RISIBLE ROPA
I am at a loss as to what plant this wonder flowers come from. Pari-pari means fairy. Would the plant be gay?
I immediately thought of my friend Ropa. No, he is not gay but he has diabetes and it would be wonderful if the flowers can cure him, InsyaAllah. Ropa is full of humour and he has been my friend since we were kids. His father and my father worked in the same department and we were next-door neighbours twice. Once in Padang Bongor, Kota Bharu and once again in Setiu, Terengganu.
A few years ago, Ropar nearly had his leg amputated but he escaped and sought alternative treatments. Even if he had lost his leg, Ropa would never lose his zaniness.
One afternoon, during a fasting month, we found ourselves in the Sultanah Cinema in Kota Bharu. As soon as the film started, Ropa took out his bag of jambu air (water apple or eugenia aquea - see pic). He tried to persuade me to join him in breaking fast. His argument was "It is already dark!"
Ropa later went to Technical Institute Penang. There he helped himself to the Warden's papayas. He uprooted the whole tree to get rid of any evidence. He told me about this episode via a letter enclosed in what was once the inside wrapper of a Gillete shaving blade. Even though the stamp barely fit the envelope, the letter reached me.
Ropa later became a Settlement Officer. We met again when he was posted to Kuala Brang where I first taught. Ropa didn't get married while my family grew. When pressed for his reason of being a bachelor, his answer was simple: "Tadok orang mari pinang lagi!" (No one came to ask for my hand yet).
He did get married after retiring from Government service. He married an older lady with grown up kids. Ropa told us he had to catch up and needed an instant family.
Recently Ropa suspected he had a growth or something in his brain. A classmate arranged for him to see a specialist in Kuantan. He told me the doctor recommended a treatment that included a number of surgeries over a couple of months. Ropa's reaction was to suggest that the doctor fastened a zipper to his cranium. "Whenever you want to look into my head, you do not have to operate. Just unzip and then when you are done, just zip it back." The doctor terminated the consultation abruptly.
Ropa can laugh in the face of adversity. He is still laughing with his instant family somewhere in Setiu. We promised to go fishing on my next visit. He will bring the jambu.
(Thanks Didee for reminding me how to position the pictures. Hugs.)
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13 CommentsOldStyle:
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hahahaha..this Ropa guy..must be a real crack fella aaahh..kelakar giler!
By
alang, at 12:11 AM
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Diabetis is something im very familiar with but i must say Uncle Ropa's zany and zest for life is like a precious stone or uranium(which one is more expensive..???). I dont think there is such person that i know could have behaved the way he did.
By
Well i hope he is well, still kicking and the zip is still working.. dont want something to be zipped (ouch..!!)
-lioness-
, at 12:18 AM
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ATTENTION:
By
It has been brought to my attention that the tea is made from bunga pari-pari, the flowers not the leaves. My apologies to the fairies everywhere.
I will make the necessary editing as soon as the server lets me. Bustaman, at 12:15 PM
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What does this Daun Pari Pari look like, any idea Pok Ku? Dad has diabetes, and maybe this will help. Anyway, your friend Ropa sounds like such a great person.
By lion3ss, at 2:26 PM
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I always admire people like that... the ones who 'interesting events' always seem to happen to and yet, they never lose courage to carry on.
By
By the way... thanks for linking me Pok Ku! :) DaisyBoo Blacksheep, at 3:03 PM
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It is actually bunga pari-pari. Not the leaves.
By , at 3:37 PM
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Ropa is in fact Wan Ghaffar a classmate of ours in the class of 54 of Sultan Sulaiman School. He is truely one of a kind. Always full of humour. It is always the case when we classmates get together he would be the one that would be cracking all the jokes. The one I remember most about his jokes are the stories related to someone from Kuala Brang trying to converse in 'bahasa orang luor' because this particular person was a public figure. Imagine all the mispronounciations. 'tengok' becomes 'tingok' 'berak' becomes 'birok'. If only Wan Ghaffar can read this comment he would know whom I mean. Perhaps Wan Adnan another classmate would read this and relate it to Ghaffar.
By , at 9:45 PM
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Ha sudoh! Bakpe yang gi sebut name dia tu? Tahu sorang sudohlah. Nyaknye Ku Ali kena samang. Komang spana sungguh budok Jambang Ija ni.
By , at 10:42 AM
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ever heard of skyfruit? (buah suharto). Very bitter, but good for diabetes. Mama & me are taking it. So far so good..
By elisataufik, at 11:16 AM
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Uncle, you can delete any comments if u think it is not fit to be published. If the name of Ropa has been made known, just delete the comments.
By , at 10:11 PM
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OH MY GOD Just when I thought your blog couldn't get any funnier, I get to read the comments which just split my sides.
By mokciknab, at 11:01 AM
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By the way Uncle Ropa's charm extends to the third generation, too. Adam is in love with his old battered van and Ilham calls him "Captain"
By mokciknab, at 11:12 AM
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Wrong classmate Elida. The one Adam and Ilham meant is Pok Li. Uncle Ropa is now too blind to drive or captain anything.
By Bustaman, at 11:26 AM
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