Bomoh?

This is a story about two stall operators in Fraser's Hill, Raub, Pahang.

After all that walking, talking and the whirlwind drive up to Fraser's Hill, of course like any kanak-kanak riang (happy children) we got hungry easily (despite one pack of fried noodles and a container of mango and apple slices). So, we decided to have a late lunch at one of the restaurants/ foodstall near the mosque at Fraser's Hill.

There were two restaurants sharing one building. Since the one on the right got many empty seats, we decided to select a place there. After placing our drinks order, Nit want to order a plate of satay. The lady who took our order told to go directly at the stall next door and place the order there.

Dutifully, Nit followed the instruction and went to see the pakcik who was fanning the satay on the charcoal burner. At first the pakcik was cordial to her but when she asked the man to send the satay to the table at the next stall, he got upset. He rudely told Nit that she should just order food from that stall and not come to his place to buy satay. To add salt to the wound, he accused that his neighbour stall operator is using black magic to lure customers to his eatery.

Both I and Zurd had our mouth hanging open when Nit told us what the man had said to her. All of us were speechless and we can only shake our heads thinking that this all were so childish. However, we respect the stall operator who took our order. They did not say one bad thing about their cranky neighbour but just quietly took order of customers coming to their stalls.

There was a group of Indian guys came after us and took up the big table at the same restaurant that we ordered food from. We heard one of them wanted satay and a guy went to the same man to ask for satay. Like us, the man refused to entertain the Indian guy.

Again, we just smiled at each other and quietly eating our plate of mee hailam, kueteow goreng and nasi goreng...