Ramadhan came and go. We are still in Syawal...Now is the season of Open House. Malaysian are so so good at celebrating food. It is all year around kind of event. After this will be Diwali then Christmas....offices will held celebration for each of festival. Our Eid was joyous! Tiring..super tired. I think years to come we will just cater food. No more self cooking; well probably one or two dishes.
Mostly nowadays, people use disposal paper plate and cups. I think my dad will shoot me that black look if I come out with this suggestion. He is not the one whom washing and cleaning up.
Due to age and health, my dad did not make Lemang anymore. I miss the good old days. 30 to 40 pieces of lemang is just easy peasy those days. The best part is...first day itself finished. 2nd day of Eid mom did Laksa and 3rd Day Nasi Minyak. Me..what did I do..well apart from washing dishes and cleaning up...wait..that is all that I can remember the most. Owh my...
1st day of Hari Raya was busy with visitors. Once a year kind of relatives. We often see them at this time of the year only. Any other than this, it will be a major event like wedding or funeral.
A day before Hari Raya, I went to the hospital. My cousin has lost 21kg of her weight. She seems excited for Hari Raya. Even my aunt has lost some kilos. They took turned to stay with my cousin at the hospitals. Day time my uncle and night time my aunt.
There are some insurance issue to be settle too. Her company paid compasation in full already. Just wait for the insurance to clear up. One thing for sure, the process is not as easy as upon signing up. Why it happen such a way, because of too many fraud cases. Due to criminal’s matter, genuine people whom in the need money for treatment suffers the most.
This year Hari Raya was a sweet ones among all, my dear Nenek Zizah came with one of her daughter whom I have not met for 20 years. She is staying in Johor. The last I saw her was when her daughter was 3 years old..now that girl is 23 years old. She scream upon seeing me and we jump like school kids...everyone roar with laughter.
Chat up heartily and make up with most of good old days stories. The old Nenek Zizah classy as ever...hugging and sentimental emotions. Her last daughter now in Shah Alam. Finished her course and working with DRB HiCom. The old lady stays on her own now. Her other son is staying close by. Good to know that someone is there to keep an eye on her.
I remember much of my childhood by then. Running in their yards through the mud and puddles.
Peep into the deep weld. Scared over the sound of Padi machine processor...run and hide behind her.
Nenek Zizah daughter said, her mother dressed up since about 1600hrs. Then heavy rain pour, the trip to my house cancelled. So after marghrib she propose again to come to my house. They all agree but there is a stop over to a relative’s house. By then it is almost 2200hrs. So they decided to go back since it is a bit late to visit now. To much of their dismay...Nenek Zizah was rather adamant. She said it is not that late..let’s go...awww....so sweet of her. All her knee pain seems gone when it come to a trip to my house.
That night they left with a great memory fond into me. I told them, if everything is OK, 3rd day of Hari Raya we will go and visit.
On the 2nd day of Hari Raya, late evening I was having a chat with my dad in the yard...a visitor came...family friends. The Ikan bakar owner...nice family.
3rd day of Hari Raya as promised we make a trip to Nenek Zizah’s house. Nothing much has changed about this old lady. She was so so excited to see us. Her last son is also there with the family. First time is 20 years I am seeing Meriam Buluh again...that was like so old skool man! Where on earth can you see this thing again. Really typical Kampung yes.I felt like a kid watching how they blast it...my nephew of course above all is the most excited ones.
From that house we went all the way to Kuala Pahang – fisherman’s village. We took the inner route. Again...that route I have not pass for more than 20 years. The story behind that route...my school boyfriend house was along the way towards the fisherman’s village.
So so may changes. The village does not exist anymore, make ways for highways. I wonder then where is that school lovers of mine now. My sister was teasing....your ex MIL Kampung ..just shut up I said.
Arrived into Kuala Pahang..The Ikan Bakar family. Warm welcome. Upon stepping into their house, there was life size tiger toy. My nephew and niece went over the hills. Excited!...the house owner said, he bought it to scare away monkeys. Which he said work very well.
There is jungle nearby, these pheasants monkeys came into the house and starts to become nuisance. Upon seeing that large tiger soft toys...it seems those monkeys scatters and run like mad.
At that point I am feeling rather...I am so back home town. This is the life..
Me and Shan came back on Monday 12th August 2013. I reschedule my check up for 17thAugust.
I was hospitalize again end July. Three days for a minor surgery. It has been almost a month and I think my health issue is still the same. My next check up is due on 3rd September. Hope all are ok.
A week after I came back to KL, life goes on as normal. Then while browsing through a friend’s FB page...I saw a familiar name. A quick message to this friend of mine..then it happen. I got a trace of my school lovers. Old flame! Text message exchanged and voila ! It’s him !
My my...19 years passed. Well I did meet him in 2002 I think in KL. Some story sharing and lots of information updates. Found few more of my school friends too. But the one that I am looking for, still lost. He was the captain of our football team back in school. God knows where he is now. Maybe someday I will find him again.
This ex lover of mine, the football captain and few more are in one group. We are together everywhere. Cut schools..cut classes..name it. But that time our social problem was not into drugs or free sex. It is merely being mischief. Going against the rule...the most bizarre and bad thing we did was smoking...that was it! There is a drug issue of course but not very minor. There are no synthetic drugs too during my time. Weed, cocaine, heroine...no ice no ecstasy and all.
Gang fight was among boys rather than girls. Nowadays girl involve in gang fight more than boys does. My last sister should earn a credit for this...she is dam good at it though. All that stories came after school of course.
It is good to be able to catch up with him again. He is in his 2nd marriage now. The first did not worked out. His parent still around...stayed at different location since their village demolished for new highway project. All his sister’s is married too. I remember both girls well. Sweet and mischief in their own way. His mom kinda disappointed that it did not work out well for us.
Hmm...I was off to varsity by then aunty. Ain’t gonna wait for your son whom do not want to pursuit anything educationally right... J J. Plus...we are like what 17 years old. So not gonna happen man!
I left him...yup. I did left him and went away...
He said, every year without fail, he will pass by my house at least once. I grin to myself..all these years...
Its 4am on 28th August 2013. I am on night shift. Yesterday evening I had a wish of Hari Raya came from my cousin. Our ties remain below the radar for a while now.
I shared with her about what has happen all these years while we are not in talking terms. After my fourth uncle’s death..the mole came to light. We patch the puzzle and the jigsaw kind of completed now. Come to think about it, if both of my family and her family was such a bad people....I wonder why the one that fallen apart is the story teller’s family now.
God Almighty! You will get back what you give..karma will slap you back.
