Once upon a time I totally had no money

My car radio decided to be silent today. I don’t know why… So I was left driving with just thoughts after thoughts playing in my mind. After sometimes I found myself reminiscing my days in college, when I was doing my degree in Universiti Malaya. Many of my friends felt like their times as a student were the best time of their lives. But me? no… Not really.

I was so poor! Haha! I wore the same clothes over and over again. I walked to my faculty on top of the hill until I became the skinny person I am today and funny how the fat I lost walking when I was 19 hardly came back until today.

I stayed in First College for two years and the final year I spent renting with a dozen of others in an apartment in Vista Angkasa in then Kerinchi now Bangsar South. Ate from polistiren box everyday. I was very healthy until I stayed in Vista, where I got chicken pox and one time when I was sleeping over at a friend’s rental apartment, I woke up in the morning and both my feet and legs were bitten entirely by bed bugs. I asked myself what kind of life was I living in?

Sometimes I had only enough money for the day and called home asking from my Mom or my sisters and brother. I remember queuing at the CIMB for a long time hoping to withdraw RM100 but they forgot to bank in money for me so I could only take out RM20, leaving RM10 behind else I might as well close the account!

But these situation didn’t happen very often… Other times, I splurged! Haha! I was still blessed. Alhamdulillah! I had so many friends and they were wonderful. I gained so many experiences and of course I got my degree. I am very thankful for this but still, thanks but no thanks, college life was not the best time for me…

How did this old stories come out you might wonder… Well, Maybank Putrajaya was trying to be cute with me. I went to that branch on Friday ( we had a long lunch hour) to cash out a house cheque from my employer. It was actually my 2014 bonus. As you know, cashing a house cheque will enable you to get the money on the spot. So I went to counter, showed my IC.. yada yada yada… the money should be in my saving account already.  I was so confident, that I misplaced the slip the officer gave me.

Came Sunday, I checked my account and not even a single cent of my hard earned bonus was even floating! Hey this was not right.. And I was reminded of the incident when I wanted to take out my duit makan from the ATM and there were none… when I was 20… living at Vista. Luckily I am not that broke today, and after a single phone call the missing money was traced and transferred back to my account.

I remind myself that I must be very thankful to the Al-Mighty. And to my husband and family who supported me. I am not rich now, and I know others had it worse than me. But I had tough times and I hope Miki Rafa won’t have to go through life like mine.