Eid-ul Fitri 1435H / 2014M

This year Aidil Fitri celebration was much blessed. For the first time in so many years, we managed not to celebrate Aidil Fitri along the highway. We managed to arrive at Noor's kampung while people were getting ready for the Raya prayers. So, we stopped by the mosque and joined the others for prayers. I managed to meet most of my in-laws and some of his relatives. After a visit to the cemetery next to the mosque, we went to Batu Berendam to visit my sisters. We stopped by my parents' graves in Peringgit. For the longest time, I sat at their graves thanking and grateful to Allah to let me be here on Aidil Fitri itself. It completed my Raya celebration. Usually I would only be able to visit them the next day or before we left for Alor Setar again.

What was so blessed? This year I managed to celebrate Hari Raya at my sisters' houses. I got to eat ketupat daun with sambal kelapa courtesy of Wah (only Wah could make this dish authentic as Mak used to do it). I went to visit my old neighbourhood and walked down the familiar yet so different background. My sisters, Hamid and I visited our old uztazah, Quran teacher and next door neighbour. It was a great time guessing what our names were. My whole siblings were under their tutelage. We owed them a lot for our religious studies. My boys accompanied me.

This year, for the first time. I cooked for my in-laws. Since Noor did not plan to visit any of his relatives, I volunteered in the kitchen to give time out to my sister in-law to go out visiting and celebrate Hari Raya. I cooked for them lontong and sambal kacang. The next day I cooked for them the requested nyonya curry mee much to the satisfaction and delight of my in-laws and the children. I had never cooked such a large amount before i.e. 3 chickens, 3 packets of yellow noodles, 2 packets of spaghetti for those who did not like noodles and a packet of kue teow for Akmal. Otherwise, I played host and the boys made the drinks and helped to clear out the kitchen. We only left at night for Rina's (my niece in Peringgit) open house.

This year, due to Abang's death, put things in perspective for Noor that he extended his leave to accommodate visiting my side of the family. We went to KL and visited Kak Ita (Abang's wife) and Kak Zizah in Keramat. We went to visit Kak Che Mah at Taman Tun Dr. Ismail and got to meet up with Kak Era and Abang Salim. I managed to meet Suraya, my youngest, reclusive and estranged sister. Somehow, I could get along with everybody and she called me up the stairs to catch up. Finally to Abang Omar's house in Subang for dinner. They had not seen my boys since they were just kids. They were taken aback with the age and size of their nephews!!! I may not get an opportunity like this next year as Hari Raya we are subjected to Noor's side of the family. And most of all, I got to meet up with Mak Besah, Abang Omar's mother in-law aka Kak Dilah's mother. She must be more than 80 years old, petite and almost deaf but she could remember who I was after more than 7 years. Even Noor was impressed that she could recognise him as she had problems with her eyes. I could only recite Alhamdulillah, MasyaAllah and SubhanAllah. Thank you Allah.

"Maka nikmat Allah manakah yang kamu dustakan?" A much blessed Aidil Fitri. Even if there is no next year's visit, I am grateful for this one time as all my boys are here to meet up with their uncles and aunties from my side. Thus I will not have to answer Ikram's question -  "Whose house is this?" .... and they would recognise my sons if they happen to meet each other. InsyaAllah.