Which is Which

Assalamualaikum

Talking about those with a simple mind and form of action ... there was this other friend of mine who dropped by when passing my house a few days ago .... as I was having tea with members of my family.

He was of course invited to join us. It was a no 'hal' occasion for him (he just wanted to say 'hello' and relax for a while). We chatted while enjoying our tea with some 'kuih'.

All of a sudden this friend of mine remembered something. 

He excused himself and rushed to his car which was parked about a stone's throw from my house.

He soon came back with a laptop. He said (in Northerner's slang bahasa Malaysia):

"Takut tinggai ni dalam bonet keta ... nanti member kebaih habih".

[I'm afraid to leave this in the bonnet of the car ... it might  get stolen.]

I looked at him and cheekily said:

"Ha ... nasib hang baik ... natang tu tak rosak boh kat enjin keta ..." [Lucky you ... that thing isn't spoilt when left in the engine compartment.]

He asked me why I said that. I just replied that the engine compartment is almost always (except for very few brand of cars) situated in the bonnet. People keep their things and/or baggage in the boot of the car.

My friend just smiled and brushed off the explanation ... with this remark:

"Dah besa orang kata lagu tu dalam bahasa Malaysia ... amik barang kat bonet keta ... orang tak kata but pun ..."

[It's normal for people to say that in bahasa Malaysia ... get the things from the bonnet ... people don't mentioned the boot at all.]

Which is which? I thought to myself!

Well, to him what's the difference. It's OK as long as people understand what you want to say. So long as they knew what you meant.

I did not say more. After all he was that brilliant student who scored an A (Distinction) for English in the OSC (Overseas School Certificate) exam in the sixties.

It's fun to have friends of such character sometimes. I am sure you have such friends too ...

Bamuda

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