Haji Maaya's Television Set

The late Haji Maaya was our next door neighbour who works at Kuala Pilah Hospital as a dresser. Being a senior staff with the hospital, he also has a staff house by the Hospital in Kuala Pilah town. He is known for his fabulous flower planting skills especially his orchids. Being well-to-do, he bought the 1st television set in the village and at the same time makes sure that the aerial are hoist high up so that the TV signals coming in to the TV would be sharp and clear. Being good neighbours, we always goes to the house and bother them, as and when we want to watch TV.

After school and if I am not doing any work, I would pop over to the house and request for the TV to be switched on and I would sometimes watch it alone; how unashamedly am I. Especially when there is Ultraman, Land of the Giants, Mission Impossible or other favourite series showing on TV. My escape to the world of tube movies and fantasies. Whenever there is a 'Malay Movie' showing on TV, the whole family would congregate to the house and watch the movie together with the family.

When things get around, more and more people would join us to watch the normally awaited 'Malay Movie' on the tube. Hassan (the house caretaker/gardener) would then go around within the crowd and collect 10 cents from each of us; except our family, which have the exclusive free right to watch his TV. It was black and white with only 2 channels available; but that was our 'new' entertainment then. Until we had our own TV, we kept going back to Haji Maaya's house day after day or night after night - what a good man he was - didn't realise that till now! He passed away many years ago.