Ahmad Dhamiri

i dreamed a dream..

AHMAD DHAMIRI

Everything looked radiant in the early morning, the sunlight streamed through the open window and there was a glow in the room. The plants in the garden glistened with dew drops and seemed as if they were bathing in the morning sun. A gentle wind was blowing and the tall coconut trees were dancing to the rhythm of the wind. It was the fruit season. The wind carried the strong smell of durians and other fruity aromas.

It was 7.45am and it was Wednesday. From the corner of yellowish-coloured building, a slim-waisted lady walked slowly and her colourful floral and embroidered red kebarung approached the door of the class. The smell of minyak atar was engulfed all along the way she walked through.

“ Good morning children, Assalamualaikum. How are you today?

“ Waalaikumussalam teacher ”. The roaring class replied.

“ By the way, I have forms for the essay Competition held by Air Asia in conjunction with its anniversary. If anyone of you interested, you may come to the front and take the form here.”

The soft spoken Pn. Aminah Taslim told the standard four pupils of Sekolah Rendah Kebangsaan Sungai Koyan, Kuala Lipis. A remote school somewhere in Pahang.

“ I want to take part! ” a pupil shouted and his voice dispersed in the tremendous noisiness of Enam Cemara.

“ I want too. We all want to take part!” the other pupils stand and throw their intention to the 42 years old teacher.

“ Urrrrmmmm. Teacher. May I take part? ” . Dhamiri came forwarded.

“ What? Dhamiri wants to write an essay? ” a pupil asked. “ What a joke..urghhh..”

For Dhamiri, the class has turned into a big court, a grim and earnest place. The people surround him eagerly asking and tormenting him as if he is that stupid.

“ Dhamiri cannot write and read”. They shouted without seeing and sensing Dhamiri’s despondency and tears.

“ Oh God, He can’t even spell ‘aeroplane’ and he wants to write an essay? , another chuckled.

“ Ahmad Dhamiri is so bodoh, he cannot read and write. Nobody wants to kawan with him”, the whole class joined together teasing, taunting an orphaned, poor, illiterate boy named Ahmad Dhamiri.

“ Stop it! Let him try. Dhamiri, come and take the form” , Pn Aminah pacified the roaring class.

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Ahmad Dhamiri Dharma was an orphaned, poor boy. His parent were killed in a tragic accident 11 years ago. His grandmother told him that his parent were on their way to send their ‘ ubi kayu’ to other village. Since then dhamiri was raised by his sickly mother.

Dhamiri is a unique name. It is a combination of his father’s and his mother’s names. His father’s name was Dharma, he was an Indonesian who illegally settled in Malaysia, whereas his mother’s name was Seri. Both of them worked as farmers.

Being old and poor, the grandmother had little to offer Dhamiri. As such, he did do well in school. While other children enjoyed reading folktales and stories, Dhamiri could hardly read. In spite of this, Dhamiri has ambitions. He knows that he is ambitious. Deep down in his heart, he has a blazing, fiery determination to be somebody.

“ Ari, eat your rice and then you can have a short nap. Do not mind what other children say”, Opah consoled him. Dhamiri cried bitterly when all his friends teased him in the class that morning. With the form firmly clutched in his thin little hand, Dhamiri dozed off to sleep.

“ Welcome abroad ladies and Gentlemen. Air Asia crew convey our warmest thanks for choosing Air Asia for your flight today. With Air Asia, Now everyone can fly. Ten minutes from now, this airplane will take off. I kindly remind ladies and gentlemen to fasten your seatbelts. Seat back and relax”.

There was a thundering sound as the majestic plane swerved upward into the cloudy, blue skies. I looked through the round glass window and I saw thick cloud. The patches of the cloudy white clouds reminded me of the Param’s ABC that my schoolmates used to drink after school. In a moment, a courteous stewardess brought in cold drinks and tasty food for all Air Asia passengers on board. Never in my life had I seen such beautifully served food.

I wondering alone, murmuring close to myself. “ can I take the tiny, colourful umbrella on the glass? Can I taste the sugary, creamy flowers on the cake?? I don’t know…”, Dhamiri was in his dream on the prestigious plane flawlessly reputed to conquer the wide borderless skies.

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The wind was strong and the tempest was high. Bright flashes of lightning lit up the dark skies and this was immediately followed by deafening blasts of thunder. Subsequently a heavy rain cascaded down in a torrent. Apparently, soon there will be a flood in this remote village as the sungai Pahang will be over-load.

“Dhamiri, get up Cu. Pack up. We must leave. Everybody has left long ago. Come on son.” the grandmother shook the sleepy boy.

“ Mak Piah, hurry up. Get into the boat. The water is drifting your house”, a villager called out.

The wrinkled, shaky old hand took a firm grip of her grandson’s hand as she led the half-awake boy to the boat.

“ What is that Cu? The paper in your hand?” Mak Piah asked Dhamiri.

“ The essay form, opah” . Dhamiri answered in a monotonous tone.

Dhamiri looked down to the watery muddy flood to bury his fiery determination to participate the essay competition. Hid determination and the fact that he could not read and write conflicted strongly. Finally, cold tears of an orphaned poor boy dropped down his bony cheeks. The tempest was high, the wind was strong and a heavy rain cascaded endlessly, full of fury.

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“ Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to introduce our new staff in this Air Asia Malaysia. It is my privilege to introduce you the new captain of the pilots ~ Mr. Dhamiri Dharma. Mr Dhamiri, we welcome you to Air Asia. All staff and crew, Mr Dhamiri is a reputable pilot captain, he has flown 747 Jumbo Jet of Singapore Airline System for the past five years and he was graduated from……….”

The flood in Kampung Sungai Koyan became worst every passing hours. By midnight the whole village was submerged by water. Realising the fate that had befallen the people of Kampung Sungai Koyan, help kept pouring in. At this time, a renowned, wealthy politician, Dato’ Basiron Kamal Affendi set foot to the devastated village to give his sincere donation. As, fated he laid eyes on a poor, orphaned boy named Ahamd Dhamiri. The altruistic politician decided to adopt the the orphaned boy since he himself was once parentless too. The event marked the changing of a life course. It was an epiphany of how life can be changed in second with the love of God. Since then a new life was bestowed, being brought up by a rich politician. Dato’ Basiron could truly foresee the hidden potential within the orphaned boy. His conscience, his instinct was never wrong.

Everything looked radiant in the early, the sunlight streamed through the open window and there was a glow in the room. Outside, the plants in the garden glistened with dew drops and seemed as if they were bathing in the early morning sun. from the window, Dhamiri could see his sons were playing under the Chempedak tree in front of his old house, but this time the house was the biggest house in the village. And not to be forgotten , the school change the name of their library to the ‘Pusat Sumber Dhamiri Basiron”, as the place fully sponsored by him. Dhamiri believe his fated fate is to help others, so no one can laugh at others as once people did to him...