阿咪 Ah Mi

Yesterday went jalan jalan in pasar malam and went back to the office, sitting at the coffee table and chatting with colleagues. 

There is a cat cage beside us, Socks and Precious was lying down inside lazily. Then, a random little boy came by, looking at us with his round big eyes and then he seemed to be attracted by the cats.

He started to play with the cats with the black pencil he was holding with his little hand. He is so cute and I thought that he was one of the kids that came by our office to do casting for some kids advertisement.

This little boy who wore an Ultraman T-shirt then stopped playing and sit on the chair in front of us, looking at us curiously, I smiled at him and he just kept on looking at us with his beautiful eyes. We wonder where was his parents and kind of surprise that he didn’t look scared at all with strangers around.

 “Apa nama awak?” I asked.

Then he answered, “Ah Mi.”

“How old are you?”

Ah Mi holding his chin and gave me a “tricky” smile which looked really cute and showed me 4 fingers.

“He doesn’t look like 4 years old, not so young!” Lesther said.

“I think he doesn’t know how to count.”  Shu Chyi guessed.

We ask him again.

“Are you 5 years old?”

Ah Mi nodded his head.

“Are you 20 years old?”

Ah Mi nodded his head again.

“Are you 60 years old?”

Ah Mi nodded his head innocently.

“Oh, you are so old!”

Yes, he does not know his age.

After that, I treat him my food from pasar malam.

He came and took the food without feeling shy, which is very different from many other kids.

Then he asked, “辣的啊?” (“Is it spicy?”)

Now I know, he is a Chinese speaking but Malay looking kid.

“ 为什么你在这里？你的爸爸妈妈 在那里？”

(“Why are you here? Where is your parents?”)

“他们在pasar malam做工。我的爸爸卖Asam Laksa, 我的妈妈卖 char keuy teow.”

(“They are working in the Pasar Malam. My dad is selling Asam Laksa, and my mum is selling char keuy teow.”)

I guess he was jsut hanging around throughout the pasar malam and randomly came in our office, played with our cats and talking with us without the parents around, and he is just so young!

What a fearless little boy!

And I can imagine, Ah Mi who is feeding by the Asam Laksa and Char keuy teow business in the pasar malam every Wednesday, their life should be not easy.

When I was leaving, I asked him to go home with me. He just kept on smiling and shaking his head.

Not bad, he took my food but he knows cannot simply follow people home.

When I was trying to flashback what had happen on my day when I was driving home, I felt funny and even smiled to myself in the car when I remember the appearance of this little boy.

Ah Mi a cute little boy has made an interesting interlude of my day.