Three weeks in one posting?

It has been a while since my last posting here. We are back at home in Petaling Jaya. We left Bintulu on 22nd March, on time, by Air Asia. Son Shaffik was then in Kuala Lumpur for a meeting, so we had to take a cab to Bintulu Airport. We got a cab belonging to a former staff of Asean Bintulu Fertilizer (ABF), where I used to work in and where son Shaffik is working in now. It has been quite a long time since I last met Hj Nerawi, the cab driver/owner, and we had a lot of catching up to do. He was at one time the driver of the ABF bus. Shaffik, scheduled to return to Bintulu on 23rd, stayed in Pan pacific Hotel at KLIA, which was quite convenient for us as we could wait for him at the hotel. Shaffik went home to PJ after his meeting and drove the car to the hotel for us. His flight back to Bintulu was the next morning.

Two days later Shaffik and family, including the newborn, came up to KL. He has some work to do in Kerteh and was scheduled to be there for one week. So, all of us drove up to Kerteh. Ram and I stayed in Sita’s house while Shaffik and family stayed at the hotel. After that one week in Kerteh we came back to KL. The kids are still here with us. They are scheduled to return to Bintulu on the 18th. Ram and her sister Siti will be going along with them to Bintulu.

All the above movements had become necessary because Shaffik and Mini has no live-in helper currently. With Shaffik working, Mini alone would not be able to cope looking after the baby as well as the ever hyperactive two boys. Furthermore Mini was still in confinement. The live-in helper (an Indonesian) had completed her contract and a new helper is being arranged. It would have been simple if a replacement could be found immediately, but currently there seem to be a dearth of helpers from the neighbouring country, all because of a tightening of and stricter exit control, their side, and god knows what other restrictions that have been recently imposed, all as a result of the repatriation of illegal immigrants from that country by Malaysia. It became a G to G arrangement but I suspect somewhere down the line someone or more of them are playing pucks!! with the system. Mini is now at the end of her confinement, and has to go back to work sometime next week. Ram has to follow them back and hopefully the new live-in helper would be available then.

While we were in Kerteh I received a phone call from a close friend and former colleague that he was in IJN, the National Heart Institute. He had been there a couple of days, first in the ICU and that he had been transferred to the normal ward on the day he called me. I think he had recurring problems. By coincidence, the following day, we received news of the passing away of Ram’s niece’s husband. A businessman, still active, in mid-fifties I think, and who has had a heart bypass procedure done quite some years ago. Apparently he had recurring problems and succumbed to it. As we could not leave the kids and Mini in Kerteh we were not able to attend the funeral. However we did make some phone calls to other nephews and nieces and was assured that the arrangements of things necessary for the funeral were in order. Yesterday, we had the opportunity to visit the niece and her daughter in her house and found out that the late husband indeed had the recurring heart problems but it had also caused other problems that affected the lungs and he had succumbed to it. May the blessings of the Almighty be bestowed upon him, “Al-fatihah”.

My two grandsons continually keep everyone in the house ‘entertained’. They either play loudly or quarrel loudly, forever requiring attention. After my normal morning walk in the park nearby I would return home, fetch them and bring them to the park and let them play in the playground. At least that way they exert themselves somewhat and would sleep for a while later in the day. That’s when we get some peace and quiet in the house.

Since yesterday, Shaffik brought all of them to a hotel in KL where he has checked into because of his work and the house is suddenly very quiet!! The kids, of course, looked forward to it as they could swim in the pool. We stopped by at the hotel today and told the two boys to follow us and they refused!! They want to continue staying in the hotel they said. They want to swim in the pool some more!!


MKI Ramblings Unlimited
Petaling Jaya