It's calling calling time!

Yep, it’s that time of the year again when I’d start calling all my clients asking them if they’d like to join our Family Day trip. We have fixed our Family Day to be on the first Sunday of August each year, which means this year’s will be on the 3rd of August. We may however have to reschedule the date in 2 or 3 years time when it coincides with fasting month.

Last year it was a day at the Lost World of Tambun, the year before was Teluk Batik beach. This year we’re going to Taiping Zoo.

“Let’s go to the zoo… there’re lots of things to do…”

This is the time when I wish I didn’t have so many clients. You see, I can’t be calling them all at the same time. So what happened was one of the clients who had already been told about the Family Day, so happened to meet another client who had NOT been told (they met at the HIV clinic), and the one who already knew about it asked the other one if she’s going when this other lady didn’t know heads or tails. Then she started thinking that I did not invite her along when in actual fact I had not invited her yet. Aiyah, leceh lah like this…

Anyway, that lady was Nuri who had never joined any of our activities anyway, so that was probably why she thought I didn’t bother to invite her. As a matter of fact she told the other client, Shila, that she wouldn’t want to join even if I asked her because if she did everyone would know she’s HIV positive! Yeah, some of them still think that way. We never discuss anything about HIV during our Family Day and people who didn’t know would just think that ours was just like any other Family Day functions which has no relations whatsoever to any illnesses. But what can I say, while Nuri doesn’t mind having a buddy, she still doesn’t want us to visit her at home for fear that neighbors would be asking who we were and they’d end up knowing about her HIV status. The only time I went to visit her at her hometown, we had to meet outside. Most of the time I’d just meet her when she comes to Ipoh for her hospital appointments.

So far Jah, Shila, Fuzi and Zainab have said yes to the Family Day trip this year. I still need to call Ani, Hana, Sha, Lin and Maria, although in Maria’s case, chances are her husband wouldn’t give the go-ahead. Maria had wanted so much to join us in Lost World of Tambun last year but her husband said no.

As for Lin, it will be rather difficult for her too as she works on Sundays and it will not be easy getting leave from her employer. I’ve tried calling Yah but my calls didn’t seem to get through. After one ring, the calls get cut off. Either she has changed her number or she had not paid her phone’s access fee. I guess I have no choice but to send her a text message and hope she gets to read it. Yah did join last year’s trip together with her kids.

Speaking of which, Yah has not been calling me for quite some time now I wonder if she’s still having an affair with Mr. Darling. You see, recently, Mr. D did call a male colleague of mine. He said he got my colleague’s number from Yah, so I guess Yah is still in touch with him. Funny thing was, Mr. D asked my colleague (for the 2nd time mind you!) if he could arrange to introduce him to other HIV positive ladies! Haiyah, this romeo, he's still keeping in touch with Yah, but at the same time looking for other HIV positive ladies. He doesn’t want to be assigned a buddy, but calling one of us to be his match-maker instead!

It would be interesting if both Lin and Yah can join this year’s Family Day. Mr. Darling? Well, unless he joins as our client within the next month, he will not be invited – so there will be no Close Encounters of Yah, Lin, Dah-ling all at the same time. :)

I’d better start calling those whom I have not called yet. I may need to take a break in July so I need to settle everything by this week…