1. Eid al Fitri prayers.
2. Duit Raya.
3. Bang Dek.
4. Kak Mot( plus Nazir, Kak Long, Kak Ngah and others).
5. Kak Ani (plus Awe, Usop, Po'at and the rest).
6. Pa' Ijoi.
(1)
First day of Shawal, the end of Ramadan, and a day of rejoice for the Believers.
Off the congregation trooped to the local musalla (surau lah ).
So, I was the first committee member to arrive. I had to do something quickly, to get things moving, so I sat and began the first takbir. Then I allowed the quickly enlarging attendance to take over.
We collected exactly RM 1,115 sedekah Raya this year, which is a record because we have never broken 1,000 before.
The Sermon was nicely delivered, short, sweet and pertinent. In fact the night before I had asked the Imam what was his sermon going to be about. He said "rahsia".
(2)
Then it was back in the house with the brood ( 1 wife, 4 children, 2 daughters-in-law, and 3 grand children) all up and about, dressed already in Hari Raya splendour. Except for No.3 Son. As usual he has an agenda all his own.
I had asked Khalil, the photographer, to take the family potrait, since for the first time everyone was here all at the same time. All sat and posed as directed, except of course the grandchildren, who had their own opinions. Ah, the wonders of digital photography. Khalil managed to capture the fleeting moment of attention enforced on the three monkeys.
But all this after the Salam Raya and duit Raya bit.
So, I declared " atok bagi lebih dari 50 ringgit". I was truthful. I had put in 51 ringgit in the packets. There was an exchange of packets, and some came off better in the barter, and No. 2 Son exclaimed "pulang modal !", and I didn't get anything from No. 3 Son who had just started working with a bank. All in all, satisfaction apparently was established.
(3)
Around 10.30 we trooped to Bang Dek's house and found the husband and wife alone, their own brood for the moment scattered through the 4 different families of in-laws.
We partook the Raya delicacies in the dining hall at the rear of the house, and lingered and chatted, with Bang Dek getting updated on everybody's career development. Then we left for Kak Mot's. But not before the usual alms collection.
(4)
Kak Mot also had everybody around, except I didn't see Izham anywhere.
Nazir was sitting cross-legged inside the house plucking on his laptop, so I gave him a kick in the butt and said get up and meet everybody.
Kak Long and Kak Ngah ( there are endless alongs and angahs in the extended family system and sub-system) looked dressed up and ready to go somewhere, because they had their handbags in the crook of their arms, but they assured us "no !". I see that they have put on some weight in spite of the fasting month.
The Raya spread was in the front porch. Kak Long and Kak Ngah both vehemently claimed credit for the cakes on the table. But what I think happened was Kak Long brought her utensils to Kak Ngah's house (that was her entire contribution in the whole affair) , and Nazir put the concoctions in the oven. I can almost see Kak Ngah barking instructions to everyone within hearing, while lying on her ample posteriors.
Kak Ngah is known for valiant culinary endeavours, though not always successful. But Kak Long is usually more talking than baking. And when she finally cooks up something, you just hold your nose and swallow. You see, up until the day she was married, the only cooking she had managed to do without damaging the ingredients was boliling water !
(5)
Then we left for Kak Ani's in Bahau.
We went in No. 3 Son's borrowed car. No. 2 Son had left earlier for the in-laws at Padang Lebar.
I sat in the back and dozed most of the way, which was good, because the traffic was terrible. Before Batu Kikir Dekna, my daughter, took over the wheels from No.3 Son because he was getting terribly drowsy.
Similiarly, only Kak Ani and Bang Piei were at home. This was already Zohor, so I recited my prayers before setting upon the nasi beriani in the dining hall.
Then Usop and her Kelantan-born husband Awe and their two kids arrived and joined me at the table. Then Po'at (Bang Piei's younger brother) came with his family and joined us at the table.
I told Awe it was nice to see him in baju melayu different from the white ones he seemed to like(or the only ones he had). Usop apparently has moved job again. I've lost count how many she had been through to date. I introduced Po'at to No. 3 Son because they are in the same bank.
(6)
The last jalan Raya for the day was to Pa' Ijoi's house in Lonek.
We met up with Pa' Ee & Family at Pa' Ijoi's. Before we left Seremban for Kak Ani's, Pa' Ee had come to the house, so we sat for a while before they left ahead of us for Lonek. Pa' Ee & Family do all their outing together, whether it's visiting relatives or watchin Mizi play golf. We visit Pa' Ijoi before he visits the other older brothers and sisters because he is the occupier of the old family home, in the old kampong where the old folks are interred. So it has become more like a reunion.
Dekna seems closer to Kak Long ( Pa' Ijoi's first born) than some of her other cousins. Kak Long is waiting for her posting, after graduating with a teaching degree from the Sultan Idris Education University in Tanjong Malim.
Pa' Ijoi, the loyal Anwar Ibrahim supporter, is turning into a commercial farmer since taking optional retirement a few years ago. Right he's growing mushroom. The Lonek mushroom has been spotted in some local supermarket. It's very small scale now, but I know the Government has large funds for commercial agriculture, especially for the bumiputras.
We left for the slow drive back to Seremban after Maghrib prayers, arriving home tired but happy after a good first day "jalan Raya".
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