Best Chicken Rice in the World

Before you continue reading and end up getting disappointed because you expected something else based on the title, let me clear things up. If you are looking for an amazingly delicious chicken rice recipe or looking for a place where you can get the best tasting chicken rice, I’m sorry to disappoint you. That is not what I am writing about. I am writing about the best chicken rice I have ever had, but it is not something that you can make or buy. It’s special, it’s very special. 

For most of us, our dad is and always will be our greatest hero. My dad wasn’t a highly educated man; he can read in Tamil and stopped schooling when he was in standard three. He wasn’t rich; he worked as a labourer with the government. His job was to cut grass in a military base camp. He doesn’t sound like much, does he? Well for me, he meant the world.

There were five of us at home, me, my dad, mom, elder brother and younger sister. Working as a labourer was not enough to take care of the family. Even with my mom working, it was hard to make ends meet. My dad always took on extra jobs, most of the time he had three different jobs. He would work as a labourer during the day, come evening he worked as a gardener, and at night time he will either work as a waiter or as a guard. He worked hard to provide as much as he can for his family. 

I didn’t grow up with much, but I had love and independence. My dad loved me very much, and he also gave me freedom to do whatever I wanted. I was never restricted. I had the liberty to go where ever I wanted and come back whenever I wanted. I was given this freedom because my dad trusted me and I never misused this privilege. What I gave in return were my excellent results in school exams.

Since kindergarten itself, I was quite a bright student. I do not mean to boast, but I did get pretty good results. This continued into my primary school education and I was always one of the top students in my batch. It gave my dad immense delight to see my exam results. I went on to score 4As in the national exam for Standard Six students, known as UPSR. 

I didn’t stop my wheels there, at secondary school I kept up my performance. I wasn’t the best student, but I always managed to stay in the top 10. In Form Three, I once again scored straight A’s in the national exam, PMR. I continued on being amongst the top 10 students of my batch for the next two years. Each time I was awarded for my excellence; my dad will attend the ceremony. He would watch proudly. He was probably the only person who would come to the ceremony riding his bicycle. He didn’t have a car or motorcycle. To see him among the crowd of parents, who mostly consist of the higher class of society, gave me unimaginable delight.

After years and years of schooling, 11 years to be exact, came the last and final national exam for secondary school students, the SPM. The exam started in November 2001 and concluded after around 3 weeks. It was done and dusted. All that was left is to wait for the result. 

Within few weeks after the exam I took up a temporary job for around 5 days as a steward in Bukit Merah Laketown Resort. Steward, sounds like an interesting job doesn’t it? Well it wasn’t. My job was to wash the dishes; thousands of plates, bowls, glasses, utensils, huge pots, pans and rice cookers. Luckily, I was only needed there for a few days.

After that, I didn’t take up any other job. I preferred following my dad to work. Of course I couldn’t follow my dad to his government job. I would follow him to the house where he worked as a gardener. I enjoyed working with my dad. I would help him wash his boss’ car. Then I would clear the grass clippings as he mowed the lawn. I would also wash the outer walls, water the plants and sweep the whole area. There were a lot of tall trees in the compound, and sometimes one of the trees would fall. My dad and I had to cut the tree into smaller parts and clear the whole thing. It is a painful and tiring job. I would be dead tired by the end of the day. But my dad would tell me a lot of exciting stories from his childhood when we were working. Listening to his stories was always interesting. 

I would feel completely drained out by the time we finish. I only follow my dad to one of his job. Just imagine if I went to all three. My dad works as a labourer in the morning, as gardener in the evening and he loses most of his sleep during the night working as a guard. I don’t know how he does it. At that time, he was already 59 years old. But trust me; he was fit as a fiddle. I could never do what he did even for a day, and he did it every day. Sure I was only 17 at that time, but now I am 30 years old and still I don’t think I can do what he did. He was indeed my real life Superman.

After a few months, the day finally came. At that time it was quite a nerve wrecking moment. I can’t explain how the feeling was for some of us. It was like “Judgement Day”, “Armageddon”. It felt like we were going into the abyss when we walked towards the school hall to collect our SPM results. But the school hall was a dark impending doom only for a few minutes. When I got my result, the day became bright as ever. I did it, it was the last exam of my secondary school, and I scored straight A1s; 9A1s to be exact. 

