A Clever Girl

Today  I met a very clever girl.

I was waiting for Aida at KDU when I caught a Malay girl sitting alone, waiting for somebody or something. She was fidgeting, like most modern girls do.

She was 18 or 19. I'm past 60.  I just thought she wouldn't mind talking to a man this old.

So I kicked off with something standard and superfluous:

Old Man: You're a student here?

Clever Girl: Yeah. I'm a student here.

Old Man: Where're you from?

Clever Girl: Puchong

Old Man (Totally unimpressed with Puchong):  Puchong. OK. Dulu sekolah kat Puchong?

Clever Girl (Smiling): Aahaa

Old man: Ada sekolah kat Puchong ya (Saja nak bully).

Clever Girl: Hahaha, ada, ada.

Old Man: What're you doing here? Business Studies? (In my mind, private colleges only teach Business)

Clever Girl: No, I'm doing my A Levels.

Old Man: That's good. JPA, Mara scholar?

Clever Girl: No. Petronas  (Ha ha, now this is getting serious)

Old Man : Where are you going after your A Levels?

Clever Girl: Chemical Engineering in Toronto. (Toronto, Tronoh? Toronto, ok)

Old Man: Wow. You must've done very well in your SPM. Straight A's?

Clever Girl (Smiling): Well, mmmmm, ok la

Old Man:  How many? Nine?

Clever Girl : Eleven.

Old man (Stunned, Shocked): Eleven A's?

Clever Girl: Yes. Erhmmmm ..... Eleven A+

Old Man (Catching his breath): Eleven A Plus? You're so clever.

Clever Girl (Laughed): Alhamdulillah.

My concept of clever is rather prosaic. Anybody who does better than my form five Add Maths and Chemistry grades is clever. This Puchong punk has racked up A+ in Add Maths and Chemistry, and nine other subjects. Should I hate her?