Uncle Bas vs Pak Cik Dol

Our van driver, Pak Cik Dol practically raced us home. I could feel his aging Datsun pickup doddered as he stepped on the accelerator. He fussed over kids who took their own sweet time walking towards his waiting van, yet he authoritatively shooed everyone safe into the vehicle. The responsibility entrusted upon him was huge. Diligently he had to get these little tots, first timers at fasting delivered home on time before iftaar. Failing to do so, may just upset their parents. Not so much because the kids were late but this may just put them off from observing the practice in the holy month of Ramadhan. Pak Cik Dol knew that kids of that tender age - seven and eight, or more like their will power at fasting was rather fragile.

Pak Cik Dol was our school van driver. I remember Pak Cik Dol well. He was rather tanned, quite good looking and when he smiled his “gigi emas” always stole the show. Mom said that he used to work in Singapore as the pay was better across the Causeway. Over the years, he saved enough and bought his family a house right opposite the mosque. He then left Singapore and came back to be with his family. And this was also when he started the school transport business of his.

In the early days when Pak Cik Dol started his school pick up business, his service was offered to children of close friends and neighbours in the housing area where he stayed. It didn’t take his business long to flourish and in a few years he was the proud owner of a fleet of buses. His friendly disposition made him very likeable in the community. In no time he became bilal at the mosque and we’d hear him reciting the adzan, cajoling the sleepy heads to rise each morning to perform the solat.

That was Pak Cik Dol then. He had passed on. God bless his soul and gives him rewards for the good deed he had done to us.

The story of Nissa’s bus driver, however is no where close to Pak Cik Dol’s. During the fasting month, school finishes at 5.30pm. One would expect the kids to arrive home by 6.00pm, oh well maybe latest by 6.15pm right? They’d have time to change and rest a while before it’s time to break fast. Unfortunately, that is not the story with Nissa. Last week, three days in a row, she arrived home later than 6.30pm, exhausted and cranky. She was in no mood to speak to anyone except her kitties. And by the time she finished eating at iftaar, she almost fell asleep at the dinner table. It was such a pitiful sight. Thank God there were no complaints about not wanting to fast on the next day.

Last night I asked the poor girl about her late arrivals from school. I had expected her reply to be “I was playing with my friends and I missed the first bus and I had to take the next one…bla…bla bla…”

Instead she had this to give to me, “Uncle Bas tu tidooo lah Mama. Dia jemput semua budak lambat.”

“Mana Nissa tau?” my question came immediately afterwards.

“Iyer…Uncle bagi tau to all of us yang he tido and that’s why he came late to fetch us.”

Me….terdiam with outright exasperation. There I was, assuming Uncle Bas was as efficient and responsible as Pak Cik Dol, instead this plumpish, sleepy head was merrily taking time on his hands, dozing on off as he wishes.

Nasib baik puasa, so ada ampun buat Uncle Bas. Anyhow, I must remember to put a complain to the bus company about him. I can't imagine what it's like when he comes to fetch the kids, half awake and not alert to the children's safety and well-being on the moving bus. Isshhh..takut nya bila fikir. So in the mean time, I’d have to take over Uncle Bas' duties. These days I hardly wait long in the office. The moment the clock strikes 4.30pm...that's it, I'd have to call off the day, pack my stuffs, head to the elevator, get into my car, pray that the traffic is smooth and race back to pick up Nissa at her school. It can get pretty stressfull at times when there are also thousand others doing the same stunt like me. This week I got the UPSR exam to thank to, as school is out for the non exam sitting children. And that leaves me with just next week to deal with before school closes for the Raya break.

So in the mean time.......looks like I'd just have to sabarrrrrr.....