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Monday 23 June 2008

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…


8 comments:

Kerp (Ph.D) said...

not sure if i could blame nuri for having such unfounded fear. although i'm sure her health status are safe with all the buddies, she'd rather not take any risk tht could leak out. and if that happens, it may jeopardise her career for example.

i have this wheelchair friend kak Pi, and i noticed all his pics were taken only on his upper part. when probed futher, he confessed he's been hiding his crippledness from his online chatitng girl friends. ntah apa2 ntah.

*i love visiting the zoo. went to zoo negara recently and had a blast mingle around with orang utans.

Unknown said...

Kak Pi,
Everyone got their own reason for making something a secret, I guess.
Anyway, good luck with your upcoming big event ya :)

Pak Zawi said...

Pi,
You can take a cow to it's water but you cant force the cow to drink. Thats the attitude of some people who need help but refused to help. Good luck with your great job.

Pi Bani said...

Kerp,
In Nuri's case, her kampong folks already suspect that she has HIV because somehow when her husband died, words spread that he died of AIDS. So Nuri ni lebihkurang trying to avoid anything that could confirm their suspicions lah.

You had a blast mingling with the orangutans at the zoo? You didn't bergayut around with them did you?

Pi Bani said...

Akmal,
We all have our own reasons for doing whatever we do. Only thing is sometimes we get rather paranoid.

Pi Bani said...

Pak Zawi,
I doubt if I can even take a cow to water - especially jenis yang degil tu... :)

Anyway, some people memang susah sikit nak get out of their denial. Sabar ajelah...

Lee said...

Hi Pi Bani, ahhh, nak pergi Taiping zoo? The last time I was there wayyyyy back in the 70's, I think I did popped in looksee...remember seeing a tiger like never buka puasa....kurus betul.
I wonder whether any ikan haruan in the lakes.
Used to go poaching there couple of times, heh heh.
And it was with a male friend, dia duduk belakang kereta, saya depan...we fished for haruans...passersby sure took triple looks at us, two male in a car? Ha ha.
But they missed the couple of big haruans hidden in the trunk.
Have a wonderful time with your gang, and don't fall in the lake, Lee.

Pi Bani said...

Hi Lee!
I haven't been to the Taiping Zoo of late but was told that it has improved a whole lot. In fact now they even open for Night Zoo - though we don't plan to go at night for the Family Day trip.

And I don't intend to fall into the lake lah... I can't swim!! :)