Tuesday, December 23, 2008

BalQisku episod 4(ii)



Sweet hard hand By Hadiah



“Sweet Home Alabama,” Balqis menyanyi-nyanyi kecil, mengikut rentak lagu. Kredit untuk filem tersebut baru sahaja ditayangkan. Matanya sedikit berkaca mengenangkan ending filem itu. Predictable. But still sweet.

“Are you crying?”

Cepat-cepat Balqis menundukkan wajah. “Apa suka hati kejutkan orang ni? Bagilah salam dulu,” rungut Balqis. Tidak senang kerana waktu menontonnya dikacau.

Danial melabuhkan punggung di atas sofa sebelah Balqis. “La, dah satu rumah pun kena bagi salam lagi ke?”

Balqis terdiam. Tak kuasa nak layan. Dia mengubah channel dari HBO ke Cinemax. Kebetulan ‘Legally Blonde’ sedang ditayangkan. Balqis tersengih girang.

“Apa you ni chick flick consecutively in a row?” rungut Danial. Dia meletakkan lengan ke atas bahu sofa.

Balqis menjeling dengan anak mata. “Last time I check, my name pun ada kat Lesen TV tu, okay? Bila masa pulak you rajin tengok TV ni?” soal Balqis semula.

“Ala, I pun nak unwind. Ingat doktor je ke yang unwind?”

“Pergi la clubbing,” gumam Balqis perlahan. Geram. Tak pernah-pernah tengok rupa TV tu sejak empat bulan mesin itu bertapa di ruang tamu, tiba-tiba malam itu nak claim hak pulak. Comel je.

“Apa dia?” ulang Danial.

“You nak tengok apa?” soal Balqis kembali, buat-buat bodoh dengan soalan Danial. “Dilarang sama sekali mention wrestling or golf. I’ll mutilate the TV if you do,” sambungnya.

Danial ketawa. “Ganas. Agak-agak patient you tak lari ke dengar you cakap gitu?”

“Cepatlah. Karang tengok Legally Blonde je karang,” balas Balqis lagi, mengugut.

Danial menarik muka. “Please. Nasib baik I tak buta tengok baju pompuan tu waktu kat Cineplex dulu. Pink semambang,” komen Danial.

“Habis tu kalau you tak cakap channel mana, her pink clothes is all we would be seeing for tonight.”

“Ok, ok. I nak tengok ‘The Big Hit’ kat AXN.”

Balqis menukar siaran ke AXN. Iklan.

“You pernah kena main kayu tiga by your partner tak?”

Balqis menjungkit kening. Relevan ke soalan tu dengan movie ni? “Meaning?”

Danial terdiam. Menimbang-nimbang semula kewajaran untuk small talk dengan Balqis. “Exactly what it meant,” balas Danial pendek.

“Hmm.” Balqis berpaling dan membalas renungan Danial. “You mean, apart from our current situation being the case ke?”

Danial menampar dahi. Dia tersenyum kecil, memohon maaf. “Okay. Very insensitive of me. I’m sorry.”

Balqis ketawa. “Don’t be, Danial. I’d rather not venture into that territory.”

“Okay okay. Let me rephrase. Kenapa you terima pinangan dari keluarga I dulu?” soal Danial.

“It’s not my business to say no,” balas Balqis. Monoton. Pandangan dialihkan semula ke kaca TV.

“But you could have said no, right? Pa and ma you bukan orang kampung kolot yang tak dapat terima their child’s decision. I’m sure you dah ada calon you sendiri,” tukas Danial. Dia membetulkan duduk di sofa.

“Yes and no. Yes, I could have said ‘no’. And no, I couldn’t risk breaking their heart. Kalau you perhati betul-betul, your parents and mine betul-betul determined nak jodohkan kita dulu,” ujar Balqis, masih monoton. Bila nak habis iklan so he could shut up?

“How about my last question?” soal Danial lagi, masih tak puas hati.

“Soalan mana?”

“About calon you sendiri.”

Balqis terdiam. Dia tidak terasa untuk mengadakan sesi ‘heart-to-heart’ dan psychology lesson dengan Danial. Balqis kembali merenung wajah Danial. “Listen Danial. Let’s reverse the situation. Kenapa you tak bangkang keputusan papa untuk melamar I?”

Danial menjungkit bahu. Gilirannya pula mengalihkan pandangan ke kaca TV. “Papa is a very determined old guy. What could I say?”

“The same goes for me, then.”

Mereka terdiam. Kini Mark Walhberg dan Lou Philips sudah memiliki China Chow dalam tahanan.

“I tak pernah mintak nak susahkan hidup siapa-siapa. A year ago, I wouldn’t even heard of your name, let alone thinking of marrying you. Danial, mungkin my ideology kolot pada pandangan mata you, but I never want to disappoint my parents. Maybe you agreed to this marriage to secure your inheritance, I couldn’t care less. But I’m their only child. I took the challenge of marrying you as something I do to please my parents. Like getting good grades in exams.”

“You didn’t object the marriage, I assumed it was what you wanted too in the first place. I’m not a mind reader, Danial. Manalah I nak tau you nak suruh I reject the proposal in the first place! No amount of telepathic signals would be enough. Lain kali, why don’t you hold up a sign on things you want me to do, or you don’t want me to do? And remember to write it in red too. Senang nampak sikit.”

“I never meant to torment your soul. Kalau I tahu you dah ada your own partner, sumpah I akan tolak lamaran tu. For the whole four months of our marriage ni, I’ve learnt that you are not a discreet person by nature. Jadi, kenapa, for God’s sake, you didn’t let the world know about what you truly wanted before this marriage happened? Kenapa you kena tunggu four months baru nak cakap you tak puas hati? I’m not a ‘money-back-guarantee’ nyer barang. You can’t exactly return me to my parents cuz ‘pa, ma, Balqis just doesn’t suit up to my needs’.”

“Balqis…”

“No, I’m not finished. Make up your mind. I entered this deal with the idea of negotiation in mind. I was willing to tolerate to your needs. Tapi it won’t work out this way, Danial. You hate my guts and I hate yours. So, what say you?”

Danial tergamam. Dia memerhati wajah Balqis yang mula memerah. Tidak sangka outburst sebegitu akan lahir dari bibir wanita yang selama ini acuh tidak acuh menjawab soalannya.

“Well, now is probably a good time to say something,” ujar Balqis kecil.

Danial menggelengkan kepala. Dia meraup wajah. “Is it my cue already?”

“Fine. Be impossible the way you always are.” Balqis bingkas bangkit dari sofa.

“You nak ke mana?”

“Tidurlah. Takkan nak pergi basuh kereta?”

6 comments:

  1. memang da bertemu buku dan ruas ni...best giler balqis memainkan ayatnyer...

    kak hadiah..u have a such a superb powerful word.

    ReplyDelete
  2. whoaa....
    ternganga aku bce ayt dye...
    power arh..power rangers pon klh...
    heheheehehee....
    ske2...

    ReplyDelete
  3. ka nah kne.
    terharu siot.
    agaga.
    ayat perghhh.mmg high class.
    agagaa.

    ReplyDelete
  4. =O..
    aiguuuuuu.
    sepikceles sy..
    aytnye memg mncbr minda sy yg tak bpe fsih englsh ni.fuhhhhhh..hehe

    ReplyDelete