Happy days...Kelantanese words (2)

“Why are those people staring at us?” said Lin, frowning away.

“Never mind them, Lin. We are not doing anything wrong,” said I, putting a bottle under the spout of the water filter machine.

“But I am feeling kind of queasy,” said Lin, grabbing another bottle to replace the one that I was holding which was already nearly full.

“Surely you would understand why they are giving us those kind of looks! Have you realized that ever since our first day here, we are the only people making use of this water machine,” said I to the Masters student of mine teasingly, with the intention of easing away her uneasiness.

We were on our way back after another long day at the Radiology Department of USM Hospital, Health Campus, Kubang Kerian, Kelantan. I needed to get some daily supplies, so we diverted to the town centre (Kota Bahru). Mydin Supermarket was one of our favourite haunts.

“Do you have another one of these? In a bigger size?” I asked.

“I will check whether there is any in stock,” said the girl at the counter.

A few minuters later, she came back and said, “I am afraid we have run out of stock but we can always check with another one of our branches, especially the one nearby. Would you like me to hello to them first?” said the girl.

“Hello?’ said I, confused.

“Yes! I will hello to them if you really want me to!”

I nodded my head while my eyes gazed at Lin’s crooked face. She was listening all the while.

“Ma’am! There is stock at the other branch, I have asked them to bring them over. If you would like to come again tomorrow, I will keep them aside for you, “ said the girl, smiling ever so sweetly.

“I certainly will! Thank you for all the trouble,” said I.

We left the place but not without Lin asking me, “Why are you smiling endlessly?”

“Oh! Nothing!” I said, igniting the car engine.

The next day, as always, we were back at the campus. I realized I needed something. And very urgently too. So, off I went to my colleague’s office.

“Could you please get them for me. I would be so grateful!” I said.

“Sure! I will hello right away to that friend of mine who borrowed them from me some time ago. Why don’t you have a seat while I do just that?” said my colleague, a lecturer at the Medical School, Health Campus.

“Hello?” I said, frowning.

“Yes! Hello!” said she, nonchalantly.

This time around, I could not withhold my wide smile from breaking into a laugh. I thought that the term ‘hello’ was just a layman’s way of saying ‘making a call’. Little did I expect that the same term is rampant amongst intellects at the medical campus.