Small Kindness (3)…

“Seems that you are early this morning,” said the old man, his words in thick Kelantanese accent. His hands were busy folding the layers of thick cardbox made from used boxes from the screen of my car, parked in the grounds.

“Yes! Early appointment at the campus!” said I, thanking him with a wide smile.

“It is alright. I thought that you would be more comfortable in the car each morning when the sun gets too bright,” he said, grinning back.

Each day, he would be doing the same thing tirelessly. Covering up the screen of my car the night before and uncovering it, just before I got into the car. He, who was (and I believe still is) the owner of a small lodging in a kampung environment, behind a school (Sekolah Kebangsaan Langgar), right across the Hotel Renaissance, Kota Bharu, Kelantan.

Whenever I needed to be at the USM Medical Campus to gather data or was in the phase of testing the system which was developed for my Ph.D studies project, I would choose to stay at his place. Not a night or two, but for weeks on end. Surely, I could burn a hole in my pocket if I were to stay at a 5 star hotel! Even then, my lodging was covered by a research grant which I managed to acquire, Alhamdulillah.

Three years have passed. I was invited to conduct a creative writing workshop at KB. The small cakoi pandan (a delicious delicacy) stall right at the corner of the small lane leading to the main road was still there. And the eatery where I used to have my dinner was as it was. I passed by the small lodging place, my heart remembering the kind old man, just wanting to inquire how he was doing. But he was not there. And there was something new. A free wi-fi service!

I pray and doa that his small business will continue to prosper …Amin.