While working on my desk my daughter called me down saying the postman wanted to talk to me at the front gate. As I walked down the stairs I wonder it could not be something that I need to sign for the delivery as it almost lunch time then.

Marzuki Sudin, our regular neighborhood postman, is ever cheerful and friendly. He would say a word or two if he meets us in front while doing his delivery. He would not hesitate to wait a little longer for the house owners to get down to the gate to receive and sign the registered mail or parcel, especially for our ladies who would need to put up the necessary tudung first. Unlike many other delivery service, after pressing the gate bell a couple of times they would just leave a note for us to take their part of the delivery finding whereabout their centre are.

Marzuki would have done his round for our street by 11:00 – 11:30 am – except on a rainy day it may take more time for him to finish his round. So he would have done his round around our neighborhood by midday.

Greeting with his regular smile, as usual, and asking his typical question of how I was or that I did not go out to work. He later asked me if I know of our neighbour whose house is at the end of the street behind ours. He explained his concerned that it has been 3 days that the house gate is half opened and the car is parked in the compound but the letter he delivered had never been retrieved from the mail box.

I responded with yes and I know for the fact that she leaves alone in the house and a luxury car. His concerned is if something bad happened and wondering if I could help to check out. She has a cousin whose house is on the same street as mine and his house is almost about behind her house.

I assured Marzuki that I would check out and informed shortly as I was only in my kain pelikat, I would rather be more prepared and properly dressed. As he leaves with concerned in his face, I assured him that I will call him first once I know the situation. I quickly ran upstairs to change and asked my eldest daughter to come along to accompany so as not cause any unwanted concerned by the others.

After observing the situation of the house I called my neighbor’s cousin whom I am very close with, we even bought the same MPV and same color just several weeks apart. Caught unaware, he said he will call her and find out. As I walked around the house to the back while waiting for an update, I found nothing specifically looks like the house has been broken in.

Finally a call came back and confirmed everything was alright, that she left the house hastily 3 days ago when her elder brother was admitted in ICU on life-support machine back in hometown. She must have wrongly pressed the newly installed auto-gate and did not realised that it was half opened. She was already on the way back to KL about to board the plane.

The concerned postman was most happy and relieved to received my call as soon I ascertained the situation.

Feeling grateful to Allah, nothing bad happened in my neighborhood and that we have such an exemplary postman who is observant and concerned of the surrounding. Though Marzuki Sudin may not be reading this posting, I hope someone in the Pos Malaysia would somehow recommend this exemplary staff of a “trusted” organisation. Malaysia need more of these people.

p.s. maybe during his next delivery, we would try to catch a photo of him candidly… and update this post.