pembentangan

john

so, you ready?

aku

yeah

john

enough practice?

aku

yup. i even take your advice, john. i practiced in front of the mirror, and i was laughing, seeing at myself.

john

oh. did you time yourself?

aku

yup.

john

what's the time then?

aku

about six to seven minutes.

john

hmm...you've got to slow down a bit.

aku

yeah, i know. it's just that i'm quite nervous, so, i tend to talk like a real fast.

john

yeah, well. me too. when i was in conference and i talked real fast, people didn't hear me.

aku

[laugh]

john

but i wasn't that terrible hahaha

it's just like in summer school. people can't get what i said.

aku

yeah, yeah. oh, you know what, john. during the summer school, i felt really scared with you.

john

what?

[suprised]

aku

yeah, the first week, i was like really scared with you. i was so afraid, and i know, my friends felt that a bit weird though. i shouldn't feel so. but later, the second week, i was ok then.

john

yeah. i'm not that scary. i don't eat people.

aku

[laugh]

i know, i know. but, well, it was my first time ok , listening to your british slang, and your accent. my friend even said to me, i shouldn't feel nervous around you. they said - john is good, and he's nice.

john

aaa...you're saying that, trying to get A plus eit?

aku

[laugh so hard]

***

pembentangan aku untuk kelas ACADENG200 berjalan lancar. cuma, pada awalnya, bila aku dah separuh jalan buat introduction, tiba-tiba -

"oh, wait. kejap!"

ye, aku betul-betul cakap "kejap" dalam kelas tu. dan harus lah john pandang aku pelik. otomatik aku merayu pada dia,

"o john, can we do it again? i'm so nervousssss. pleeeasseee !"

pastu, satu kelas gelak kan aku.

hampeh tol.

by the way, john rakam pembentangan kami semua. tak sabar aku nak tengok balik potensi diri aku bila bercakap bahasa inggeris depan umat manusia. mesti macam badut. atau mungkin, budak spastik barangkali? mana taknya, bila aku present, aku tengok, sorang-sorang tersenyum dan tergelak. dorang ni, ketawakan aku ke, atau apa sebenarnya? 

habis bentang dan pulang ke meja,

"did i look funny?"

aku soal sorang classmate. 

dan ini jawapan nya,

"oh, no, no. you're doing great. just that, i see like you're dancing on the floor when you present"

damn.