78th version of the Eid il fitri.

Tues 25.4.2023

With a sigh of relief we cleared the last scrap of litter from our family Raya gathering last night at close to midnight. The 3rd day of Eid il fitri, for many years, has been our family Raya day, here in Seremban. And as if there is a tacit agreement among us, the immediate kinsmen have accommodated the date in their own Raya celebrations.

It was a near miss, though.  I'd already mentioned the date to my own family, and the assent was almost automatic. My own siblings were quickly contacted and informed, and almost all immediately confirmed attending. 

Satay was the immediate order, because Wak the seller needed notice to purchase the "perut lembu", my favourite. This item is not always available because it's normally discarded.

Then out of the blue Idah said to cancel this year's gathering because Mizi wants to have his "aqiqah" on the same day.  I said no way. I'd even already informed Ari, the father, about the gathering, and he said ok and made no mention of the aqiqah. "Discuss lah, first" Idah retorted. I said I already told you, and I'd already told my siblings. I won't change the date. I'd order the food if you insist on going to Mizi's.

I don't know what followed on Idah's side, but as I made further preparations with the children, she relented and joined the discussion. I made no inquiry about Mizi's aqiqah, but Mizi and Ari and their family members all came to our do in the end.

For the first time, though, Idah didn't cook any of the dishes served. Din visited, and knowing our plans, suggested we order from Ani's step-daughter, because for a few years now she'd been doing some catering. Din gave the number, I called, and that was that.

Memi was very much into the preparations, insisting on several things like large cooler fans, extra tables and additional menus, and taking direct action on them. In the end he took care of the entire expense.

Ari said the "mee curry" was not the same as Idah's. Other than that remark, I heard no complains about the food. By the time the last guest left at about 10 pm (the start was 10 am), the tables were completely cleaned.

These were siblings and first cousins, and Idah got the receiving end of their generosity. Her two side pockets were stuffed with envelopes with cash. I received maybe 20 % of what Idah got, and I counted mine at 430. That means Idah  possibly got more than 2K. 

The important thing was this was a success. With the years that rolled by, this must be cherished. As a reminder of life's reality, sadly, our immediate neighbour was mourning its tragic loss of a family member.  Mansor Ahmad, 68, succumbed to several grave internal complications at the hospital on the Raya day itself. We all paid our respects at the house, and last night I joined the "tahlil" held there. 

I dozed in front of  the tv  while waiting for the refilling of the attic water tanks to complete. I have 75 gallons of water in the attic for use in the 2 toilets. Because of the gathering, the storage usage was much higher than normal, while the intake remained small. In a short time the tank's hold had been drained. I had to bring a hose from the direct kitchen supply onto the ceiling tank, and started refilling. I know it takes about 2 hours to fill up the 75-gallon  tanks. That's why I sat at the tv to wait. With all the days' activity, I simply dozed off. Until shouts of " water. water, overflow!".

Actually it was the overflow pipe pouring it on to the kitchen roof. I got to the ladder and removed the hose, closed up the ceiling opening and happily retired. 

The 78th Raya Puasa celebration was a success. Except for my sister Ati, all the siblings on both my side and Idah's made it, from as far as Kg. Soi, Kuantan, East, to Antara Gapi, North, to Paya Besar, Segamat, South, and of course nearer here, Bangi, Bahau and around the Seremban area. A number of  first cousins and other offsprings also made it, from as far as the United Kingdom, and nearer home Singapore and Terengganu. Ibrahim and Aziz, my 2 surviving besans also came. In the course of answering the numerous phone calls in the last few days, 4 old friends were roped in - Jayos, Hank, Maulud and Durai.

When I met Rashid, my front neighbour, at Mansor's tahlil, I thanked him for allowing some of my visitors to park their vehicles right inside his house compound, and he wasn't even invited. He understood.

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Visiting unwell friends in Ramadan.

 Tues 18.4.2023

27 Ramadan 1444

Joining a few friends, I've made 3 courtesy visits of other friends this Ramadan, of those not in the best of health.

We visited Mazni in Kg. Pilin, Rembau, Aziz in Bangi and Dato' Ismail Kamat in Gedung Lalang. Mazni and Aziz are members of our FMC PD Group.  Ismail is of  MUBARAK NS. 

