langkau fiction

hmm…ok, I’m back.

I came home last night on new year’s eve only to find my car went missing. Too tired to think about the missing car, I unpacked my dirty clothes and other stuffs that I took with me on my trip. Mostly rubbish.

Plus minus 14kg. That’s how much my bag weighed on my walk from Ba Kelalan to Bario. For three bloody days! Off loading three Tiger beer cans at Long Rebpun on the first night didn’t help to lessen the weight.

My mother’s village, Bario

Oh yes, my car. I woke up this morning…oh, happy new year, by the way…with my stomach yelling out for food. Got out of bed, had a shower and looked for instant noodles in the kitchen. Nothing. Picked up the car keys from the table and planned to drive to a kedai kopi.

Oh, tiu lah. Where’s the bloody car?

I just remembered. My mother is around. Was around. I bumped into her very briefly in the departure lounge at Kuching airport on my arrival from Miri. She was on her way to Miri.

I called her this morning about the missing car. It’s actually her car. She only uses it when she returns to Kuching from Nujilan, which is, like, once a year. I drive her car when she’s not around.

So, I called her this morning. She was having breakfast in Miri with her cousins.

Me: Where’s the car?

Mother: Oh, yeah. It’s at the apartment. You may use it.

Me: Oh, I thought it was stolen.

Mother: ……..

I had to sit down for a while to think about getting to her apartment located near the airport. After 12 minutes and 39 seconds of damn stressful thinking, I decided to cycle to the apartment to collect my her car. So, I did. It took me almost an hour arrive at the apartment.

After the hoo haa with the car, I drove around town aimlessly wondering what to do on the first day of new year. I called up my cousin, Zoo, and asked if he’s bored enough to want to follow me go to the kampung. He agreed.

Zoo: So, which kampung are we going to?

Me: er..I’m not too sure. Let’s see how it goes.

At the end, we drove to Gumbang, had some Stella, talked to some locals and drank tapai. I wanted to buy the tapai to bring home but the tapai-maker told me it’s not for sale. He said he’s saving it for his daughter’s wedding next week. Oooh…

Anyways, I’ll just leave this post here…for now, and will continue with the stories later.

Below is a picture of my foot “being leeched”)

After camping at Pa Main, Bario