I’m really feeling the pinch of the current state of economy where my money value seems to drop, that is no doubt, and I’m willing to bet that many more people out there is in agreement with my statement. Everyone is suffering-well, not everyone, I guess, the people ‘up there’ obviously is not suffering. They still have a place to call home and probably feast around every now and then.
I’m supposed to go on a business trip this coming Thursday, and being a cheapskate, I decided to stock up some food so that I can eat them in the hotel room when my stomach rumble.
IÂ did some shopping in the nearest mini mart last night, and when I see I’ve gotten everything that I needed, I carry the stuff and walked to my car. Then I saw something, or rather someone, that made my heart almost stop a beat. Saw what, you ask me? No, this time it’s not some mat rempit, accident or even some horny teen’s PDAs, but an old lady, picking up various recycleable material so that she can sell them so that she can make some money with them. The lady was bald.
Being a nosy and curious person, I went to her and make a conversation with her, asking why is she on the street at that hour, picking up those recyleable stuff when she can do it earlier. (It’s almost 11 pm that time). Then, she told me, if she do it earlier, people, especially young teenagers will give her odd looks, and jeer her. Some even will empty cans at her and ask her to pick up just for fun. I was silenced for a moment, shocked at her words. In the back of my mind, I thought to myself, how could someone treat other person that way? She may be picking up rubbish to earn her living, but to me, there’s nothing wrong in that. She is not stealing or doing something illegal.
Then I asked her where she live, and she told me that she’s homeless, because she can no longer afford to pay her rent starting this month, as her landlord has decided to raise the rent, telling her that the cost of living is too high and can no longer afford to let her rent the room that she used to live at a low price anymore. Again, I was silenced. Then I asked her why is she bald, and whether she is suffering from some sort of sickness or something, then came the answer that left my mouth open. She shaved them away, so that she will not get any ‘kutu’, and it’s more hygienic being bald since she can’t afford to bathe often.
 Could it be that the petrol price has hit everyone this badly? Obviously, yes. Some people are even thrown on the street to fend for themselves, and there’s not much they can do about it, because the government is too busy politicking instead of doing something for the citizens who are suffering.
I told myself that I could not afford to give her money, because I have spent most of the money with me for food. Feeling awfully sorry for her, I stole a glance at the stuff that I bought, and handed her a large loaf of bread that I bought from the Mini Mart, hoping that it could help her, but to my surprised, she refused it, telling me that she’s not a beggar. However, I urged her to take it anyway; telling her that I bought extra. After awhile she reluctantly took it and thanked me for my kindness, and told me that she could not thank me enough, and the bread I gave her would probably last her for days.
 My heart melted instantly. Almost everyone says thank you to me on daily basis, and I doubt that they even meant what they said, but this lady, her thank you made me want to cry. A loaf of bread made her thank me profusely. This must have meant something more, which I suspect that two meals a day for her is a luxury.
Seeing her situation, I thanked god that even though I’m struggling with the current state of economy, I’m still not jobless or even worst, homeless. I felt nothing but wanting to scream to those POLITIC KING “OI, FUCKERS, YOU ALL DEAF IS IT? People are thrown homeless, and do you even care? No, you’re busy figuring out who is screwing whose asshole!”
The government says they are doing their best to ‘berkhidmat untuk rakyat’. Like hell you are. If you really ‘berkhidmat untuk rakyat’, people won’t be left homeless. So get your backside working and do something for these people, who need help more than ever!
I really hope I can do something to help the homeless, because I know the government probably will turn deaf ears and blind eyes towards these kind of ‘small matter’, but I do not know how. Is there a certain charity body that can help the homeless? Or places that gives free meals for the sake of charity every now and then? The old lady is probably one out of many that’s homeless in KL and around Malaysia, and I hope some charity body can do something to address this matter. Only god knows how many old man, women and children are homeless out there!