it, as if there was a lot of money stash in his brief case. Then, Areef asked permission to take their pictures, the ladies and the man smiled, as they know that Areef has no bad intention whatsoever. He asked politely and said to them that they should feel natural. Then he stood in front of the bus stop, composing the pictures he about to take. He snapped a couple of shots, hopping that he could capture that moment. He thanked them for co-operating. After a couple of minutes, the ladies took a bus and the man took a cab. Now, Areef is al alone at the bus stop. Suddenly, his E5 vibrated. He knew that it’s from his mother. The vibe he felt was the same vibe as the Spiderman Spidey-Sensor. There are two possibilities. One that his mom is calling him, or two, his mother sent him a text message. He was hoping for the second possibility. He took his phone out from his front pocket.

It was a text message. He was seriously relieved! The message was written by his mother,

“Areef, where are you? Im coming home late tonight. There’s a meeting in the office. Tell your father about this. Take out some leftover chicken curry in the fridge and please heat it up. Please prepare the dinner. Thanks dear.”

He smiled, as he put his phone back into his pocket, he looked to the window, exhaling his breathe with relief. After 10 minutes, the bus stopped at the bus stop that quite near to Areef’s house. He walked through his neighbourhood. He met with Uncle Azhar, who was riding his motorcycle from the mosque back to his house. Areef greet him. He smiled back at Areef and continue his ride. It’s seems like he was rushing back. Areef entered his house, took the wudhu’ and rushed to his room and did his Maghrib prayer. After finishing the prayer, he sat on the mat, longer than usual. He lifted up both his hand and pray some more. Then he continue staring at the mat, sitting still like a log. Something had troubled Areef. He was staring straight to the mat. He was bugged with something. He was bugged with the truth he was revealed by a very deep, tense and loud conversation with his parents, a few days ago, about his life, about his future, and about his condition....

Chapter 1 : The Rain

As the thick black cloud covering the sun, drizzle of rain started hitting the Earth, with a symphony of thunders and lightnings can be seen miles away, dancing like a pair of fierce Flamenco dancers. On the main district of Chow Kit, umbrellas popped up like a domino effect, one after another. Hawkers covered their merchants with plastic, hoping that they will be protected. The rain changed dramatically as the slow tempo Jazz drizzle had turned into a loud head-banging hard rock tempo. Visibility blurred in seconds. From distance, Areef ran towards a small mamak stall. As he sat on the chair, he cleaned up his lense with clothing, wiping off the droplets on the lense of his DSLR camera. He ordered Americano Coffee, or Kopi O in native language, hoping that he warmth of the drink can heat up his wet and cold body. He sipped slowly as he watched Mothernature cooling her body. Suddenly, he saw a group of children, not far from the place he sat, playing in the rain. The smiled, the cheer and the joy really told Areef that the children were happy with the blessing of Allah. Eversince last week, Kuala Lumpur was very hot, with no rain and lots of haze. The rain was a blessing to the locals. Areef quickly took his camera and aimed the kids. He was waiting for the great moment, the moment which can tell him a story based on his picture. Every movement made by the children, Areef snapped the button. Taking pictures without hesitation, Areef snapped almost 30 frames of shot per minute. After 15 minutes singing and dancing in the rain, an old woman, with a cane on her hand chased the children to a small shop. Seems like one of the child’s parent don’t like with what she saw. Areef smiled with a smirk and sat back to the chair.

Areef took his trustworthy DSLR and scrolled through the pictures of people he took just now, some pictures made him smile, especially when he looked back the pictures of the children dancing in the rain just now. He turned off the camera and put it back into the back. Then he took his Nokia E5, checking for new personal messages and current times. “Shit! It’s 6.30 p.m. ! I am so dead”, Areef screaming from the inside. His eyes getting bigger and dilated. If he did not make it to his house by 7.30 p.m., his mother would provide him long, ear – screeching speeches. He looked to the sky, with no indication of the rain stopping any moment, he sipped his drink and rubbed his arms with his hands, as he shivered from the sheer cold of the rain. Suddenly, an old lady, wearing a pair of baju kurung approached him. She has a small mole on her left cheek. She was holding a pair of big plastic bags contained bags of chips and traditional snacks. She greet him with a smile, before asking him wether he was interested in buying some of her merchants. He looked straight to her eyes, and he cant stand seeing an old lady, walking from table to table selling chips. He bought Maruku, Peniaram Kedah, Rempeyek and Kerepek Bawang. Each cost him RM3. He paid her RM15 and did not ask for the change. The old lady thanked him and walk on to the other tables. As she walked, Areef start pondering. How can her children, can look at their mother, still doing jobs, when she should just stay at home, relaxing and doing what she wanted to do? Areef has a soft heart for elderly. He cant stand looking at any elderly, especially when they had to worked or became beggars. He sighed ad sipped his drink, as he saw that old woman been denied by a couple who was sitting opposite him.