Wrapped In a Flag

True to the form as a patriotic person, I would feel almost sinful if I do not write a line or two to honor the coming national day. I allege myself to be a nationalist, patriotic and loyal to the country as much as it has to be as her citizen. The country has done a lot to me. I am in some way a product of its system. Without it, I won’t be who I am as I am today.

The patriotism in me did not come easy. I have gone through layers of process to understand the essentials of being opportune to belong to the soil. In my first year in overseas, I was told by my seniors that in the year before our batch arrived they sang the national anthem, Negaraku on the National Day. I laughed like hell thought it was only a fool to be such a drip. Only to value their patriotism after my rebellious years were over. When those years were over so then only I realized no more chance for me to sing it in the foreign land. What do you expect? I was in my heyday as a teenager at that time.

As the numbers and more numbers are added to my age, I could see more clearly the importance of appreciating the livelihood that we are enjoying today. Admire better the hardship and struggle of our forefathers in achieving the independence for the country. Without their efforts, in simple arithmetic it shall equate; we won’t have what we have now.

I am fortunate to have the opportunities to travel far and wide and to have lived in a few different countries. Seeing what I saw in the foreign lands, feeling what I felt anticipating being their citizen and running lives in their homeland as they are fated to be, I could never have felt luckier than being a Malaysian and live in it. In any standard you want to measure with, when you sum up all the points; our lives in Malaysia wins it hands down. Thus, it builds up more to my conscience to allow patriotism to be running in my blood.

It is imperative to note that, nothing soother than being under the flag of our beloved country. The flag itself signifies the pride of the nation and we are blessed to be under its shadow. Speaking of being under the flag, I would love to thrust further… make it wrapped in it. With this metamorphosis of slogan, it sounds a lot more of a grip as a citizen and it won’t be wandering off easily. And speaking of being wrapped in the flag, there is a story to literally define meaning of being wrapped in a flag. Perhaps this what actually is!

It is 2nd month of schooling for the pupils in Standard 1, majority of them are yet to celebrate their 7th birthdays. On that day, only one or two parents are still in the background for having the children still scared and insecured to be left alone in the classroom. In due time, they will be all on their own just like any other pupils.

Puan Rohani, the English teacher is introducing them strange sounds of language. Having had not attended preschools, all the pupils do not know what to expect, what more learning foreign language. Pupils comprehend based on what they heard and have no idea what they actually are. Don’t worry, in any time they’ll get hold of it.

Teacher Rohani: Ini kereta. This is a car
Pupils: Ini keghetaaa…. Dis is a ka

Puan Rohani realized the pupils just repeat after on whatever came out from her mouth and cuts off the initial words and goes…

Teacher Rohani: This is a car
Pupils: Dis is a ka
Teacher Rohani: Car… Kereta! Kereta… Car!
Pupils: Ka… Kegheta! Kegheta… Kaaa!
Teacher Rohani: This is a car
Pupils: Disss isss a kaaa…

Puan Rohani points her finger at the picture of a car… and said… Lagi!

Pupils: Disss isss a kaaa

It repeats and repeats. Even louder when the pupils are in rhythm with some of them say it out on top of their lungs even though some are just mumbling and some are just staring at point blank while some also are just busy twisting and turning around looking all over the places.

Teacher Rohani: This is a bird…
Pupils: Dis is a bw…der…erd

Puan Rohani introduces a picture of a bird and the pupils are trying to grasp the way it sounds and collectively comes out with strange sound as the pupils are not fully get it just yet. Strange as it sounds, even stranger when a pungent smell fills up the classroom now. Puan Rohani has been teaching for years, proven by the scars of experience in her face she refused to call it wrinkles. The experienced teacher like her can instantly recognize it.

She inspects all corners of the classroom to identify where the smell comes from and the pupils are reacting over it with mixed and varieties of responses. Bahar in the far right row screams followed with his kiddy kind of giggle. A few follow Bahar’s way of reacting. Ramli that sits next to Maimunah just simply put his two index fingers deep in the nostrills and makes a blow with the mouth closed until it distorts the look of his face and Suriani laughs at his distorted look. Nisah joins the laugh also. Amran is just looking on. He looks puzzled. May be he is being perplexed by the funny look of Ramli's face until it scares him a little. Ismail is self-inspecting himself and put up a worry look in the face but nothing happens. It is a relief to him after bending forward checking his own crotch for a few seconds. Hasni tries to lift up his collar to cover his nose with a few others imitate. Anuar points his finger at Azizah accusing her for something she did not do until she is about to burst into tears. He tries to do the same on Noraini and he retreats after she fashions a hostile look in a face for not being pleased with the accusation. Some even attempt to make an exit through the back door. One or two are pretending to be gasping for air and laugh. Some put up no reactions in their faces as if nothing happens, just like Hamidah, Syukri and Nordin at the back of the classroom. Anyway, all in all it is a noisy affair.

Finally, Puan Rohani asks the class to be quiet and all are ordered to stand up. All stands up except Yusof at the extreme right row three seats behind Bahar. He is about to cry knowing what he did but quickly Puan Rohani pampers him up with some nice words. Little time is wasted before the school gardener, Pak Mail is summoned to clean up the mess. Sure it is less than pleasant sight to see.

Obviously the pants also need cleaning and Pak Mail is at it, not his choice but he has to do it anyway. After all it is not his first. And there is another problem arises. No spare pants for Yusof. Pak Mail has to find solution quick. He has not much of a choice. So, while waiting for the pants hang on the fence to dry up in the sun, he has to make do with a Malaysian flag to wrap Yusof in from the waist below. That is the only clothe available in his store room apart from worn-out towel used for other cleaning purposes and his “Good Morning” towel wrapped around his neck almost all the time.

Everything is subdued. Back to order. Yusof is back in the classroom just in the nick of time before the class resumes.

Puan Rohani continues teaching…

Teacher Rohani: This is a bird
Pupils: Dis is a beedd
Teacher Rohani: Bird… Burung! Burung… Bird
Pupils: Beedd…. Bughong! Bughong… Beedd!
Teacher Rohani: Once again… Lagi sekali… Louder… kuat-kuattt!
Pupils: Beedd…. Bughonggg! Bughong… Beedddd!
Teacher Rohani: Very good… Bagus… OK… Hamidah…Hamidahhhh… burung…. apa?
Hamidah: Bughong Merpati
Pupils: Hahahaha

Puan Rohani smiles because the picture of the bird can fairly be recognized as a pigeon.

Teacher Rohani: No… No… No… Tak… Burung… What is in English? Apa sebut dalam Bahasa Inggeris? Ikut cikgu…. Biiiird!
Hamidah: Bd!

Short. She swallows her word and looks very uneasy. Puan Rohani decides not to press more on her knowing that at any time now, she would be crying.

Teacher Rohani: OK Class… Say it louder… Sebut kuat-kuat! This is a biiird!
Pupils: Disss isss a beeeddd

It echoes cross the lush greenery of rice field and it is nice to hear from a distance.

Being a small kid Yusof just cannot sit still. While sitting, he moves all the time. Toss to the left, hurl to the right, turn to the back… twisting… spinning…until the flag that wraps him in becomes loose and left him naked when he stands up.

It is very much to the amusement of his classmates seeing that. They laugh out loud when it happens.

Puan Rohani helps wrap him back.

Surely, Yusof’s own "bird" also enjoys the English lesson that day while he is being wrapped in a flag.

GAB: It happened in my classroom but I can assure you, Yusof wasn’t me hehehe

SELAMAT MENYAMBUT HARI KEBANGSAAN KE 49