Mak Cik Mind Reader

There's this makcik I know; one that I have a special relationship with. You see, she reads my mind.

I'll tell you why.

Last night, I was having trouble going to sleep, thanks to that evil-evil cup of coffee that I foolishly made for myself before going to bed.

Sidetrack: I had fasted during the day, and I am one who cannot go through a day without my mug of nescafe. Well, sometime around 12 midnight, I remembered that I hadn't had my coffee. God forbid that I sleep without having that mug of coffee - pantang! So down to the kichen I went to bancuh my 3 in 1 Nescafe and gulped it before bed and thus, there went my sleep!

SO, back to that makcik.

As I was tossing and turning around, trying everything from counting sheep, to kicking N (to stop his snoring!), my thoughts drifted on stuff like the G.I Jane diet I have enrolled so bravely on, the holiday that I am dying to have, my expiring driver's license, my early retirement plan and what I should blog about this week. Then the phone rang at 1am with deliriously happy news that my baby cousin Wani, managed to secure a scholarship with MARA to become the first doctor in the family! And that MakSu (her mama and the makcik's younger sister) was all teary eyed with the good news! YAYYYYY!! Wani a doctor! That's my health plan secured!

Oh..ok, back to that MakCik.

I remember when I was about eight or nine years old, news of this makcik coming back was always such a big thing. My brother and I would have a countdown to the day that she'd arrive. There was once, she came back for a holiday, we were in the car and driving to Subang Airport to pick her up. We got there and waited but she never came out. We soon found out that we had gotten her flight details wrong and that she had flew in with an earlier flight and was already at her in-laws place in Gombak.

I was downright disappointed when my Dad told us that we'd just have to see the MakCik some other time and not that day. I sighed and sighed big elaborate dramatic sighs, till my Dad asked "What's the matter Anedra? Do you really have to see this MAkCik today??". I didn't answer, but went on sighing. Mom and Dad must have gotten real sick of my melo-drama that they decided to turn around and drive to Gombak instead. I was elated! And there she was with her luggage smelling of Londra full of goodies and always with an abundance of hugs and kisses and....pinches! Ouchhh!

There was this bond I felt, with this MakCik, which for me, was always special. And I suspect it is mysteriously connected with her doing my diaper changes when I was a baby. (Actually, she couldn't resist, I had a pretty cute bum, back then). And it is a bond I still feel today, at the ripe old age of thirty. Her return to us, every now and then is still much awaited, not only by us, her older nephews and nieces but even by the younger ones including her GRAND-NEPHEWS and GRAND NIECES. We are guaranteed days filled with laughter when she comes back, always entertained with her antiques, and oh, she even does a very sexy rendition of "I Will ALways Love You", which even causes my N to blush when he sees her at it!

This Makcik comes from the magnificent line of the wonderful aunts and uncles that I have. I will have to blog one day about my Mak Su and Pak Su, my Mak Tam and Pak Tam, my Pak Aji and Kak Nisa(who is actually an aunt, but more like a sister, hence the "KaK"), and my Pak Lang. Of course not to forget the Minang side of the family. My aunts and uncles have NEVER failed me and have been with me through thick and thin (not that I've been through SO much, though!). Even when I am now a mother of two, they are still there standing strong, supporting me (with emergency recipes for last minute guests, baju kenduri for pinjam etc etc) and the rest of the family through. I have always wanted to write about them,but with the diabolical writing skills I have, I feel I'd do them too much injustice.

So, why I say this makcik reads my mind?

Well, I couldn't think of any juicy love plots to blog about and suddenly, out of the blue, Pak Lang came to mind. He had left to work at some faraway exotic place recently, and I didn't call him to say goodbye the night he went, despite mama's persistent reminders. Last night, somehow, I thought of him, just before I dozed off to sleep. I saw him in Mama's kitchen, working away happily as he used too. I thought, "I'll tell a story about Pak Lang", my lonely Pak Lang in that far off place.

At 5 am in the morning, I got up to do some work. Naturally, I went bloghopping first, and lo and behold!! As though she knew I was thinking of it just hours before, the MakCik got to it, first. What a Mak Cik! I didn't know it was his birthday though. So here goes - Happy Birthday, Pak Lang! You're out of sight, but definitely not out of mind!

And as for that MakCik, if you don't know already, she's the one with the chocolates everybody loves.

She can definitely read my mind.

And, lucky me, she writes it better!