About The Girl Next Door

My bulan puasa routine about 8.10 - 8.15p.m., I will leave my place and walk to the surau for terawih . You see i'm blessed coz my apartment has a surau building within its own compound (super convenient, alhamdullillah). I always go alone - for obvious reasons (kan dora). The night before (kelmarin lah), while walking back, 2 ladies were walking in front of me-also back from surau. Lady no.1 is the indon maid of the young couple who live at the corner unit, and lady no.2 is the girl who lives with her family opposite to my unit. I don't know them by name, but we have over the years exchanged polite nods and smiles. I noticed that they are terawih buddies this year.

Lady no.2..i.e. the girl, to my judgment is a bit "special"...As in anak-anak istimewa. Not physically, but by demeanour, not too obvious, but may be a little. My guess is she's in her 20s. She appears to me very withdrawn and shy, she stays at home most of the time. (of course this is all my presumption and judgment- if i'm wrong, GOD, forgive me). Well that night, she waited for me at the corridor as i was walking to my door. She asked, in a childlike manner "Esok, pergi tak?". I said yes. She then asked "Kol berape?, boleh pergi same?" I said yes.

So last nite, as i was locking my door i was looking out for her. No sign of her , i waited for a few minutes...until azan no sign of her. Camne ni? No choice i have to go. You see my habit is to leave my specs at home if i go to terawih, i am short sighted. So rabun-rabun also ok coz just a couple of minutes walk. While i was rushing down the stairs, i noticed a pink "lembaga" at the girl's kitchen window - of course i can't make out if its her or someone else -(note: makcik & kakak she lives with tak friendly sangat). So i stopped in case she calls out (even if she gave hand signal, i couldn't have seen it). No sound, so I hurried to the surau. I figured since azan is loudly calling, and if she saw me rushing down, she would either run after me or we meet in the suraulah.

Isyak prayers about to begin, no sign of her; before terawih, no sign of her nor the indon maid. I was more convinced then that the pink shadow was her. Throughout prayers, tak sedap hati betul. I can hear the imam, but my brain was racing with thots of the girl next door. I figured the indon maid cant make it tonite that's why she wanted to follow me. Maybe coz she's "special", she's scared or shy to go/ walk alone, maybe she's not allowed to go without chaperone. She might be thinking i'm horrible, running past her like that, i didnt wait for her..........i have to find her today, i have to tell her i waited for her, i have to tell her i wasnt wearing my glasses. I should have rang her doorbell (silly me!). I want to say i'm sorry.

I still feel bad for her, i have to make it up tonite, even if i have to ring the door bell of the not-so-friendly neighbour to ask if the "adik" want to go to terawih with me tonite....