Cikgu Syed...You are One in a Million...

     

It has been three days after the retirement of Cikgu Syed but the feeling of the sadness is still there.  There are times when tears were let roll down the cheeks.  Unbearable, that is the perfect word to describe.

Looking back, I have known him when I was first posted here in Terengganu.  I was close to his wife without me knowing who was he!  What I knew at that time that he was quite but fatherly.  I would say that because every time I was in the house with Kak Pah, he was the one who was going to take care of the children.  Responsible.

He was with the department (In the later year, I got to know that!) before he was transferred to SK Seri Budiman as a headmaster.  It happened my husband was one of the teachers there (In fact, he is still there till now).  There were none of the stories told to me by my husband about his headmaster.  By the way, that is his normal attitude.  But he and his male teachers respected him very much that they would rather keep silent than talking to him.  It was not about liking or not liking him, but it was all about respectful.

I remember one time when I met Cikgu Syed in his former school.  There was a football match between SK Seri Budiman and SK Sultan Sulaiman 1.  My former headmaster was also there.  Trying to be friendly, I greeted them and I told my former HM that I used to linger at Cikgu Syed's house.  He replied me with his smile and words that came out of his mouth were 'Gemuk leni...'.  I was not offended at all with the comment but I was little bit stunned because we had never had any conversation as much as I could remember.  As I mentioned earlier; he was always busy attending to his children rather than talking to me. However, I felt good because I could spend more time talking to Kak Pah; while her husband was taking good care of the children.  Indeed I was very grateful to know Kak Pah who is like a sister to me who had nobody here in Terengganu (it was way back in 1994).

But later...in 2008, he came to my school replacing my former HM who was transferred to another school.  Though been knowing him, but I didn't really 'know' him.  As usual, there were lots and lots speculations made about him...but for me...whoever the headmaster is, I just do my work...

He came to school a week before I had to take Jeremiah to KL for the National Spell-It-Right Challenge.  Before he came to the school, I was worried because I had to take the boy but I did not have any official letter from the department saying that I was allowed to take the boy.  I was asked to go first. But at the same time, I was 'warned' to be fully responsible for the safety of the boy.  Yes!  Indeed I knew about that..but I was a little bit worried because I did not have the official letter from my department; only from the RHB NST.  I was quite nervous when I approached Cikgu Syed and talked to him about this matter.  But to my surprise, he made my work even easier.  I talked to him in the morning and before I went home on the same day, I received the letter from the department.  He told me, he talked to the officer in the department. And this officer faxed him the letter.  Wow!  Tremendous! Congratulations for the job well done!  THANK YOU, SIR....

That is just the beginning of my story with Cikgu Syed...