BOY TO MAN

Alhamdulillah, the weather is getting nicer...not as hot as for the past couple of months. No excuse to stay-away from the treadmill anymore, no excuse for not fasting on Mondays and Thursdays and no excuse to ignore the now overgrown garden. Hemm...looks like Mama has her hands full. And believe me, she really needs  these. Those extra flesh are prove enough...need I say more?

Abang was home for the first week of school holidays. And Mama fed him very well....and in the process of fattening Abang up, Mama inadvertently fatten herself up too! Well, I witnessed how the three of them, Abang, Adik and  Mama, finished up 4 big tubs of different flavours of ice-cream in the span of one week. Add to that, big boxes of BigApplesDonuts, all kinds of nasi for breakfast, lunch and dinner, various kinds of puddings and cheesecakes, you get a perfect formula for fast weight-gaining....(especially if you are in a certain age-group and you fold up and stowed away your treadmill and let it be covered with cobwebs).
The two young competitors in that eating marathon used up all the energies on badminton, cycling and whatnots while the older  one just played it down, trying to fool herself up    by telling her oldself that she didnt really eat, just accompanying the kids...a small serving here and there, a little bite of this and that and a tiny-miny spoonful of whatever....Haha, kid yourself not Mama!!

She is now too  absorb in endeavouring ways to get back to her former self ( which is not too good to begin with, haha), thus  leaving me to take care of this space again.

Anyway...

Abang came home by bus...much to Mama's annoyance. She strongly opposed the notion when it was first brought up. But, Abah, Mak Tok and Umi ( among the peoples consulted over that BIG decision) were all for it, leaving Mama grudgingly agreed to the idea. But, how she fussed and fussed about it!!! I,as one wise cat, advise you Abang, please do not do it again as I couldnt stand her state of mind during that time . You have got the experience you want, now get over it already! 

Abah fetched him from the main bus station as Mama couldnt be trusted to brave the crowd in Kota Bharu town during school holidays. I tell you, it was crazy out there. All the roads are jam-packed  with holiday makers. 

So there we were, waiting excitedly for Abang at the door after getting a call from Abah saying that they would arrive in 5 minutes. We were literally jumping ( yes, mama sometimes forgets to act her age) at the sight of Abah's car and Abang just stepped out and calmly arranged the scattered shoes and sandals at the bottom of the stairs!!  Mama was like,"ABANG!!! LEAVE IT, WILL YOU!!".

It was another 30 seconds before we could maul him down.....

Abang said he felt like a grown-up riding the bus home. Got down at the stops and bought all kinds of gift for Mama, Abah and Adik. He, somehow, couldnt find anything for me, sob,sob...( he made up for it though by buying me a ball at the nearby supermarket)

The truth is, Abang has really grown up. Really. Know what I mean? He is a man now....

Apparently 'it' happened sometimes before he came home.But he was not too sure about it. Mama, being inquisitive by nature, and closer than close with Abang, managed to uncover the whole sequence of the 'dream' and inexperienced as she was, consulted Abah and Ayah Ji the maulana.

Abang ended up having to qadha' around 10 days worth of prayers. And he did it most dilligently and the whole family got to hear him reciting all the surahs he has memorised in those qadha' episodes.....it was just beautiful!!

reported by;

DR. M. GREY

AIM FOR THE SKY

At the end of last month, we made another journey yet once again to The Pearl of the Orient. A meeting of  parents and teachers were scheduled to take place from April 29th to May 1st. We were given a specific time on the 30th.,10.30a.m to be exact.The ustadz who called us at home to arrange the meeting stressed on being on time as they have arranged to meet each  and every family separately, with 45 minutes time allocated for each family.

As a stickler for punctuality, I really liked the way they handled it.

And to make it possible, for us who live about 400km away, we have to be there one day earlier. So , off we went, on Thursday morning as Abah had to attend a meeting at USM  around 3pm on that day. Adik, as usual, played truant ...( one of the benefits of sending you guys to a private school! ). Right after Asr, we went to Abang's school, bearing calorie-laden  supplies in the form of organic pasta with rich bolognese sauce, fresh milk, mango juices and  creamy trifles as the dessert. All are Abang's favourite....and as usual, shared with Hassan, Tareeq and Amir.

