Aidil Adha Week

The week following Aidl Adha had been a hectic week for us. All the children were home and hence the grand children too. As its Aidl Adha, we planned to return to the hometown and spend some time with the bigger family, especially with my mother. At the same time there was the constraints of time, leave from work of the children and each of their priorities to consider.

Son Shaffik and family arrived from Bintulu late Wednesday 19th January. Their flight from Bintulu was delayed 2 hours. Shaffik had flown back to Bintulu early Wednesday morning after his official trip to KL the previous two days, and flew back with the family to KLIA in the evening. Hifzhan or Babang and Haziq or dedek, were overly excited on arrival and had many questions for their Tok Bah and Tok Mi, majority of them were on their toys. Hifzhan sings the songs he learnt in playschool while Haziq kept saying ‘no problem’ to almost anything, a new term he learnt from one of the cartoon TV programmes without doubt. Haziq also insisted that he is the baby of the family (mum is in the family way and due in mid February, hence Haziq must have felt threatened!!) and preferred to be called baby instead of dedek!! However this stand Haziq took changed not too soon afterwards.

Tessa came home late evening, Thursday.

Sita and baby Najla arrived from Kerteh, Terengganu on Thursday night, after midnight though and 2.30 am to be exact, hence it was Friday morning, Friday being Aidl Adha day.

Hifzhan and Haziq, have not seen baby Najla and were looking forward to meet their cousin. They woke up early in the morning as usual and the first thing they asked was whether baby Najla has arrived. Baby Najla was still asleep, and the two of them stood by the bed in awe and kept staring at Najla. I asked Haziq which one is the baby and he pointed to Najla. What about you I asked. He said he is dedek. Not baby? I continue to tease, he ran and said noooo, dedekkkkkk…. No more Haziq the baby after that!!

Friday morning, after Aidl Adha prayers, Ram's nephew came to visit. Later we went to Klang where Ram's nephews and nieces gathered and waited for us. Spent some time with them and returned home later in the afternoon.

We went to Johore Bahru late Friday evening, in three cars and together with Ram’s sisters, Siti and Rashidah. Siti have not been home since her left hip and leg operation due to a fall in the hotel bathroom when she went for the ‘umrah’ last Ramadhan. She has been quite immobile, moving around with the aid of the 'walker' or walking stick. We arrived at Rashidah’s house just before midnight.

Saturday and Sunday was spent visiting my mother and my brothers and sisters. Tessa returned to KL on Sunday afternoon. She was caught in a traffic jam in the last quarter of her journey, a usual phenomenon during extended weekends and holidays. We originally planned to return to Petaling Jaya in the late evening of Sunday but Sita suggested that we delay the trip to early Monday morning, obviously picturing in her mind the traffic jam Tessa went through earlier.

On our way to Petaling Jaya on Monday morning we detoured to KLIA to fetch Fahrul who arrived from Kuantan at about 11.30am. Fahrul’s parents had also arrived in KL earlier and were scheduled to return to Kangar, Perlis late the same evening. They dropped by our house in the evening. The next day, Tuesday, Fahrul and family went back to Kuantan where Sita has some work to do through the next two days, and arriving just in time for it (JIT)and Fahrul was to baby sit Najla in the hotel when Sita was at work.

The rest of the week until Friday 28th. was spent keeping tab on the grandchildren with their playful antics. Babang singing his favourite song in his customary style and Dedek saying ‘no problem’ while waving his right arm in a circle, whenever challenged. Rearranging their toys seems a continuous effort, some of the times the toys were strewn all over the floor. Babang will be choosy of food preferring not to touch foodstuff that has any blackish part, like over burnt fried stuff even just slightly, while dedek has ‘no problem’ with food. One has to be coaxed to eat while the other has to be coaxed to stop eating!! They were quite certain of the places they want to go, the playground, the train ride (LRT), The Berjaya Mall, Pizza Hut etc. They did not get all their demands from their parents and they naturally turned to Tok Bah and Tok Mi,and of course all sorts of excuses were given to avoid their demands!!

Shaffik and family left for Bintulu on Friday 28th. Babang insisted that he does not want to go by the red airplane (that’s Air Asia). Why? We asked. The red plane shaking when landing he said. Actually aunty from the plane does not give chocolates!! Babang wants to go with the red, white and blue airplane (that’s MAS). Apparently he later protested just before boarding the plane but of course, he was overruled.

The house was suddenly very quiet Friday evening onwards. We decided to go to Port Dickson and spend the weekend there.

MKI Ramblings Unlimited
Petaling Jaya