The Present.

The company for lunch. 

First of November. 

I was in the car, asking my umi, 

"What's for lunch?"
"Tenggiri masak lada 

and some spinach soup." 

Suddenly 

it came to my head 

"Let's have something more. 

Fried chicken maybe? 

Well, I'll buy some at AEON 

when we get back." 

Thus when we reached home 

I approached umi and said 

"I'm going out to buy extra lauk for lunch." 

"Like what lauk?" 

"Maybe wedges...or something?" 

Yeah, I actually tried to cover up 

so that it won't sound like
I'm being ungrateful. 

That's rude. 

Even I would slap myself 

if I caught myself doing so. 

"By extra lauk, you mean fried chicken right?" 

Shouted both umi and Asma'. 

Wow, mind reader. 

Definitely my mum, my sister. 

"So where are you going to buy it? 

McD? KFC?" 

Wow again. 

So now my mother's good at pronouncing that. 

"Wah, Along nak beli kat AEON je." 

"Never mind. Just buy nine pieces of chicken...

and don't forget the top-up." 

*gives money* 

*money received* 

*goes out* 

and so there it goes. 

As I walked my way to AEON, 

I felt tears in my heart. Much sudden. 

Things really weren't the same 

two or three years ago. 

Didn't think umi would 

went in such fashion back then. 

That gesture. 

That manner. 

That way of speech. 

More importantly, that smile... 

and joy, perhaps, if there's some. 

Yeah, I couldn't recall when 

was the very last time, though. 

Then again, I don't care. 

It's the present 

and I'm going to protect it. 

It's time to fight... 

and to fight even more. 

Assalamualaikum. 

P/S: and those check-ins are like 

juicy edible prawns hidden in noodle soup.