Can You Beat Me?

Hah...baru you all tahu betapa 'hardcore' I minat kat Sheila Majid? Honestly, I know-it-all.I ada album dia yang orang takde.Thanks to my inside contact, not to mentioned berapa ribu juta pitih ku yang dah hanyut dek kerna nak memiliki barang-barang ittew.

I first 'know' Sheila..metaphorically speaking when I was 12. I saw her in TV singing 'Pengemis Muda' acting in a awesome video clip.About some beggar who wander about Sheila's house,leaving her huge crayon written notes in that 'kad manila'.

Nak beli cassette? With pocket money only 50cent a day, I'm torn between Sheila & Roti Kelapa.I saved 10cent a day, only to finish by weekend buying icecream in the 'mangkuk' with wooden sudu.I was so poor I can't even afford the pasar malam cetak rompak copy.Nak meminta pada ayahnda, ayahnda garang.But I remember Ayahnda beli record besar-besar Seripah Hani tu.He also bought us 'Boney M'.I think, Ayahnda will only buy things that he wanted to buy.No request accepted.

So,what I did was...tunggu dia main kat radio aje.Dengar sekali, salin lyric dua baris...dengar sepuluh kali, hafal satu lagu.I keep telling myself, one fine day...bila I dah jadi lawyer and dapat gaji makan tak habis,jangan kata cassette Sheila, kepala keretapi pon akan ku beli.Tapi,setolah berhompeh puleh,I tak jugak jadi lawyer and can never afford kepala keretapi.

After a year, in form 1,I eventually managed to listen to the whole album, thanks to my classmate yang ada cassette Dimensi Baru ittew.With her permission, I copied the whole album and I officialy owned a self record-little pirate-made Sheila Majid Dimensi Baru.And in a week, I can sing everything.Everything..from Datanglah Kedalam Mimpiku to Gerimis Semalam.

Then came 'Emosi'. I was in form 2 with a bit of money.It took me only a month to buy the cassette that worth $7.95 and within 3 days, I can sing every single thing in that album including the backup vocal 'Kau Didalam..Didalam..Emosi Ini'.

Ayahnda tetap mencurigai dimana I dapat duit beli that cassette.I told him that I saved my duit belanja.Dia punya marah I pakai duit belanja beli cassette.Tapi, dalam kereta my father lagi banyak cassette.From Seripah Hani,Ramlah Ram and that Indonesian singer yang nyanyi lagu..Jangankan Gunung Fujiyama, Puncak Himalaya Ku Ikut Kamuuuuu...siapa tu hah? See, my father...I beli cassette tak boleh.Dia tu.But, nak argue tak boleh..that is his money.And I keep on wishing..hei..bilalah aku nak dapat gaji makan tak habis ni.

Form 4, Keluarlah...WARNA!!!! Habis lagi duit ku $11.95 tapi kerna Sheila...harus ku rampok kedai cassette ittew.Sheila was so beautiful inthat album with rambut lepas and pakai baju kaler-kaler.Kerakusan ku...(Oh ya, lupa pulak.Not only that I dah mampu beli cassette tanpa menabung macam nak mampos, I can also afford walkman) okay..berbalik kepada kerakusan ku...memainkan cassette ittew,I had to buy it twice, because the first one dah putus.I recognised every inch of beat in it that I can tell which was the original 'Gemilang'.Hah! The original gemilang..ada louder 'synthesizer' and the sequences produced, takde.Even in CD version.

I happened to go to same school as her 'anak buah'.This girl tak satu class pon dengan I tapi the moment keluar khabar taufan yang dia anak buah Sheila Majid,I sanggup masuk persatuan sama dengan dia.Nak kenal lah ni.And from her,I dapat songlap gambar Sheila Majid kawin dengan beruang..Kau Ado?

Form 5, Keluarlah LAGENDA, the brown coloured CD (dah kaya sikit masa ni)...

In between, they produced,Sheila in Concert, Ikhlas, Bunyi Gitar,Timeless (with new versin of Gemilang,Selamanya & Mazlan Hamzah's Aku Cinta Padu MU) and Sheila 'Japan Market Intended' Album. Do I own them? You bet.

NCUK - Keluarlah RATU...Honestly, it took me a while to understand 'Ratu' because it is so different from the previous.After 4 years later I understand why it was produced that way...it is just like wine...the longer you 'peruk' the better it taste.And so is 'Ratu'.

Sheila parted way with beruang.Much awaited.Beruang called her names, itu ini, still refuse to let her go but in the same breath, called her sundal.Apa lah...

I was already back home during the pergaduhan sensasi.One of my friend buat chambering kat satu lawyer firm that happen to represent Sheila.I was begging her to let me attend the proceedings.I did.Setelah berjanji dengan my friend untuk behave macam manusia.I hated Beruang.How on earth Sheila lasted that long with motormouth like him,salute!!!

I upgraded my cassette selection to CD's.And for the last 6 years, I keep on buying the Compilation.God knows how much money that lebur dek Sheila.From concerts,showcase to CD's.My ex used to be a Features Editor FHM Malaysia and aku pujuk dia bawak I sekali ikut interview Sheila, but tak jadi because Sheila demam.I even go and see Sheila in London.Travelling from where I was before to London cost almost £40 and I'm merely surviving on scholarship.I remember that I dressed to kill nak gi tengok concert tu.Siap pakai boot panjang yang kick-dog-dog-die ittew.I sang all the song.Orang London masa tu tatau her new song and I nyanyi cam nak rak.

Sheila took a different turn in her life and marry my ex (yelah...) Acis.I'm so happy for them.And I, took a different route and drifting away from the familar habit.

I am so proud that I now...dah dapat gaji..still makan tak cukup, experienced all this Sheila-Manic-Moment.

Sheila patut bagi I hadiah.I don't know if after Ratu, Sheila got more CD produced.But the one that I recently heard from Bella's is so nice.And masa I balik that day, I terdengar lagu 'Cinta Jangan Kau Pergi' and 'Setia Bersama' with KRU. Habis ku download lagu tu dalam MP3.

So,what can I call me? Selective-Borderline-Psychotic-Disorder?

Tapi kesimpolannya...minat-minat camtu ajelah.Takdelah sampai tidur tak lena mandi tak basah kind of thing.Or nangis-nangis pengsan macam pompuan-pompuan kat concert Michael Jackson tu.Tapi, habis banyaklah duit.