Nang Tani

Chapter 1

            Somchai anxiously scanned the crowd for Tom. Would he be able to recognize him after such a long time? To be safe, Somchai held a piece of paper with Tom's full name written on it. Before Tom's plane landed, Somchai had arrived at the airport an hour early. He securely parked his car and headed directly to the International Arrival Hall, eager to reunite with Tom after a long five-year separation. Their paths had first crossed during their studies at the same university in the UK. However, upon graduation, Somchai returned to his home country of Malaysia while Tom ventured off to work in the UAE. So, when Tom unexpectedly reached out to Somchai, announcing his plans to visit Malaysia for a month, Somchai was taken aback. Tom requested to stay with Somchai in his rural village located in a remote area in the state of Kedah, just north of the state of Penang.

            As Somchai anxiously awaited Tom's arrival from London, he scanned the bustling airport, hoping to spot his old friend. Tom finally appeared from the arrival hall after almost twenty minutes of restless anticipation. Somchai immediately recognized Tom, who hadn't changed much - still the tall, red-haired English lad. Somchai called out Tom's name and waved, to which Tom responded with his own wave, indicating that he still remembered Somchai after all these years.

            After the initial handshake and hug, Somchai led Tom to his car. As Somchai drove his car out of the parking lot, Tom asked if Somchai's village was nearby.

            "No, my village is about two hours' drive from here," Somchai responded.

            "That far?" Tom asked unbelievingly.

            "Yes. My village is in the rural part of Kedah, another state. This is Penang, a different state," Somchai replied.

            Tom's travels had always been limited to the UK, except for a brief stint in the UAE for work. Despite his practical and astute nature, Tom was a workaholic who sought out job opportunities in the UAE for its high pay. His ultimate goal was to accumulate enough funds to purchase a farm in the verdant countryside of England, fulfilling his desire to live amongst nature. This was the driving force behind his interest in staying in Somchai's rural village, as he was captivated by the stories Somchai had shared about the idyllic setting. Tom was overjoyed when Somchai invited him to stay in his village.      

            Somchai drove cautiously through the busy road leading to the Penang Bridge, Tom couldn't help but admire the wide road and the courtesy of motorists. When the car entered the Penang Bridge, Tom was amazed by the 13.5-kilometer dual carriageway. The Penang Bridge is the second-longest bridge in Malaysia and the fifth-longest in Southeast Asia. The car left the island and entered the mainland, the landscape changed from concrete to greenery, intermittently speckled by paddy fields. Tom couldn't help but admire the green paddy fields. He had not seen paddy fields before, not in the UK and certainly not in the UAE.

            The vast expanse of paddy fields stretched endlessly along the road, a breathtaking view. The young paddy plants, still in their early stages of growth, created a striking contrast of verdant green against the murky waters. The submerged fields were necessary for the proper development of the paddy plants. Somchai's car entered the highway. Tom was amazed by the wide dual-carriageway. He didn't imagine that Malaysia was such a developed country. What he always thought of Malaysia was rubber trees, jungles, and orang utans.     

            After a lengthy journey, Somchai exited the highway and went into a country road. After about twenty minutes of driving, Somchai steered his vehicle onto a narrow side road, barely wide enough for one car to pass through. The route was desolate, save for the occasional motorbike that crossed their path. When they encountered another vehicle coming from the opposite direction, both drivers skilfully manoeuvred to avoid a collision. Tom was a bit impressed with the skills of the local drivers. Towering, palm-like trees flanked the road on either side of the road, preventing sunlight from entering. As a result, the road was shadowy, like a scene from a horror movie.

            "Are those rubber trees?" Tom inquired suddenly.

            "No, they're oil palms," Somchai chuckled in response.

            Tom had never seen an oil palm before, much like he had never seen a paddy plant or paddy fields. The oil palm trees looked similar to date palms. That's the reason why Tom couldn't tell the difference.

            Soon, they arrived at Somchai's village. Tom had anticipated seeing kampung-style houses of planks and zinc roofs built on stilts, but instead, he was met with a contrasting sight. Each house was a single-story concrete bungalow with spacious front and back yards. The houses were meticulously aligned on both sides of the road. At the end of the road stood Somchai's home. Turning into the yard, Somchai parked his car under a towering, leafy tree for shade. As they disembarked from the vehicle, they were greeted by an older gentleman and a woman in her middle years. Both of their faces lit up upon seeing Tom.

            "My father and mother," Somchai said as he presented them to Tom. Tom cordially shook their hands and offered a friendly 'Apa khabar?' (How are you?), a traditional Malaysian salutation he had just learned. Both Somchai's parents responded with a smile and the greeting 'Khabar baik', which means 'Good. Fine.'