I brought forks and spoons but Abang said he wanted to stick to sunnah and all his friends agreed. So, they ate spaghetti  with their fingers, sauce and all, having second and third helpings.

The next morning , after  breakfast , we took off from Vistana and reached the madrassah  just in time. Abah could barely squeezed in our car in the compound turned parking area. 

 That was the first time I saw the madrasah proper, I mean the classrooms, the dorms and the backyards. In the previous visits I just  stay put on one of the cute gazebos . Though permissible, I didnt feel comfortable to roam around so many boys however young they are. Now that I have seen it all, oh my, was I impressed!! Spotless classrooms, shining windows, orderly double-deckers  with neatly made up beds, not a single pair of shoes/slippers in front of any doors ( everyone will automatically put up theirs on the tall racks nearby) and the best part is, even the laundry hanging up to dry was not haphazardly done as the usual scene in any other school hostels. Yes, I'm aware that the kids have made special effort for that particular day, but I'm sure they wont be able to it excellently if they are not used to it. MasyaAllah, I'm so impressed....(now it makes me sound like a totally clean-freak, which I'm not, okay)

Alhamdulillah, now I fully understand how Abang could quickly and easily  fit in . ( I used to wonder and worry, knowing how difficult/ fussy he could be). When Abang was 6 y.o and finally agreed to start attending a playschool, we went around looking up  at so many kindergartens before Abang would say yes. I was aiming for the one within a walking distance from our house, but, no, one look at the toilet, he just walked out. The fact that he had spent a couple of months in a playscool in Sydney made things worse. He kept comparing!! A few toilet-inspectings later, he decided on an expensive playschool which distance  required me to drive . That was exactly the point where I finally put my driving license to good use after having and keeping it as a decoration in my purse for so many years.

But I digress...

The day progressed to be a day not only I was suitably impressed, but , enlightened as well.

MasyaAllah, I learnt a lot from the ustadz assigned to talk to us.

He brought us to a greater height in understanding the importance of ilm in just a  few minutes. Subhanallah! He showed us the way to gain it and to properly put a place for it. He opened our eyes, made us see a new dimension.  And he talked with so much passion it brought tears to our eyes. I shed tears for my ignorance, for new revelation, for new understanding and for the almost tangible honesty in the ustadz's words. And all the time, Abang sat and stare at him with such open admiration that I could almost see  he absorbed each and every word of his ustadz like a sponge. Subhanallah, it was all so beautiful. It ended with report on Abang's progress and attitudes in classes which are all Alhamdulillah and then Abang recited a surah and the ustadz asked Abah to recite it too. Hemm, nasib baik Abah hafal that  particular surah...

We left feeling high-spirited, more determine and full of new resolutions. We are now aiming for the sky. Let us all pray that Abang will not only be a hafeez, but an 'alim too, and not just an ordinary 'alim, but one that reach the status of Imaam Syafi'e of even greater than that. 

And now, I have to do my part at home......

THE HEAT IS ON.....

...and Mama is  eerrr..out ( of her elements)

So, guys, looks like its me, Grey, again....

Apparently,our beloved Mama is badly affected by the weather. The heat really gets to her and taking its toll on her, draining her out, turning her into lifeless being. ( the creativity juice, if she has any in the first place, is totally dried too, thus the need for me to  take over).  These days, she's  quite a different person. Right after zuhr prayer, she'll get into this weird mode of 'not doing anything'. To me, it looks like as if  she stops functioning. I think she even stops thinking. Truth be told, I'm a little worried about her. Worse still, I'm the only one around from 7.50 am to 4 pm. I, therefore, as a responsible and sensitive and loving child cat of hers, never leave her side.... ( except for a few minutes to,y'know, answer the call of natures...)

From 2 to 4 pm she'll sit still on that recliner, do nothing except reading and sipping cold water, while I obediently sit at her feet. She hardly moves. And when the pitcher she's been drinking from becomes empty, she'll look at me longingly, wishing that I could go and fill it up again...and I stare back at her, conveying message that reads, 'Mama, I would if I could...but you know my limitation. And, frankly speaking, you are already spoilt as it is, you dont need a cute cat to spoil you further'. I'm quite sure she reads it perfectly fine as she would lazily and ever so slowly drags her feet to the fridge....

