the benefit of the doubt?

Dear Blog,

To doubt? Or not to doubt?

That was what I was thinking on the way back to my dorm when I saw two boys hanging out in front of my dorm block gate. Since I don't know their names, I'll just call 'em by the features I noticed first - The Dark One (TDO) and The Chubby One (TCO).

As I climbed up the stairs in front of my gate, suddenly TDO called to me, asking whether I had minyak or not? While TDO asked me this, I saw TCO went to sit down on the bench, which was beside my block's water cooler. I thought, OK, maybe this kid is hurt in some way.

As a future doctor, I shouldn't be doubting when people ask for help. What kinda low-life doctor would I be? This is how it went:

• lena: kenapa ni dik? saya tak ada minyak lah.
• TDO: kawan saya terluka, jatuh.
• lena: yeke? jatuh kat mana? (so I went to see TCO)
• TCO: kat kaki (points at his right big toe)
• lena: (examines the toe. no blood, no scratch, not even inflamed. nothing)
• TCO: tapi tak lukalah, cuma sakit je
• lena: owh..ok. dik tinggal kat mana?
• TDO: dekat flat kat belakang tuh
• lena: (so what are they doing all the way over here?) owh yeke? umm, sorry lah dik..saya tak ada minyak. just jalan tu baik-baik sikit ok?

(I started to walk to the block gate to swipe my gate card when I heard TDO snickering. I tried to ignore that and swiped my gate card. I started pulling on the gate for it to close faster. For God's sake, this has gotta be the slowest electric gate ever. Siap bunyi beep-beep-beep lagi, but still tak tutup-tutup. I waited til it was shut tight when...)

• TCO: (whispers to TDO) owhh, ada kad rupanya
• TDO: patutlah
• lena: (I was already safely on the other side of the locked gate as I turn around and asked) apa dia dik?
• TCO: ni kak, nak tanya. ade tak pape barang hilang?
• lena: hilang? apa maksud dik?
• TCO: barang kena curi
• lena: tak tahu plak. kenapa ye?
• TDO: sebab ada kawan saya, M**** penah naik sini. curi laptop semua
• lena: yeke? bila tu?
• TCO: dalam bulan 2 macam tu
• lena: saya tak tahu. macam mane dia boleh naik?
• TCO: kan sebelum ni tak kunci
• lena: (they've been here before, coz they knew that the keycard wasn't installed then). owhh, macam mana kawan tu boleh masuk pintu asrama ye?
• TCO: dia panjat kat tingkap lah
• lena: owhh...cakap kat kawan tuu..jangan nakal-nakal (and so I pulled a garang face to them, which made them started to move along)
• TCO: Ok

(TCO and TDO were mumbling something, I couldn't hear what though. I didn't keep my eyes off of them til they were outta sight. What I saw was suspicious. TCO was walking in a tempang manner, then after they thought I couldn't see them, TCO started to walk normally again.)


I'm not stupid OK. I live in Subang, a buatan Malaysia ghetto neighborhood. I trust my instincts when I start to get suspicious of someone.


Previously, here in Kolej Tun Dr. Ismail (KTDI), there had been many cases of break-ins and burglaries. Missing laptops, handphones, money and cameras to name a few. That's why our colleges installed an electric gate that requires a card to be swiped to get it unlocked. I'm not sure if there has been any cases recently, but I'm pretty sure it's less compared to the times when the gates were left unlocked and wide open for whomever to sneak in and break in.

Here's a message for all of you KTDI residents:

1. Keep your windows and doors locked whenever you're not in your apartment/dorm/block.
2. Make sure the block gate is closed shut everytime you go in and out.
3. Never leave your keys and keycard for someone to steal.
4. Hide your valuable belongings in a locked closet or something if you don't trust anyone, not even your housemates.

p/s: I'm off to make a report to the office about these two kids later. This is some serious shit going on here.

.a community service message brought to you by, l e n a.