HERE'S HOPING

Ramadhan is leaving us soon....sigh.

Abang's zeal for tarawih somehow fizzles down though not totally out and Adik, on the other hand picks up.

In keeping with sunnah, Abah sometimes do the tarawih at home with us.... and one night, Abang fell asleep in tasyahhud during the first two rakaat. He didnt wake up until we finished the set, Abah recited do'a, cuit dia and he duly collapsed. Hilarious, really. 

After that, Abang would do the tarawih on his own ,sometimes only 2 or 4 rakaats, but never ponteng. And last night, Abang joined Abah's jamaah of i'tikaaf. Alhamdulillah....he has been wanting to do that since last year but mama and Abah were a bit skeptical as he was still prone to bedwetting every now and then at that time.

Both of you were given a some sort of check up list by your school whereby you have to put a tick in the boxes when you do the good deeds such as fasting, do the 5 solats, tadarrus, helping people,speaking nicely etc. It is supposed to be done before you go to bed everynight. But, Adik, true to her style, confidently and boldly put a tick on all the boxes of fasting and solat for everyday of the month, on the very first day the cards were handed!! 

She, of course, got an earful from Mama....

Contrarily, Abang would sit down and ponder and ponder and ponder....especially on the part of ' meninggalkan percakapan sia-sia'. Hemmph....

Few days ago,in the morning, Adik pestered Mama to let her help out as she noticed that the boxes of 'menolong ibubapa' on her card are mostly unticked. There was nothing to do really as we eat very simply, especially during this last 10 days where Abah's not home, away on his i'tikaaf. Mama will only start cooking at 6 pm. The house was still clean , the washing machine was already loaded, so, there's nothing to do....

So, I asked her to write down the shopping list as I was going to do the grocery later.

I dictated, she wrote.

Later, in Tesco, I couldnt help laughing as I pulled it out from my handbag. Neatly numbered and written: fetoochini,fresh milk, chesse, lazaniye sheets, carrots, salary,tofu,tempe, cat food, Preggo tomato pest and lots other misspelt items...I went home and made her do the correction!! hahaha....It's a good thing I was the one doing the shopping, kalau Abah, tak tau la...salary Adik??

Anyways.....

Alhamdulillah, all in all, I notice that both of you seems to understand the spirit of Ramadhan better. Adik even said she's feeling sad that Ramadhan will soon be gone. Though I'm quite sure the sadness will be gone as soon as you meet your cousins tomorrow at Tok Ayah's for berbuka.

Now she understands why, 3 years ago when we spent our last 2 weeks of Ramadhan in the holy lands, people were visibly sad and the mood was generally gloomy when it was announced that the anak bulan syawal had appeared. It was so strange for her and I couldnt make her understand as she was so used to scream ," yay, yay esok raya" upon the announcement by pemegang mohor besar raja2 with other small cousins back home year in, year out. Now, she says, she understands........

In Makkah, 3 years ago, adik was 6 and Abang 8. Both of you fasted fully despite the heat. Adik, seemed like a small girl, kept being offered candies and such by the kind shopkeepers every time we stop to look at their goods. Adik learnt to say, Ana saum....with pride, to the amused gentlemen. 

Abang would follow Abah everywhere and even did the tawaf sunat after zohor with Abah, as there were less people around, and didnt complain of heat at all....such a keberkatan tanah suci I guess.

It was during this time too that Adik gained the title of cucu kesayangan Mak Tok. Mak Tok was not very well most of the time and Adik would always give Mak Tok a massage and forever looking out for her . We would walk in three's. Abah, Tok Ayah and Abang while Mama with Mak Tok and Adik. Mak Tok and Adik would hang on to Mama's telekong. Once while going up from kaabah area to the masjid, a group of BIG Turkish ladies, rempuh us and we were separated and swallowed by the crowd. Adik loudly shouted Mak Tok's name and frantically groping for her hands. When I later asked her, she said, she was not afraid at all, just worried for Mak Tok.....Mak Tok, then, kept telling everyone back home about that incident and kept puji2 Adik la....

In a few days we will celebrate 'Idil Fitri. I hope both of you will keep in mind all your responsibilities as I wouldnt be able to locate you sometimes when all of Tok Ayah's clan gather. So many of us!! So, when prayer times come, please do leave whatever joyous things you are doing with your cousins and go to HIM. Abah and Mama might not be able to find you!! And mind your manners.....especially with the elders. And no fire-crackers, unless Ayah Mer supplies and supervises...

And here's hoping we would be able to undergo another Ramadhan and may it be more fruitful then this one......