Cast From The Herd: Memories of Matriarchal Malaysia
M. Bakri Musa
Excerpt # 93: Annual Speech Day And Sports Meet
Prefects were much on display during premier school events like the Annual Speech Day and Sports Meet. You could also count on those occasions being graced by the sultans. That year’s Sports Day was of particular interest as the King would be in attendance, his first visit to his son on campus. Excitement was high, more so at Prep School.
That afternoon after lunch with everybody eager to leave for the function at Big School, the main part of the campus, I waited to make certain that everyone was gone. Then when I was sure of that, I sneaked back into my cubicle and read my National Geographic. I figured that with everyone eager to see and be seen with the sultans, no one would notice my absence.
It did not take me long to fall asleep, what with the unusual quietness. I must have had a long deep sleep for when I was awakened by the noise of the boys returning, it was already dusk. When I was certain that most had returned as judged by the noise level, I slipped out into the crowd to jointly enthuse with them on what a great day it had been. I was right; nobody had noticed my absence.
Or so I thought. Later in the quiet of the evening after “lights out” when all the kids had settled in their beds, Mat Gajah, my fellow Prep School prefect, tiptoed into my cubicle and in a hushed voice inquired, “Where were you this afternoon?” So he knew! I shrugged and kept quiet. “I don’t believe in this sultan shit either,” he said, “but I wouldn’t dare do what you did!”
He was incredulous that I would even consider let alone do what to him was clearly an act of contempt if not derhaka (treachery) towards our rajas. In Malay society, when the sultan is present, you stop everything and be ready to execute his every command.
The other important campus event was Speech Day, an academic recognition day combined with the school exhibition. We again anticipated our share of sultans attending. Yusof Sidek and I had partnered to dissect a live rabbit (appropriately anesthetized of course), complete with open chest and a beating heart. The objective was to demonstrate the heart’s action to various drugs. In vivo dissection to us biology students was routine; not so for others.
I manned the exhibit first so that when it was time for the sultans’ visit later in the day I could say to Yusof, “It’s your turn.” What I did not anticipate was that he too was not enamored with royalty. So when I turned to him, he protested and insisted that he was but my sidekick and took off, leaving me sweating. Meanwhile the royal entourage was fast heading towards my bench. In desperation I found a classmate who was not doing anything. I begged him to take over on the pretext that I had to go to the bathroom. Eager to give a performance for the sultans, he readily agreed, and I gave him the fastest science lab demonstration in the history of the school!
With that I bolted out, a trapped tiger released from its cage. By then I was truly desperate for the bathroom, the anxiety having taken its toll. I savored the double relief of my now-empty bladder as well as being spared the dilemma of how to address Their Highnesses. Was it sembah (genuflect) first and then greet, or was it the other way around?
When I returned, my classmate was surrounded by those squealing princesses. He was enjoying himself, telling those giggling girls the various anatomical parts of the rabbit. Thank God it was a female specimen! Otherwise there would have been bashful giggling and blushing as the girls were shown the various anatomy.
As things had settled down, I left to look for my absconded partner. I told him that I had taken care of the matter and that it was now his turn to clean up. Yusof readily did his part.
Next: Excerpt # 94: The Twig
