KELANTAN BUS TRIP

Today, 13th Mac 2006 I boarded a Triton bus from Kota Bharu to Ipoh Perak. It is school holiday and my family wanted to have further stay at our home town of Kota Bharu. So, I had to go alone. Furthermore I have to attend a 4 days course starting tomorrow and will not be able to spend much time with them anyway.

The bus is rather jaded for Kota Bharu outstation transportation standard that boasted coaches like E-Budaya, Sutera, Transnasional, Mahligai and many more vying with each other to attract the common pool of passengers. That translated to better and more modern coaches, more comfortable and spacious seats with supports left, right and under your feet, blankets for night travel.

As the bus judders forward the glass panel rattles and the undercarriage groans, but moves it does with quite a decent, comfortable ride. To add to the comfort Kelantan style, the in-carriage entertainment started with a Bollywood number followed by Dikir Barats to soothe the sentimental Kelantanese spirit. When Halim Yazit renders his famous Anak Tupai and Diri Ambo2, the atmosphere is complete. No non Kelantanese will be able to fully appreciate this song which sinks to the bone and never fail to wring some tears from the Kelantanese audience;

“……..ambo hormat sanjung segala kasih segala budi,
susoh hok ambo tanggung adik kakak ambil perhati,

oooo…ooo…ambo raso berbesar hati
ooo..oooo terima kasih setinggi2
masa kecik ambo biasa make nasi saje2
kalu ada sekerat ikan, pun kena bagi dua
dapur cuma ada garam jarang benar ada gula
baca bok male2 paka minum air telaga

bangun pagi2, sauk baju pakai seluar
mek ambo rebus ubi
bungkus bui buat bekal
dia pesan hari2: Lim ngajilah pandai2
kalu seksok pas tinggi ore kato buleh jadi pegawai

ooo..ooo ambo gi sekolah berungga-rungga
oo..oooo ambo nak ngaji wi pandai2

Ada satu ketika cekgu minta 10 rial,
Dia kata sekolah kita nak gi melawat sambil belajar
Uum, takdok apa doh lah cekgu ambo takleh bayar
Ore lain gi belako ambo sorang jah tinggal

Hok ambo perit sengoti kena gi sekolah alek petang
Cekgu kata wajib maghi rumah kuning ada latihan
Ambo lah banyok sekali kena hungga keliling padang
Kerana ambo tak leh nak beli seluar pendek kasut sukan
Ooooo…ooooo…malu nyo wei ambo kena pajam
Oooo..oooo ni lah baru ambo royat kat orang

Terima kasih lah cekgu2 kerana sudi ajar saya
Dari darjah satu hingga jadi manusia
Mintak halal segala ilmu hak cekgu bui selama masa
di tapak kaki guru ambo tunduk mintak redha

Ambo masuk Universiti tahun 80
Budok kampong nak gi ngaji tak tahulah dimana jatuh
Adik2 kecik lagi rasa penat kot dalam baroh
Itekad dale hati ambo nak mengaji sungguh2
Ingat malu kot orang warih warah dok pakat kata
Taksohlah dudok tebeng kalu tidak bangsa kaya
Hantar sekolah anak jantan buat ngabis ko harta
Tidak kata nak pakat ratan tolong bantu sa-amas dua
Ooooo..oooo tak dak warih nyo diri ambo
Ooo…ooooo Demo takse keleh walau sebelah mata

Mek dengan ayah masuk jadi peneroka baru
Dale bukit nak tanam getah di Kesedar Lebir Satu
Perang dengan rimau gajah make tak make takdak sapa tahu
Beginilah ore susoh nak tanggung anak ngaji ko U

Kerana keadaan begitu ayah ambil keputusan
Wahai anak2ku kita pecah lah 3 jale
Mung Halim anak no.1 dok Kuala Lumpur ngajilah sorang
Adik2 tinggal kampung dulu pakat dudoklah drumoh orang
Ooooo..ooooo Selamat tinggal selamat jale
Ooo..oooo adik hok bongsu jerit sokmo male2

Alkisahlah ambo pulok tengoh dok ngaji di U Malaya
Buku rujukan pon ambo takdok paka harap ko salin nota
Rasa malu jugok masuk majlis hak besar2
Baju ambo muroh telajak, 12 rial jah sehelai

Hari konvokesyen, hari utuk ayah bonda
Penah jerih seribu musim harap mek ayah berasa bangga
Tahniah dari saing2 ambo terima banyok sunggoh
Ambo lah ore panggil Halim
Anak kampong sesak hak buleh berjaya
Oooo..ooooo akhirnya ambo buleh sarjana
Oooo…ooooo… syukur pada Allah Maha Kuasa.

As I am writing this, tears flow uncontrollably. The story of a poor kampong boy struggling through family hardship in pursuit of knowledge and the family’s own struggles to make ends meet for this end is very close to the Kelantanese spirit. We are poor people but never poor in endurance and toils to strive for better future for our children. My late father is one such person; an illiterate who was determined that his children would never ever have to endure his hardship.

Views passed by as I watched dreamily through the bus’s glass panel; views I had seen many times before but always different each time; new houses, new shops, thinning bushes, leveled ground to make way for developments, busier road…… ZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz………………..