The two subjects I hate the most in school were Chemistry and Mathemathics. I only managed to attend seven classes of Chemistry in form 5 [2 spent outside the class standing with Fadzi] and Math 1,well, I have to attend most of it sebab cikgu dia boleh tahan garang.
I hate both of them, even bila dah masuk uni. Dan sampai uni jugaklah aku bodoh 2 subject ni. Ok tipu, sampai sekarang sebenarnya hehehe.
Therefore, I never imagined that I would like any of them, walaupun sedikit. But a book changed my perception, about Math [Chemistry aku masih tak paham dan tak suka] 
In a nutshell the story is about a math professor whose memory could only last for 80 minutes, a housekeeper yang tidak bernama and her son, root. Root is a nickname given after the professor sebab kepala budak tu bentuk macam square root.
Because of the 80 minutes memory, the housekeeper had to introduce herself and start all over again every single morning.
The professor’s life revolves around math and numbers especially prime numbers. While the housekeeper, who doesn’t really care for math suddenly become interested with math after “befriending” him.
Shockingly enough, aku juga turut berasa sedikit obses dengan prime numbers after reading this book. Dan tertanya-tanya apakah maksud euler’s equation itu. 
Reading this book tidak membuatkan hati aku bernanah dan kepala kusut macam duduk dekat dalam kelas math walaupun banyak menyebut tentang formula dan nombor-nombor yang sangat membencikan. Terbayang juga rupa cikgu math aku, Pn. Noridah tapi sedikit ajaib, tak pulak berasa macam nak kene sawan, unlike last time [hehe].
Instead, the writer, Yoko Ogawa made me want to read more and know more dengan ada satu perasaan halus yang meresap di dalam dada walaupun kesemua character [except root] tidak bernama. The style of writing is so light yet so beautiful. Bila membaca I can feel the sincerity of both the housekeeper and the son dan juga I cannot help feeling kesian towards the professor.
Mungkin kalau dibaca dalam bahasa asal [Japanese] akan lebih indah. Mungkin.
Berlatarbelakangkan Jepun, the author secara tidak lansung bercerita tentang kehidupan di Jepun. The story will also touch about Japanase baseball team, Japense festivals and their customs tapi dengan cara yang cantik. Unlike some stories yang berlatarbelakangkan Jepun or China, kadang-kadang gaya penceritaan adalah menyesakkan dada, especially bila bercerita bab gender dan penindasan. I don’t really like.
Anyway, I love the main character, the professor. Despite being a well known figure in math world [he managed to discover some theory or something], he was very humble. His hobby was to masuk quiz math yang dianjurkan dekat magazine and when he won he would simply say it is nothing, sebenarnya jawapan dia orang dah tau those who set up the quizlah], it is the journey of finding the answer that reveals the beauty. Tiada sebarang riak atau lagak.
The Professor never really seemed to care whether we figured out the right answer to a problem. He preferred our wild, desperate guesses to silence, and he was even more delighted when those guesses led to new problems that took us beyond the original one. He had a special feeling for what he called the “correct miscalculation,” for he believed that mistakes were often as revealing as the right answers.
And he took a great interest on what the housekeeper and the boy did, making them to adore him so much.
When he had solved a contest problem from one of his journals and he making a clean copy to put in the mail, you could often hear him murmur, “How peaceful…” He seemed to be perfectly calm in these moments, as though everything were in its rightful place, with nothing left to add or subtract. “Peaceful” was, to him, the highest compliment. …and if I were making dumplings, he would look on with something approaching wonder. I would take a dumpling skin in the palm of my hand, spoon on a bit of filling, and then pinch up the edges before setting it on the platter. A simple process, but he was completely absorbed by it, watching me until the last dumpling had been stuffed…. When I was done at last and the dumplings were neatly arranged on the plate, he would fold his hands on the table and nod solemnly. “How peaceful…”
The book is all about love, shown in so many way. When you read this book, hati kau yang kosong itu [at least macam itulah hati aku masa baca tu] akan terasa penuh tiba-tiba.
I was expecting to shed some tears upon finishing the book because I could see the ending. The professor will die and there will be heart breaks [including mine].
Yet, when I close the book last night, I smiled and went to sleep dengan hati yang berbunga.
Indah!
- Be it modern math or add math ↩