Mazni suffers from various internal complains, and the major malady of a walking impediment. Of outwardly stout build, Mazni cannot walk without his 4-wheeled "walker". He has 2, in fact - one used indoors, one outdoors.

Our group, travelling  in 2 vehicles, comprised of BB's Radzi, Nawawi, Md. Sham, Hank and I, and the OPA Sec. Mazni was waiting outside his house, complete with the yellow BB t shirt and, for my first time, long pants. He was always in shorts before.

As usual, Hank overshot the gates, causing Md. Sham's MPV to overshoot and make a u-turn about 100 m/ away.

As usual also, Mazni had a lot to say. Radzi helped by piling question after question.

Mazni was intake 1955, and is 83. He can't move without his wheeled crutches. But he said that didn't stop him from going to Hat Yai recently. We had a few "makan" with him in Linggi and Seremban before, and Mazni's appetite wasn't hampered like his walking.

Mazni lives alone now. The children visit him often, and a girl comes daily to the house, doing her work-from-home there.

In return for the 2 hampers brought for him, Mazni gave everyone a box of cakes each. I passed a "kuih ros" box to Radzi, and kept one myself. Unfortunately, I came to Mydin's, where Hank picked me, on my scooter. By the time I reached home, my kuih ros were all broken to small pieces because of the jarring ride. They still tasted good, though.

Our trip to Bangi was half-way hampered by a highway maintenance crew doing, of all things, some road painting. This can be done at midnight on this notorious Rembau-Seremban stretch, surely. Don't they use their brains ?

The waze app saved us, though. Locking on the address on my smart phone, other than that jam mentioned, we reached Aziz's Bangi house without trouble. A couple of sharp turns we went through would surely had us lose our way.

Like Mazni, Aziz was waiting at the door.

Aziz is 4 years younger than Mazni. He had a stroke which still affects his speech slightly, and one arm is lame.

Aziz wasn't able to talk as smoothly as Mazni, but by Nawawi's account, there's plenty to tell, really.

The fruit baskets were given out, and shortly later we took our leave. Our 11 am start was approaching 4 pm.

Hank had to send me back to my scooter parked at Mydin. The sky was really dark when we reached the mall. "It looks like heavy rain" Hank said. "Got my rain gear" I said. It hadn't rain, and the rain coat is tedious affair. I thought I'd move fast and be home before the sky breaks. The sudden downpour halfway home soaked me through.

This morning 7 committee members from MUBARAK NS made it to Dato' Ismail Kamat's rented house at Gedung Lalang. I was the last to arrive for the 10 am visit.

Ismail is 85. Only very recently we heard that he's bedridden. 

He was an active member of MUBARAK NS, holding various senior positions. But during and after Covid 19 he stopped attending our functions. His whatsapp chats remained active, however, except in the last year or so.

Md. Noh Jidin, an accountant like him, on many occasions had asked me about him, saying that he heard that he's not well. I told him that we were in contact on the whatsapp, although we haven't seen each other for some time. I used to play golf with him, with his Kelantanese friend, but the last game was a long time ago.

His condition is in fact quite alarming. His wife cried when we asked about his daily affairs, underlining the seriousness of it all.

Ismail can still recognize us. He even said, weakly, "on the way", his favourite words to me whenever we had a golf fixture, and I called when I didn't see him at the club already. But there's significant weight loss, and he can't get up by himself - truly bed-ridden.

Ismail was the other Ismail's classmate when in school. Ismail Yassin was with us this visit, but he still walks, albeit with a walking stick.

Ismail had a colourful and successful career, coming back from studies in Australia. In fact he had an Australian wife, and with kids, I believe. But to this day he lives in a rented house. I wonder why. It's not your ordinary house. The large double-storey bungalow in the large compound belongs to a member of the royal family. In fact when his father-in-law died many years ago, he also left a large bungalow close by. But that house remains vacant and abandoned. I don't know the secret.

It was sad to see a friend in the frail condition, confined to his medical bed. I was asked to recite a prayer. I asked God to forgive Ismail for his lapses. 

We all prayed for speedy recovery.

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