All throughout Malaysia, there were 383,869 students in total who sat for the SPM exam during my year. Out of the total, 489 students (0.13%) manage to obtain straight A1s and I was one of them. I was one of the elite students that excelled. I couldn’t believe it, but I did it. I was congratulated by many. Pictures were taken for the school magazine. A lot of things were going on at that time, but what I wanted was to leave as soon as possible.

I wanted to leave not because I didn’t like being at school. But I wanted to leave so that I can show the result to my dad. He didn’t have any mobile phone and there was no other way for me to call him at his work place. He was at the house where he worked as a gardener. The owners would not allow my dad to receive any calls to their house. So I have to go in person to show my dad the results. I’m sure my dad was waiting anxiously. I’m sure even though he was working, his mind would be thinking about me. I was eager to go to him as soon as I can. 

By the time everything concluded at school, it was already past lunch time. I didn’t even have lunch. As soon as it ended, I got on the motorcycle with my friend and he brought me to the house where my dad worked. From far I could see him, his clothes were dirty; he must have been working hard since morning. He was raking the leaves. I got down from the motorcycle and went straight to him. The compound wall was between us. Through the fence like holes in the wall I was telling him my result and was trying to show him my result slip. He couldn’t see it properly from the other side. He was happy; he was delighted, still trying to see the result.

It didn’t occur to both of us that he could easily come out through the gate until my friend said so. My dad ran like a child towards the gate and came out to me. He took the results in his hands. I have never seen him this happy. He was on top of the world. He hugged me tight; he couldn’t express how happy he was. But I knew what it meant to him. It was probably the happiest moment of his life. After shedding a few tears which he didn’t manage to hold back, dad told me go and show my results to mom. Mom worked just next door to dad, in Sekolah Semangat Maju, as a cook. I showed my results to mom. She was overwhelmed with happiness. Her colleagues and the teachers at that school congratulated me. After that, I headed back home. 

By the time I reached home, it was already around 4.00pm and I haven’t had my lunch yet. I was hungry, like really hungry. Before I could raid the fridge and find something to eat, I heard the door open. My dad was home and he had brought with him a packet of chicken rice. He knew I haven’t had lunch yet and came home as soon as he can and brought lunch for me. He also bought the chicken rice for me because he wanted to give me a treat or a gift as soon as possible.

That chicken rice was the first gift my dad gave me for getting an excellent result; it was also my only gift. Some students with excellent result went to a luxurious lunch right after getting the result. They also received a lot of gifts from their parents, cash, laptops, motorcycles, cars and many others. Those with average results also got expensive gifts from their parents. That one packet of chicken rice was what my dad could afford at that time. 

According to mom, dad was very sad and heartbroken that he couldn’t give me more. He wanted to buy me unlimited gifts, but he was unable to do so at that time. Even years after that incident, he would tell mom that he wished he could have given me more. It was something that made him sad each time he thought about it. Each time someone he knew buys something for their children for getting good results; he would be reminded of his own shortcomings. He would be sad that the only thing he could buy his son was just a packet of chicken rice.

Well, it might have been ‘just’ a packet of chicken rice for my dad. For me, it was the best chicken rice in the world. It didn’t taste amazing. It tasted like any average chicken rice. But it was special. I know what would have gone through my dad’s mind when he went to buy this chicken rice. Leaving his work half done, he would have cycled to the shop where he usually buys chicken rice. Even as he cycled, he would have started regretting that the only thing he could afford was just chicken rice. 

He would have asked for the drumstick piece as he knows that is my favourite part. He would have also requested for extra rice. Back then I was a big eater. Then, he would have cycled as fast as he can to bring home the chicken rice as soon as possible, so that I won’t be starving, so that he could give me a treat for my result.

You see, it didn’t matter what he bought me. It didn’t matter how much it cost. What mattered was how much my dad loved me. It was my dad’s gift for me. That was the most important thing. For me it was priceless, for me it was the best, for me it meant the world. That one packet of chicken rice is and always will be the greatest gift that I could ever receive. No amount of money or luxury can replace that chicken rice. That chicken rice was filled with my dad’s love, affection, regret and despair. That chicken rice came from my dad’s heart. 

My dad is no more, but I will always remember the chicken rice that he bought me. Thanks dad, for giving me the greatest gift ever, “The Best Chicken Rice in the World”.