February - 4 Birthdays

There are four birthdays in February in my family. Haziq is four on February 2nd, Hifzhan five on February 16th. while Haadieya, who shares the same birthday with Ram on 22nd. is one year old. Ram’s age? Ah-ha, figure it out. There has been many ‘hints and indications’ in my previous blog postings that you can easily deduce her age. All my children and grandchildren are gathered in Shaffik’s house in Bintulu for this purpose.

We had a thanksgiving session on Tuesday evening starting with the dusk prayers in concregation. Guests were the neighbours and Shaffik’s and Mini’s office colleagues, about 50 of them including their children. Then we read the Quran, specifically Surah Al-Yasseen followed by Zikrullah and supplications to the Almighty, specifically glorifying Him and seeking His forgiveness and guidance towards a peaceful life and wellbeing of the family members in particular and the ‘ummah’ in general. Then we performed the after-dusk prayers in a group. (It is well known amongst the Believers that the virtues of praying in a congregation are manifold against praying alone. One of the reasons many go to the mosque five times a day to perform their prayers in a congregation). After prayers were over came the highlight of the evening……. food…. glorious food… heh heh!

Shaffik had catered the food for the evening consisting of briani rice, curry beef, vegetable salad with tomato-based sauce, tofu salad with peanut sauce, roast chicken with chilli in honey sauce. Mini baked cheese cake for the occasion. Cholesterol level of all the food and desert …. certainly high!! carbs. and fats? most certainly high too, but how can you resist…. I drool now just describing it!! Anyway, we entertained and took care of the guests first and after they depart, we partake the food as though we had not been eating for the whole day!! Plonk into bed not too long after that and it is a sure passage for the fats and cholesterol to park at the wrong places in our body parts and in my case usually it is at the middle area, tightening my waist belt! ha ha ha.

Breakfast the next morning were our usual bread and pasteries but lunch was again the cholesterol and fat laden stuff, hmmmm. The interesting part was the after lunch affair, the opening of presents. People who came the previous night gave presents and little envelopes to the kids for their birthdays, so there was quite a pile for them to open. They received colouring books, various children books and toys and were excited. Haadieya however was excited playing with the colourful wrappers!! Then came the time for them to get their presents from our bag that was not opened in front of them the day we arrived.

Babang kept pointing at the bag, ha ha, expecting something exciting to come out from it!! I told him, “Go ahead, open the bag”. We bought them battery operated robots and you can imagine their excitement. They immediately switched on the robots facing each other and Dedek telling Babang, “See Babang, my robot fighting with your robot, see who wins”. When Babang’s robot fell, Dedek will jump with his right fist punching the air shouting, “I win, I win!” and when Dedek’s robot fell Babang will do the same, in real sibling rivalry style, keeping tabs on the number of wins.

We have another set of presents that was assembled in the morning while they were at playschool, something that they had previously showed interest in but was coaxed into waiting until they are a little bigger. After a while of playing with their robots I asked them to stand in the centre of the hall. Our dialog went like this:

Tok Bah: Babang and Dedek like to have a scooter?
Babang and Dedek: Yes Tok Bah (in harmony)
Tok Bah: Ok, both of you demonstrate to me how you ride a scooter
Babang: Ok. First you hold the handle like this (putting his hands forward as though holding the handle bar), then you push like this, moving his right leg forwards and backwards.
Dedek just followed what his brother did.
Tok Bah: Are you sure you can ride the scooter like that?
Babang: Yes Tok Bah, this is how you ride the scooter. (Demonstrating it again)
Tok Bah: Ok, raise your hands like this (as though in supplication) close your eyes and say I wish I have a scooter three times.
Babang and Dedek did as told.
Tok Bah: Ok, go behind the door (the scooters were hidden behind the door).
They went behind the door and screamed, Babang the loudest, “I have a scooooter! I have a scooooter!” several times in a sing-song style and started riding it. Babang rode it or rather walked the scooter with one leg on and the other leg walking. Dedek tried the same but fell down a few times and gave up!!
Babang said: Never mind Dedek, Babang five years old, Dedek only four years old. (Heh heh! He just cannot help ‘rubbing it in’ to his younger brother!!)

Son Shaffik saved the day for them by demonstrating how to really ride the scooter and they spent the whole afternoon riding and perfecting their style. By nightfall, Babang could balance but still need more practice while Dedek continue to struggle with his balance. They will just need more practice. At least Dedek was motivated to continue practicing seeing that his elder brother could ride the scooter with practice.

Then came dinner. Mini’s family members including her parents and her siblings with their families, joined us for dinner. We had sea food barbecue, cutting the birthday cake and a lot of laughter and screaming of children.
A few of them rushing for the scooters and the bicycles just like any kid in similar situations. Adults just had to keep reminding them to either wait their turn or give way to the others. By the end of the evening, adults were just as ‘pooped’ as the kids were.

We enjoyed the evening, no…. the whole day in fact including the previous night…. I think the happiest was Ram. It was her birthday, Shaffik holding thanksgiving, she had all the children and grandchildren together with her (which is quite rare given the distance of our domicile locations) and she also received presents. I could see her enjoying the day and entertaining the guests, especially so Mini’s parents, siblings and other relatives, some of them we met at the Longhouse a few days ago, and this night she reciprocated their hospitality. Mini’s parents and relatives profess different beliefs than ours but that is no hindrance to our family camaraderie (It is Ram’s and my hope and wish that at least Mini’s parents would one day find in their hearts to follow their daughter and become Believers).

It pleased me much to see Ram enjoying herself. Our children were happy for her too. In fact at breakfast the children, including our daughter-in-law and son-in-law, openly expressed and pledged their support for us, now that we are in our ‘twilight years’ (we are pleased and may the Almighty be more pleased and provide continuous guidance for each and every one of them through the right path). Mini suggested that our house in PJ be preserved as the family base or home for the generations to come as well, where everyone can return to now and then. They were at one voice in agreement and at the same time wishing for us to enjoy the remaining of our years, again may the Almighty be pleased….. Hearing their pledge of support for us uplifted our hearts and spirit, and we could not help that small drops of tears brimming our eyes when we later thought about it. All praises be to the Almighty for having guided us in the right path in the process of our raising the family and bringing them up and guiding them over the years. We are also pleased that their spouses expressed similar sentiments towards us. May the Almighty be pleased indeed…… amin!!

MKI Ramblings Unlimited
Bintulu