Kau Awang?

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I didn't plan on playing golf last Saturday but my cousins Hady and Awang asked me to join them and it was difficult to say no. I enjoy being with them. Hady is a year older than me and Awang is a lot younger than either of us. Hady is by far the cousin whom I am closest to and I have always liked how Awang treats me - as an older brother. He has got an excellent personality and is always cheerful and bubbly.

I only knew Awang's real name about 5 or 6 years ago when he started working. He took out his business card and proudly handed it to me.

"Awang, ni nama kau Awang?"

"Ha ah", he said.

"You're with KLSE ha? Any tips for me, on how to make a million dollars?"

"Let me make my first million dulu."

Why "Awang"? The only reason we could think of was that his mother is from Terengganu. Well, after 25 years, that's not bad. Then there was one all of us calls "Adik". Same case, he handed me his card and only then I knew what his real name is. I thought it was "Adik" :)

But then we have 3 "Adiks". When someone shouts "Adiiiikkkk...", one "Adik" would say to the other two, "Ha, itu Mak Kai panggil siapa tu?"

"I think she is calling you, after all, it is your mother who is calling out tu kan?"

"Ya, makes sense", he'd say.

All through our lives, we'd meet during Hari Raya, kenduris, weddings and of course funerals. I mean, there was never really any need to know them by any other name other than Awang and Adik.

Then there was "Baby". My sister-in-law upsetted his brother when she called him "Baby" in school one day. Well, they were calling him "Baby" at home then.

But then when I introduced a friend to a girl this way once, "Ni Jalil but you can call him Manja", he flipped. Good thing the ploy worked. I mean, it is not hard to forget a guy called "Manja" kan? He ended marrying the girl. Well, it helped that he was a nice guy.

Better than Tin-tin.

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