She's been eating very little...the heat has taken away the usually very extremely healthy appetite. She then wonders, why she hasnt loose any of those excesses pounds despite not eating as usual. Oh Mama, do I need to explain this too? You see Mama, all the energy you use are only for flipping those pages of books you read, and nothing else...so, do I need to say further? Being polite as I am, I really dont want to insult your intelligence, or whatever shred of it left. Furthermore... do I need to point out the fact that you have conveniently forgotten your routine on the treadmill? Looks like the alternate-day regime has been replaced by once-a-week half-hearted effort!!

And I pity you Adik and Abah, for having to live with her ...and good for you Abang! ( for being away that is...) . The idle mode means  very few cooking done , as the kitchen is,well, obviously the hot spot!!( our kitchen faces west where it gets the full brunt of the fierce sun) After asr prayer, she'll start rummaging in the deep freezer,  and more often then not, comes out with some frozen ready-to-eat 'something' from as far back  as eidil-adha!! And throws it into the microwave. Seriously Mama!! Where is your 'trying to eat natural food as much as possible'  so-called principle? Have you forgotten the fact that food that has stayed too long in the freezer are of lesser quality? Dont you feel guilty for not feeding your family the nutritious meals at all? Hah, I guess not!! The heat has taken your memory away too....sad!!

Abah and Adik, good-naturedly, bear with this...all in the name of protecting Mama from the evil of migraine which is ever-looming nearby.( heat,fatigue and bad smell are the three migraine-inducing factors to Mama) They have to...Or else suffer from a darker mood of Mama. A situation where  the need for the whole house to be kept in the dark and everyone is reduced to tip-toeing around her, making as little noise as possible and never to let  any offensive smell, especially  of food, to come near her...Yes, she could be very difficult to live with.  Abah would be the one suffering most as he will have to lovingly massage her to sleep.( err..somehow Mama always know if the massage is done secara terpaksa and will refuse it!..followed by a few hours of sulking thereafter)) All alone now that you are gone Abang....you are the one who would usually rescue Abah from that ordeal. ( And we must never mention Abang at this stage or the waterwork will start and will be quite difficult to be stopped once it begins).I do help sometimes too...by walking on her feet and calves...I really do!! And I'm quite sure Mama does appreciates it. Despite all those massages and whatever strong painkillers administered, the evil throbbing will not end until she becomes sick enough and throw up all the contents of her gut . Some kind of abdominal migraine I would say...and its bad, real bad. Seriously.

Ok guys...if you have any love for Mama, please pray for her. She's in dire need of your prayers to become wholesome again and be patient and be thankful of whatever situation she's in.  Look no  further than at ME!! With my thick fur, I should be more uncomfortable than she is...but, do any of you hear any complains from me? NO. I am always grateful of what Allah decides for me....

With that wise words, I end this entry. 

                   well, no mama here, she's gone for yet another refill...

THE WEEK THAT WAS...

It was one delightful week.... Alhamdulillah. Abang was home from 13th to 20th and we enjoyed every single  minute of it. Saw lots of relatives, attended oh so many kenduris, ate loooots of food ( Mama gained 2kg huhu) , not to mention huge doses of  talking and laughing.

But for Adik and Abang, nothing beats the pleasure of being surrounded by cousins. And Alhamdulillah, almost all of your cousins from Abah's side were home and many from Mama's too.

When Abang arrived, Tok Nazi, Kak Shara, Abang Halim and that adorable Rayyan were  already here. Rayyan was inseparable with his life-size Barney. That prompted Abang and Adik to dig out Abang's own Barney that was also inseparable with Abang about 7 years ago. We were in Sydney at that time. It triggered happy childhood  memories of  our dancing in a circle while singing to Barney's song of I love youuu, you love meeee.....and ends up with BIIIIGGG hug!! We had fun singing with Rayyan.

We sent them to the airport the next day and dropped at Tok Ayah Wahab's to find the compound filled with cars from Kuala Lumpur. All the cousins were here!!! It felt like Eid.

