Aku tersentak ditegur Mak Jah. Aku memaling memandangnya.
"Mak Jah.....terkejut saya.....jemput duduk...hmmmm....Q dah masuk tidur....", aku mengajak dia duduk. She took her place next to me. All of the sudden she pinched me.
"Aduh....sakitlah Mak Jah...!" I shriek. Di tamparnya lengan aku. Now twice the pain. But I did not resist.
"Kalau setakat mengelamun je tak ke mana Imran........, Mak Jah dah cakap dari dulu lagi.....kalau dah suka, masuk meminang....tak baik main-mainkan anak dara orang. Mesti Q tertunggu-tunggu Imran.", Mak Jah mengungkit.
Aku menyengyitkan badan untuk menahan tamparan Mak Jah lagi. "Dah....dah....Imran dah bagi cincin tanda pada dia di Bali...please Mak Jah....sakit......", and her last weapon,......memulas telingaku.
"Eeee....geramnya aku.........kita ni ada adat. Hantar wakil jumpa mak bapak dia. Masuk meminang betul-betul. Tak payah nak ikut cara 'mat salleh' tuuu......kita orang melayu yang kaya dengan budi bahasa......faham tak ni....", nasihat Mak Jah.
"Ya....ya....faham......", sambil meraba-raba telinga aku yang kepanasan....
"Imran ni dah sedia ke nak jadi suami orang? Besar tanggung jawabnya.....", she said as she gave a comfort rubbed on my arm.
"Imran dah bersedia pikul tanggungjawab sebagai seorang suami.", jelas aku.
"Habis tu.....apa yang Imran tunggu lagi...? Mak Jah tak fahamlah......Imran ragu-ragu ke.....?", desak Mak Jah. She was confused.
Aku terdiam sebentar memikirkan bagaimana untuk menerangkan pada Mak Jah. "Memang saya sayangkan Q. Tersangat.....tapi Imran rasa dia masih belum memahami siapa Imran sebenarnya....", aku tahu sukar untuk Mak Jah untuk memahami perasaanku.
"Usia perkenalan kami belum setahun jagung. Dia masih mentah dalam hal perasaan dan hati.", aku menyambung. "Mak Jah tengok, cepat merajuk.....larikan diri.....belum matang....", sambil bangun dan berjalan menuju ke arah pintu utama. Aku membetulkan songkok.
"Mak Jah dulu jumpa sekali je dengan Pak Mat kamu tu sebelum kahwin....kenal pun tak. Tiba-tiba ada rombongan masuk meminang. Rupanya Pak Mat dah lama perhatikan Mak Jah dari jauh. Dia berkenan. Keluarga kami pun merestui dan kami ikat tali pertunangan 6 bulan. Kemudian kami nikah gantung sebab Mak Jah belum habis sekolah. Lepas Mak Jah lulus sekolah orang putih barulah kami disatukan. Pak Mat tu sporting......dia benarkan Mak Jah mengajar di sekolah agama di kampung kami....", sambil mencebir bibirnya. Aku tersenyum memerhatikan Mak Jah. "Mak Jah belajar jatuh cinta lepas kahwin. Lagi romantik....dan tak bosan.....", and she gave a thumbs up.......
"Tak payahlah pening-peningkan kepala. Tak semestinya kena cari yang serasi saja. Ujiannya Imran kena tukar yang tak serasi menjadi serasi.....Haaaa.......itulah perkahwinan.......", as she nodded her head.
Aku terkesima.....betul jugak apa yang Mak Jah cakap. It made me think....Orang dulu banyaknya kahwin muda. Ada yang dijodohkan oleh keluarga masing-masing. Kekal perkahwinannya...."Ialah Imran akan fikirkan nasihat Mak Jah. Masuk tidurlah Mak Jah....dah lewat....", aku bersuara.
"Hmmmm......Imran tak tidur..?", Mak Jah was concerned. The lines on her forehead suddenly appeared.
"Yes, in a bit....", I replied. Aku terus masuk ke study room lalu menutup pintu. Aku berjalan menuju ke meja study dan membelek fail-fail yang tersusun rapi. I sat on the executive chair and face the computer screen. I switched on the computer and search for You Tube. Aku memutarkan lagu Simply Red sambil bersandar di kerusi....
Credit to Simply Red and You Tube
Fikiran aku melayang teringatkan percutian di Bali bersama Q. It was wonderful time spent. I have never been that happy in a long time. Terbayang how graceful she was on the surf board. It was the right decision to proposed to her then and I have the full intention of marrying her. Mak Jah does have her points and I couldn't agree more. We've known each other barely 3 months.......my feelings towards Q are sincere and I want her to be my wife. But is she ready? Then there's her over possessive brother who think he owns Q. Finally,....her parents. Tan Sri is a filthy rich businessman and Q being the only daughter would be a huge task for me to ask him for his daughter's hand in marriage. Feels like I'm giving up?
Aku memerhatikan jam did dinding. "Ya Allah dah pukul 11:50 malam....? Lamanya aku mengelamun....", sambil menguap. Aku bangun and unfold the sofa bed. Sambil meletak songkok on the side table, I reached for my mobile phone.
"Should I or not....?". Perhaps she's already a sleep. I will see how she is tomorrow. We need to have some serious talk. I hope she's ready......I love you so much Q. I will do what ever it takes.....what ever it takes......
And Imran fell a sleep.
Note : Pictures and images are for illustration purpose only and are sources from Google.
