MY BOYS

Boys never grow up
my first boy
always want a toy car 
till now he never miss any F1race
as spectators, but he wish 
he can be Schumaker

Boys never grow up
my second boy
collects all kind of fooball jerseys
till now he never miss watching
football matches at home
or with friends at mamakteria
once trapped at the stadium 
with the red warrior die hard fans

Boys never grow up
my youngest son
is so neat and clean freak
he grew up following rules
he has his very own way
sticked to his styles and stints
difficult to change
till now he is a k-pop fan
loves to sing, dance and
so contious with his appearance
I think he can be an artist
unique, creative  and indiffirent

a grandchild was born
a boy name Ali Eidan
what will he grew up to be
pampered him with books
so he can be a philosopher
like Al-Bukhari, Al Ghazali or
a scholar like Yusuf Ali

weddings: we were the brides

wedding rings and things

most importantly is the ring in any wedding

but i have a pendant and a cleopatra chain for my mahar

a flower shape embedded with tiny diamonds and blue stones

exclusive from a goldsmith in Nottingham

but our wedding was simple

a celebration among friends away from my family

with consent from ayoh and che

avoiding tradition and was insensitive at that time

being young and independent, rather impulsive 

my elder sister noral married according to tradition

from the majlis bertunang, akah nikah and makan beradab

being the eldest, everything was well planned and grand

what more the in-laws were  from the same village

Bibi's wedding was pomp in  Kelantanese-style

wedding rings and things like the hantaran

were second after the stated mas kahwin

we decorated the bed as the pelamin

and everyone were cramped into the bilik pengantin

the groom came from Pahang

so we had to prepare a homestay for the family.

for hantar menantu we convoy to Temerloh 

sufia followed my steps, married in texas

again with the consent from ayoh and che

both of them were so understanding

as long as the daughters are safe and happy

nazirah's wedding came by after a long lapse

the four of us were busy raising our children

the kenduri was lavish as she has her incomes

but still there is no pelamin

as ayah and che don't like to waste

but to give as kenduri kesyukuran

after retirement my parents renovate the house

special addition is the bilik pengantin 

the furnitures and carpet and curtains all new
ready to welcome majlis merisik and bertunang

one after another the room witness more weddings

 aliza, saniah, anita, syam and elly

i was getting more interested with the rings and things

getting involved in the traditional procedures

the dulangs must be odd filled with manisan and gifts
and the mas kahwin or barang kemas
sending-off the brides ties the bond between the families
to Kuala Trengganu, Kuala Kangsar and Besut

organising 7 'persandingan' in the family 

with only one menyambut menantu for era

we attended syam's persandingan in KL

considered the most special occasion in the family

during Elly's wedding she set-up a pelamin in the living

my oh my
 all the 'pengantin lama' also want to be on the dais

and that was the last wedding in Taman Guru
surely  its grandeur

TRIVIA

Who are the Kelantanese groom ?

Guess the family tradition we celebrate after a hard day's work.

metamorphosis in celebrating eidulfitri

first decade
not much memory
but i remembered a trip to BATA
at night with ayoh and che
looking for raya shoes
tried it every night before raya
such excitement!
we learnt to fast
in the evening we tagged behind ayoh for a stroll
as che was busy in the kitchen
at night we went for terawih
the best treat was rojak kuah kacang
joined the other kids playing mercun

second decade
we helped kakya with the raya cookies
she baked cupcakes and brownies so well
she can even prepare icing cake for b'day
our dress were customed made by kakmoh
once we had bell bottom with matching waist coat
the other year we even have peplum dress
we were threesome with same design but in different shades
walk round the village, even go on a bus ride to our friends' raya party
Raya in Taman Guru was not much fun
we love and miss the kampung -style raya
coming back from college for raya
we just chilled out with our younger sisters
we said raya is meant  for children only
but we look forward going to relatives' houses
as we like being treated as the blossoming teenager

third decade
kakya,kakni and kakna were married
balik kampung with our families
along, hisyam, ida, nuha, amin and saif
make our raya so meaningful
we exchanged ang pow
brought home cookies and gifts
acik su and che rah also started a new family
later on aisya, dee, dhuha, tasneem, nasuha,
hajar, hannan, alin and the 3 boys ing, epi and faris
the raya became more happening
and the nights were lively again with fireworks

fourth decade
we also celebrated rumah terbuka  at my house
more families from tante, seri, enda, uda and suli
ayoh renovated the house with 10 rooms
the home was full with love to our parents
and the laughter from the grandchildren
the y-generation mostly boys so boisterous
imran, akim, nu'man, amer, hanif, eisyraf, umair,
irfan, muaz, ammar, haziq, wafi, eqmal and ariq
and balik kampung was the best moments
eidulfitri is time to exchange cookies
showing off childrens also moms' attire
and  the colour theme keep changing every year
each family proudly snapped photos for momentos
the laman was fully parked with cars
and the lounge and living rooms turned bedroom
to occupy the growing family
the new girls azalea, hana, kyra, damia, sofea, betty
were like princess treated by the older cousins
nabilah, anis, husna, yati, alia, aimi, solehah, iman, najihah and sarah
moms were always occupied in the kitchen
making sure everyone has their meal
everyday we cooked together gotong royong

fifth decade
Now, our children are married
so the partners were coming to our family home
family of four farhana, fakri, firdaus and fahmi
came along hisyam and yana
nuha and shamril, tasneem and asim.
and we're expecting more grandchildren coming
though we have to face traffic hurdles
to and fro during festive seasons
but we are still faithful to be home
with che and ayoh for eidulfitri

pigeons and plums

work to live, but please
not live to work.

daddy works
twice a week commute from home to seremban
rent a small room there
and dinner is never cook

mommy works
left so early to avoid traffic jam
to a school in midst of PJ
coming home late and tired
manage to cook dinner for everyone

amin works
8 to 6 at I-city, Shah Alam
home is shelter for the nights
glad that weekend is for outdoor

naDya works
10 to 10 at Sunway Pyramids even on weekends
hardly why she is still looking for a partner
takes a break during weekday
no fun as everyone is working.

nasuha works
in a bank at Bukit Jalil
rent a room only come home on weekend
but always volunteer in any field project
once a while she turn up home

nusaibah works, her hubby works
one in Kota Bharu another one in Kuala Tahan
living lonely lifes but to serve others
don't even have a proper home yet since her marriage

ing plan to work
but mommy advice to further his studies
because work is so taxing
should be worth the pay

once you work you're stuck your whole life
until you decide to retire from work
then you have no more aim in life
but to enjoy the lost time for work

so we are like pigeons
who fly early in the morning
in search of food to survive
plums are the best food for pigeons

so turning pigeons
and bring home plums
are our little pleasure in life
and we sacrifice a lot more pleasure

mother's day

at 23 i became a mother
to a beautiful daughter Nusaibah
born in St David's Hospital, Wales
faraway from my mother
how i wish my mother was there
to help me on my ist day as a mother

at 52  my daughter is expecting a baby
in Nov she will be a mother
i hope i can be by her
to train her as a mother

Ironically she was posted a doctor to home town
grandparents welcome her with open arms
my mother of 10 who live with dear father
all her children transfered for careers' sake
my daughter's homecoming link me back home
to my mother that i always miss

so the legacy goes on
daughter and mother are always close
though children left home
leaving mother in her empty nest
but the bond is always there
the homing instinct never fails

i will always fly back to warm the nest
as seeing a mother make my heart at rest
mother's love is even more

to witness my ist grandchild
i will be by my daughter
and ease my mother
from all the hassle of maternity
again and again...

so on mother's day today
let the children ponder
how true is mother's love