TO THE EAST COAST

My youngest sister’s eldest son is getting married. He met a girl at his working place and decided to get married. She comes from the North Eastern state of Kelantan. We were quite surprised that he is getting married so soon and we asked how come? He agreed but was not sure himself how it could happen so fast. His younger sister explained that he once asked permission from the girl’s mother to befriend the daughter. The mother gave permission provided he makes a proper commitment. She does not want her daughter to be made just a friend. So, not wanting to lose her, he decided to commit and the whole process of recognition, agreements, exchange of gifts and finally marriage were set into motion. Then came the wedding solemnization ceremony and the wedding reception. Dates were set for these and close relatives began planning a trip to the East coast for the wedding, my wife and I included. The plan was for the solemnization ceremony be held in mid-morning, Sunday at a mosque near the girls house followed immediately after with a reception in the girl’s house. So most of us made plans to be there the day before and return after the reception on the wedding day. That would give us some time, on the day we arrive, to do some errands and meet up with old friends. But it was not to be. The plan was modified and coupled with the circumstances of the period our plans to run errands and meet up with friends could not take place.

I have had flu and a slight cough two days before leaving PJ for the trip to the East Coast. We had driven to Sita’s house three days before the wedding and planned to stay overnight in Sita’s house, one night in my sister’s house in Kuala Terengganu and then proceed to Kota Bahru, Kelantan and stay a night there. On the day we left for Sita’s house we received a message from my brother-in-law, that the Officer-in-charge for the marriage solemnization ceremony has to bring forward the solemnization to a day earlier and immediately following the mid-day prayers. That change had thrown many peoples’ schedule haywire. My mother, flying from Johore Bahru to Kuala Lumpur and then catch a flight to Kota Bahru had to give the marriage solemnization ceremony a miss. Her flight from Kuala Lumpur was scheduled to leave at 3pm the same day and it was too late to change to an earlier flight. My sister and family, the bridegroom, his parents and his siblings, and my wife and I, had to leave Kuala Terengganu early in the morning. We left in a convoy of three cars and made it to the mosque about an hour before the mid-day prayers.

The mosque was undergoing renovations and is partially closed. There were still quite a lot of work going on and it was very dusty. This very dusty condition is not conducive for Ram, especially to her eyes. We decided to go away from the mosque and stayed away until it was time for the mid-day prayers. The solemnization ceremony went on without a hitch but the officer-in-charge left immediately after the ceremony, apparently to another function. He could not even wait to join us for lunch at the bride’s house. After lunch we had to await the arrival of my mum. The arrival of the Prime Minister in Kota Bahru that afternoon, his routine visit to the state in an attempt to gather increased support of the people, had many routes to the airport closed. This only delayed the arrival of my mum. We finally get to meet her at about 5.30 in the evening.

Another adverse and very serious condition in Kota Bahru then was the typhoid epidemic. We had to be careful of the stuff we eat or drink. We watched and made sure that we eat only cooked food and boiled water. In spite of that Ram showed signs of being affected or infected as early as the next morning, just before we attend the wedding reception. However her condition the next day worsened. She had to go the toilet several times. I thought I was alright as I did not feel anything on Monday but I thought wrong. I came down with flu, my cough got worse and I was purging and vomiting the next day. I slept most of the day.

We have to be back in KL by Tuesday evening as both Ram and I have a full medical check up on Wednesday, followed by other check ups on Thursday and Friday. So we braved it out and drove back to KL. Sita and Fahrul offered to drive us back to KL but we declined. Sita would have to take leave from work if she sent us to KL. I was feeling a little better anyway, while Ram was much better. We left at about 6pm and I had to go to the toilet only once while on the journey back to KL. Later I found out that many others in our group who attended the wedding had the same problems of purging and vomiting. It appeared to be a delayed effect as most got the symptoms one or two days after the wedding. Even the bridegroom was not spared. Mum was the worse hit. She had to be hospitalized and stayed there for three nights.

All those affected are ok by now. It was a very bad experience but we can blame no one. Ok ok, maybe the local council is to be blamed for allowing the epidemic to happen, for allowing the typhoid germs to flourish, for not having proper vector control, proper health monitoring and control, failing in their duties to the public. BUT WE, we were aware of all these, we knew of the epidemic and yet we took the risk. It’s a risk we had to take for the sake of my nephew who was getting married, for the sake of my sister and her family. We went there, and we went with our eyes ‘wide closed’……..

MKI Ramblings Unlimited
Petaling Jaya