The Frayer Programme is a selfless agenda in which the aim is to help the students in selected primary schools.We go there as a group of 40 students who are looked up upon by the children there.By holding a few classes and some talks,we were trying to build up their confidence and help them achieve more understanding on several subjects being tested in the UPSR exams,mainly Maths and English.Aside from all that,we would be living with our foster families for those weekend and understand the culture and the hardships faced by them.
There were 2 Frayer Programmes held that year.The first was in Gua Musang,Kelantan.The other one was in Teluk Kemang,Port Dickson.The one in Kelantan was a challenging one.We had to endure an 8-hour bus trip and make our way deep inside the outskirts of the city.As expected,the people there weren't those wealthy sort of type.It was pretty much like poverty was just around every corner.But they still manage to go on with life living in old wooden houses.The children at SK Tengku Fakhry Petra were delighted with our presence.The only problem for some of us was trying to understand their thick accents.Whatever the problem,we were able to handle it.We even played some football with them in their field together,barefooted.
SK Teluk Kemang was the venue for our programme in Port Dickson.This time,it was easier to understand them.For the foster families,it wasn't much like the ones in Kelantan.I wouldn't consider them as having a hard time living their lives.They were pretty much wealthy.My foster family lived in the village area.The father was the chief there.Before leaving,he even gave me a great amount of money.I couldn't give it back as he insisted.But most of the other foster family lived in the city.
Moving on,it'll be impossible not to be forgotten by those kids.One particular kid from SK Teluk Kemang didn't forget me.Having the difficult task of recovering her broken fingers on her right arm just a few weeks before UPSR,she didn't really like it when people asked her about her fingers.She was such a small child at the time.But then again,a feisty one.I noticed how upset she would get when my other comrats would come and ask her about the hand.I wasn't sure why.But after a few years of observing people's behavior,I kind of succeeded in taming the lion.Or in this case,the lioness.I would always ask her simple questions from time to time,ignoring the fact she was temporarily handicapped.I guess she just realised how much we were worried about her.Even though she wasn't from my group,I could still feel the warmness as she kissed my hand for the last time.Unlike Kelantan,this time I didn't gave anyone my number fearing I would be repeatedly disturbed just like by those from Kelantan.
A few months later,I went back home more than a week in August due to the fear of the H1N1 outbreak.I was indeed sick,but still safe from it.Coming back to school,I was indeed in for a surprise.SK Teluk Kemang visited SDAR the previous week as a token of appreciation for the Frayer Programme and to check out how awesome living in a boarding school would be.To my uttermost disbelief,the girl with the broken fingers gave me a card alongside a pencil and an Upin & Ipin notebook.The inside of the card were as follow:
"Assalamualaikum.Abg apa khabar.Adik di sini sihat.Abg doakanlah supaya adik mendapat 5A dlm UPSR.Adik akan medoakan abg supaya berjaya dlm SPM.SAYA YAKIN ABNG AKAN LULUS DLM SPM.Adik ada belikan abg hadiah.Itu saja yang mampu adik beri kepada Abng."
Hello?!LULUS DALAM SPM?I'm sure I can do that.However,it would be totally cool if she'd said something like ,"Adik doakan abg dpt sume A utk SPM!".Hahahahaaa.I remembered how I was a bit down after reading the card.But still,I was absolutely delighted with it.I didn't expect her to remember me at all.It seemed that she was comfortable with the way I was treating her I suppose.I was so glad I took the right decisions.
She eventually got my number.But sadly,we hardly ever contacted each other in 2010.However,she suddenly reappeared this year and expressed how much she missed me.Hahahahaa.How cute is that?She requested to be my pet-sister.But if I'm not mistaken,she did the same thing in late 2009.I guess she must have forgotten it.She currently goes to SMKA Teluk Kemang.A residential school.She called me recently around 5 o'clock using the phone booth.And I'm guessing that won't be the last time I'll hear from her.
Leaving SDAR doesn't necessarily means that I'd have to leave all the memories behind.Someway,somehow,it'll come back to you in the most astonishing way possible.For instance,through a girl named Siti Khairunissa.
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