Malu, malu ....

Speaking of embarassing moments..

Mine have always been the consequence of being clumsy. My first unforgettable embarassing moment that ever got etched in memory was a fall in the man-size drain with flowing drainage in a county hospital, at 7 years of age.

It was totally a result of miscalculated judgement over the width of a drain during a silly jump. I had been running to escape from a chasing cousin. I fell with a big splash as the drain was heavily filled with drainage water, God knows from where. I didn't want to know and I bet you wouldn't too. I was lucky as I didn't hit my head against the concrite although I had fallen face-down. It wasn't pleasant. Mother got crossed and of course, my enemy brother was laughing non-stop. Cousin had shown a guilty face although I knew he too, was about to burst into laughter but trying hard not to. But later showed sympathy, anyway. The climax of a family visit to the maternity ward for that welcome-to-the-world greet (to a newly born relative) was heavily spoilt by that embarassing incident and thus the visit was cut short.

Much later in life, I had experienced few ocassions of embarassing moments that associated with clumsiness. At 16, I fell on my back, again, into a drain. I was lucky this time as it was a dry one albeit much smaller. Unfortunately, it was harder to get out of. A close friend had to pull me out with all her might, of course using both hands. You see, it wasn't easy to help a friend who has fallen into a drain, laying flat on the back, as it too tickle your funny bones, so chuckling away and pulling up that friend wasn't an easy task. I thanked the friend though. A passing by male classmate who had seen me laying flat in the drain, irritatingly made a remark which went something like this,

"I do not want to bother you much. But would just like to remind you about the important meeting after this recess. Er, by the way, what are you doing there 'resting' in the drain? It's recess you know, should go to the canteen instead"
*trying hard to look curious, at the same time not to burst into laughter*

???!!

And off he went. A few minutes later heard him chuckling away like mad.

Another girl friend who saw it all quickly raced down the stairs and tried to console me.

"I was trying to tell you..Jangan gostan, jangan gostan"

"huh? gostan?"

"Ye la, I told you repeatedly, jangan gostan .. siapa suruh gostan, kan dah jatuh..kehkehkehkeh" *holding her stomach*

The friend who helped pulled me out of misery said to the then-laughing-like-mad friend who had tried to warn,

"I heard you, but she didn't. It happened too fast. Tak sempat nak tarik her away from the longkang...kehkehkehkehkeh hehehehe!! Hilarious sungguh kau ni " ...looking back at me.

As I was recovering from my brief amnesia, I remembered looking up to the friend who had been on the first floor's flight of stairs to discuss about a matter. I thought,

Wait a minute now, that makes sense. No wonder she was shaking her head...

Unfortunately and unconciously, I had taken few steps back bit by bit in order to adjust my position, so that my voice was well heard. I had refused to listen to her distant murmur, because I thought my points were much more important than what she had to say. Little did I know her murmur had been the warning. dah, padan muka.

A year later, I had clumsily fallen on my tummy onto a pile of garbage with a stream of classes passing by. My classroom had been the third classroom along the row and the only way out was the stairs at the end of the building. So imagine the two classes that had to walk me by. It was a free show as a friend later recalled, for I had my skirt up the calf and I was funnily wriggling my legs with my hands spread out, like Superman on his first flying lesson. Yes that was exactly her words, like Superman.

Another friend likened it to a tortoise on its back. Struggling to flip over.

I cursed the cleaning ladies.

I couldn't blame the fact that it was the first day of school (school re-opened after a long holiday) and that the cleaning ladies had to clear all classrooms that had been used for some stupid courses over the holiday (yes, at that time, they dubbed the school to be the most advanced, modern and beautifully crafted school in SEA so, had been the favourite location for courses and seminars). But to have left a humungous pile of garbage there seemed to me an irresponsible act. They had left about 8-10 fully filled black bin liners exactly outside our classroom at the narrow pathway. What was more likely to happen than for someone to get trip over them?

I had to put on a brave face later that afternoon for the prep session. I wished I was sick in the infirmary. Male classmates made a fuss about it and girl friends teased.

Later in my life, followed a series of other clumsiness leading to embarassment:-

• accidently fell off a seat during a heated discussion with a university lecturer at 20. Almost made him spill his tea.

• repeatedly (accidently) dropped a bunch of house keys during first date with husband (at 19 of age).

• had misbuttoned (if there is ever such word!) the kebaya for akad nikah. Photos revealed one side of my kebaya was actually shorter than the other due to misalignment. Unfortunately no one was brave (or polite) enough to interrupt and 'correct' situation. Had wrongly blamed the tailor before realising it was all due to missing a button. (at 23 of age)

..and God knows what else are there waiting to happen..

A relative had once said, I was born to be clumsy.

Oh well, maybe I am clumsy. So what.... asal bahagia sudah.