A Day in the Life of a Spathoglottis ( Part 1 )

The Place:

A busy wet market somewhere in Penang. There on a grass pavement
grew a solitary Spathoglottis ( a plant of the Orchidaceae family ) eavesdropping on market place conversations.

The Characters:

Ah Hu, an enterprising fishmonger
Ah Beng, pasar malam dvd proprietor.Streetwise, internet savvy son of Ah Hu.
En.Ali, from Jalan Jelutong
Mrs Lim Siow Eng, a home maker, lately a born-again Greenie.
Ms Lim Ai Sui, Mrs Lim’s cosmopolitan daughter.
Auta Singh, civil servant attached to the Institute for Environmental
Protection Tanjung Bungah ( INEPT ).

It is now 8am and the sun is shinning brightly............

Ah Hu: Good morn , Mrs Lim, come and buy some kembung lah. So fresh and nice.
Good for you . so low cholesterol.

Mrs Lim: Aiya, only last night I buy imported salmon from supermarket. You sure your kembung fresh ah? Why eye red, red one?

En.Ali and Auta Singh was walking towards Ah Hu’s stall discussing the recent ‘explosive’ murder case that has gripped the country. Ah Hu thinking that the two were discussing his kembung.....

Ah Hu: Aiya En.Ali, my kembung caught here in Penang. We don’t use dynamite to
catch it.All my kembung harvested in non-cruel way lah!

En.Ali: Ah Hu, I am not talking about your kembung lah. Hello, Mrs Lim how are you?
Ai Sui balik Penang ah?

Mrs Lim: Ya lo. That’s why marketing to cook lunch. My Ai Sui very picky, only like imported stuff........

Ah Hu, the enterprising man that he is, decides now to make another sales pitch for his kembung, With En.Ali’s help........

Ah Hu: Aiya Mrs Lim, you must buy more tempatan. Right or not, En.Ali? If your daughter likes imported food, buy my fish and make her Japanese sushi lo!

En.Ali: Ya. We should buy more tempatan. Buy tempatan means we reduce transportation and so better for our environment. Less greenhouse gases......

Auta: Ya lah. Kerajaan say buy tempatan also good for our economy. You know lo,
towards Agenda 21 to empower locals.

Agenda 21,Form EA3, Type 2 dan lain-lain. All these numericals so confusing for Ah Hu.But, whatever . so long as his kembung sells......

Mrs Lim: Agenda 21? What’s that? Anyway, okay lah. Ah Hu, give me 1 kilo of kembung.But if your kembung not fresh.......

Ah Hu: Mrs Lim, where got I dare give you not fresh fish!

Mrs Lim: Okay lah. Wrap the kembung in newspaper and put in my basket. I don’t want plastic bags. Bad for environment. Ah Hu, next time, I bring more old newspaper for you and you discount for my fish!

Ah Hu could only shake his head meekly in protest at the future discount he must give Mrs Lim.

En.Ali: Mrs Lim, Are you going to the MNS AGM end August in Tasik Kenyir?

Mrs Lim: Not sure yet. Maybe, my lau kong not free. But, if my friends go , I tumpang lo. Can do car pooling. Thanks to you En. Ali, I learn so many
things about nature at MNS. Some more, the people there so friendly.

En.Ali: Go lah Mrs Lim. Remember AGM is on Saturday 1st September. Ask Mr Lim go also, no need always work work only.What about you, Auta? Want to join MNS?

A look of surprise bordering on horror appeared on Auta’s face.

Auta: Aiyo, Cannot,Cannot! We kakitangan kerajaan tak boleh, tak boleh!. Tak berani!

Mrs Lim: If I got no transport, can tumpang you or not. En.Ali?

En Ali: Of course!. My wife and I will be pleased to have such interesting and charming Mrs Lim for car pooling.

Mrs Lim: Aiya, segan lah .you say like that. But, thank you very much. I have to go. Bye-bye to you all.

And, quite uncharacteristic of Mrs Lim, she made a quick exit, blushing a little!

Disclaimer: "A Day in the Life of a Spathoglottis" is purely a work of fiction and any resemblance to any person(s), alive or dead or any events is coincidental.