The Dance.

Please don't think that I do not like Malay songs...Never my intension untuk mengagungkan lagu 'mat saleh'. I do have my share of 'feeling' sorang sorang bila dengar beberapa buah lagu melayu. Ada yang boleh buat I sebak, hiba, menangis dan ada kalanya lagu melayu tu akan membuat I senyum sendiri. MMmmmm...

One that crossed my mind was a favorite of my dad's...RINDU BAYANGAN. I asked him once why did he like the song very much? He just smiled, raised his thumb and push his nostril to the side. Emm?

The opposite with my biological mom...her westernized upbringing, and her father being a respectable high rank army person....she enjoyed English songs. When I was 7 or 8 years old, I used to peak through her door key hole. I saw her holding a microphone like taping her voice or recording what she sang. I listened her singing FEELINGS, DO YOU KNOW WHERE U'RE GOING TO by Diana Ross. Of course yours truly pun nak enter frame...so my mom locked herself in her room...away from disturbances.

I notice my dad liked Rindu Bayangan just after he met my step mom. Guess at that age dia pun nak 'feeling'. Ha Ha Ha maybe itu lagu cinta mereka. Who knows, what ever the song meant to him.

Anyway, on his retirement night at Bukit Aman...it was simply amazing. The experienced watching a group of bagpipers playing in the hall. Berdenggung! For a moment I rasa macam jantung I dah roboh but I was proud and full of semangat kemalaysiaan. Is there such as word? KEMALAYSIAAN?

Later he gave his speech and of course yours truly was mentioned, something about being sick and now she now can fight against a sumo wrestler...never mind...I do not care to elaborate much....

Then there were the police combo playing some tunes and guest appearance by ND Lala and Nona Manis. Hahaha imagine that...I can remember Nona Manis, a twosome female artist. After their performance, I approached the MC and asked her if she can persuade ND Lala to sing Rindu Bayangan in Abah's honor.
(In 1985, N D Lala was renting a room at my ex-school mate's house right behind Assunta Secondary School. He was a rising actor at the time. I took the opportunity of having him signing my autograph book. Thank you to Zalina.)

Well, you cannot have things go your way all the time. So, I had to settle with the Police Combo playing an instrumental tune of Rindu Bayangan. But to top the cherry on the icing...Abah's asked me for the first dance!

Embarrassed? HELL YEAH! In front of hundreds of people and the Chief Police of KL , Datuk Ismail Che Ros and his wife, sitting right there! THERE!!!

But, that was a personal moment for a father and daughter to bond. I never been to a prom so that night was my prom night. And my dad is my date.

Next thing I knew, everybody clapped and the song ended. Oh Well.

The picture of me dancing is in Parit, sitting in an album. Kalau ada kesempatan I will try and scan untuk tatapan umum.

That! I will not forget for as long as I live!

AMIN.