Ajih Baroh and Cikgu Rahman

'Ajih Baroh' lives across my house, as he leaves on the 'baroh' part of the main trunk road. I live on the 'darat' part; and as such I have always been called 'Ajih Darek'. He goes to Sekolah Kebangsaan Senaling in Bemban. Cikgu Rahman was then the fierce senior assistant at the primary school. That particular year, Cikgu Rahman married Cikgu Azizah with all the splendours of a ceremony.

Ajih Baroh apparently have been talking about their marriage - including the made-up stories of night time adventures that married couples go through. Somehow or rather, the news reached Cikgu Rahman's ears. As angry as he was, he came to Ajih Baroh's house with a 'large' cane about 3 feet long. Went straight to look for him, corner him in his house and being as stern as he is, caned and pokes into Ajih Baroh's mouth. I could hear him screaming his brains out, but being an elder and a respected person - and it was 'during those times', Cikgu Rahman give him his all.

When it is all done; together with the lectures and advised while the cane whipped Ajih Baroh's cheek and mouth, Cikgu Rahman left with a satisfaction that he had taught a 'boy' the need to not 'talk bad behind' or face the consequences. I remembered seeing Ajih Baroh crying the whole day, still in pain from the whipping and poking of his mouth. His cheek was all black and blue with glaring marks on both sides of the mouth. 'During those times' there was nothing anybody would do; but the guardians actually sided the Cikgu or the then elders with authority.

Now! It would be a different story - flashing on the front page of all major newspapers. Where are you, Hashim Abdul Latif?