Mak Dara Berembun

Gebangite Naz with Gebangite Raudz

Newbie

The Gebang Gang is pleased to introduce its newest addition, Tety G, elder sister to our Ely Greenfield. She managed to tear herself away from her lovely daughters for a night out with us gebang girls, after having prepared a scrumptious lunch for everyone at home. Ely tells me that Tety could use a break, so here we are.

CA was generous enough to take time off tinkering with the fish tank to mind Aishah for me. Like they say, the way to a man's heart is through his tummy. After a huge pancake breakfast and pasta marinara lunch, henceforth the only way, was my way. Heh heh heh!

So happens that Mija, CK's friend came all the way from KL to visit her, CK could not join us for the Tabung Amanah Aidilfitri Mega Warna Concert. So we arranged to meet at Secret Recipe, Plaza Singapura before which I managed to do a supermarket sweep at M&S and Body Shop with Tety. Initially, we had intended to go to Shahi Maharani, but we did not want to miss the buy one free one promotion. Alih-alih, they ran out.Sheesh! I am so disappointed with the restaurant because the ran out of a lot of things. So sorry peeps!

After dinner, we grabbed a cab straight to the Kallang Theatre. It was really a bizzare experience because the cabdriver thought it was funny to say that we were going down with the newly repaired Nicoll Highway as we were ascending the elevated highway. Alhamdulillah we got there in one piece, greeted by other mak dara and anak dara dressed to the nines with no children in tow. Wah, imagine how many babysitters and husbands gnawed their nails at home that night.

We gleefully walked hand in hand, Tety and I, giddy with excitement because this was a rare moment that we mothers get to go out without our girls, malam-malam pulak tu. As we walked towards the entrance, Noreez gestured at someone and called out my name. And there he was, my long lost friend, Nor Kamal Hazami. It was really overwhelming, I almost hyperventilated, to see that friend with whom I shared great many fond memories as struggling student artistes, 18 years old we were then, when we had great big dreams of making it in the music industry but had to get our studies out of the way.

Hazami, my vocal sifu, with whom I spent hours and hours training by roadsides, stairwells, playgrounds and over the phone during holidays before I could get over stage frights and got great big breaks at places I never thought I'd be romancing the microphone. At that time, "gospel choir" style singing was in fact very rare in Malaysia, we managed to do something out of the ordinary. Oh, the good old days. After we both completed our preparatory education, we went separate ways. It was last Sunday when old friends reconciled and connected just like old times. I must thank Allah and Noreez for orchestrating this precious Jejak Kasih moment.

The reunion was not to be brief. We carried ourselves, Noreez, Raudz, Tety and I, well enough to pass off as Hazami's entourage. Like hyperactive groupies, we cheered him on while he went through soundchecks and obediently tagged along all the way into his dressing room. Hazami was indeed still the Hazami I have in my heart. His cheeky sense of humour is ever so heartwarming. He quickly put everyone at ease with his banter. It was amazing to see Raudz's face light up everytime there was a punchline. I was sitting at one corner giggling like an airhead. There was just so much to say, so much to catch up on. It was really unbelievable. I also learnt from Hazami that Safri, the Malaysian answer to Tevin Campbell is also doing very well, singing while managing a hospital. All that singing at the carpark paid off huh?

Hazami, Mak Dara, Adik Dara, Kakak Dara and Mak Dara-Dara

When it was time for Hazami to wow the stage with his vocal prowess, the four of us mak dara and anak dara scurried off to our seats and cheered him on like obnoxiously hysterical groupie, flashing out cellphone LCD just so he could see where we were seated. Later, we learnt that he had to try hard not to break into a guffaw watching us behaving like overzealous fans. The icing on the cake was when he dedicated a song to me. God help me, I hope nobody noticed my presence in the audience, I was behaving oh-so-juicy for paparazzi, it might not look good on Melodi.

Peace to the World!

Like all working artistes, Hazami had to leave as soon as he finished his performance, rushing off for another engagement. We quickly left our seats and and went straight out to see him off. It was really like a secret rendezvous whereby we had to be ushered to the basement foyer away from public scrutiny. We sang our goodbyes in the form of a medley, while Tety hopped into their ride to show them the way out of Singapore. Incidently, prior to the show, they had got lost on their way to Kallang. Raudz wished she lived in Woodlands, just to be in the same car as her current interest, and I am not talking about Hazami.

Just as we saw them off, the three of us, adrenalized by what just happened that night, sat down on the steps in front of the Indoor Stadium under the somewhat starry skies while waiting for CA to come pick us up. We chatted a bit and suddenly it dawned to me the hikmah of all that has happened since the Gebang gang first met. There is a definite bond between us. God meant for me to be gregarious, rambunctious and fun-loving, that is why He sent me Noreez, Raudz and CK. As we excitedly talked about the birth of the KL Gebang Gang and new additions to our small group, it is just empowering to know that my blogger family is growing. Suddenly Singapore is less grey and less sterile for me.

Mak-mak dara like Tety, CK and I really do cherish all the fun-filled moments away from the monotony of our lifestyle with that dash of youthful energy that is so Raudz and Noreez. Thank you peeps!

Soon the Mak Dara are only too happy to be reunited with their own anak-anak dara. My anak dara really thought I had run away from her. After a lil pep talk, my anak dara still thinks her mommie is a star. Oh, what a night!

Back to planet Earth!

Ramadan Mubarak one and all.