Tentang Lalat

Ilhan and good mate Seth

Summer has kicked in, and all the lalats of Australia have come out to play. They are a.n.n.o.y.i.n.g I tell you. They are everywhere, not just near longkangs or rubbish dumps back home. They are buzzing everywhere, boldly landing on your face especially around the eyes and nose area. Urgh. Now that I’m older I know that, no, them landing on your skin (especially your face) will not leave you looking like Sharifah Aini, but still having a group of them vying for a spot in your nostrils is URGH!

 

Anyway, something happened at bedtime today. I was tucking Ilhan in and there was this persistent buzz in the room. You know what they say about how the buzz of a single fly/mozzie can be the most deafening sound?  Alamak...punya fed-up. I tried swatting it with a towel. Ilhan was giggling cos my swatting dance must have looked quite a sight. But when he realized that I was hell-bent on exterminating the pest, and when I said a triumphant “Ha..kau..kau…kau…” when my swat kena the fly, he sat up and said…

 

Ilhan: “Ibu jangan pukul lalat yah. Tak baik kan.”

Me: “Hmm? Tapi dia kan dirty and noisy.”

Ilhan: (at this point his voice and lips were quavering) “Tapi kan dia noisy sikit aje. Tak noisy banyak. Kesian dia. Ibu jahat. Tak sayang ibu.”

 

And he turned the other side and covered his face with his bambam (bantal busuk). Bukan main sedih lagi kawan tu.

 

At that moment I felt like Cruella de Vil.

 

I had to apologise to him and the lalat species in general. I was let off with a stern “Ibu jangan pukul lalat lagi. Tak baik kan.”

 

Crikey! Watch out mates...I might have the next Steve Irwin in my hands! J