There was an awkward moment at first when Abang met Akim, the most-missed cousin. Akim, as usual, straight away jumped into the small stream behind Tok Ayah's house as soon as he arrived, closely followed by Zaid. It was nearly 12 noon. Soon, Aman and co arrived and joined in the fun. Abang was in a  dilemma.  To join or not to join....He desperately wanted to stick to his routine at the madrassah, keeping in mind every word of his ustadzs's. He dilligently did his daily recitation, dhuha and tahajjud besides doing loooots of khidmats...and  play time is always after asar!! Abang finally opted to sit in and listened to the conversations of Tok Ayah, Pak Uda, Ayah Man and Ayah Yi though  his minds was with his cousins having fun under the sun... 

And I'm ever so proud of you Abang for your perseverance. 

But, he crumbled at last when we were going home and Akim refused to come with us despite being asked to by his own mum. I saw  a fat tear rolled down Abang's cheek. Akim and Muslihin are always his favourite cousins, being the same age and all. Those are the two cousins Abang always look forward to see during every holiday. It was bad enough that Muslihin's madrassah in Kubang Bujuk was not on holidays, now Akim  was also not agreeable. I tried to console Abang by saying maybe Akim was feeling a bit ill at ease with Abang's strict adherence to his maahad's rule. 

Anyway, all things went well after that. Akim came later and things were never better. 

Adik's sanctuary became very popular.

Grey never left Abang's room. It was amazing watching her jumping wildly upon  seeing Abang. I never thought she could be that clever. Sowwy Grey....but you always seems to have this couldnt-care-less look on your face!

I cried the tears of happiness when I listened to Abang's Qur'an reciting. Subhanallah! It was so beautiful...almost perfect tajweed, excellent pronounciation of the letters and all. I never thought he could achieve that in such a short span of time. Not that I ever underestimate you, but it surpassed my expectation. The next day, Abah and Adik took turn to do tasme' of the surahs that he had memorised. Adik was so inspired that I found her doing her own tilawah more carefully now, trying to imitate Abang. We are so thankful to all his ustadzs for their patience and diligence in teaching our beloved Abang. May them get the most bountiful rewards from The Almighty.

We were supposed to go on a trip to Pulau Redang with Mak's family but a couple of days before the holidays started, Wafaa had to undergo an appendectomy, thus the plan was aborted. To make up for it, we had a picnic with Umi's family at La Hot Spring in Jerteh. It was a lot of fun!!

Abang and Adik also had fun listening to 5-year-old Naqib  reading the Bawal books. They made a video of it and after Cik Jah and family went back, they kept playing it and laughed their heart out everytime. So, you had  conveniently forgotten how you two also read in that way not too many years ago!!

All in all, it had been a fulfilled week....

Came Saturday, Abang took off  with Tareeq's father around 9.00 in the morning. The house became unbearably quiet . Adik slept if off until midday...and Mama cleaned up the house while Abah had to go to the hospital and then off to do nusrah at one jamaat.

We thought all of us were doing well. No tears during the goodbyes. Abang was smiling brightly and we were joking about something.

During the taalem, there were only Mama and Adik. Suddenly, Abang's absence was  profoundly felt. We missed listening to his careful reading (very much different from before)  for the past few nights. Soon as we recited the kaffarah tasbeeh, Adik literally dived at me and the dam was broken....So much for being cool in the morning!!

ADIK IS ELEVEN

Adik turned eleven  few days ago...and as an advance birthday gift, we brought her along in our routine 3-days every three months trip of rejuvenating our faith, so to speak. Adik thoroughly  enjoyed it despite the negative preconception. Before the trip,always the one with sharp mind (and a tongue to match) she  pre-empted by making  Abah promised not to put her under any obligation to take up any duty.....

However, Alhamdulillah, she did manage to follow every program  on time . Did most of nafil prayers, daily zikrs and MasyaAllah, lots of khidmat...The only thing she missed out was tahajjud. She said she was  aroused from sleep when the makciks woke up one by one but didnt  have the strength to actually wake herself up and do it...But, in her own words, "nampak best sangat..., Adik teringin sangat nak bangun  tapi tak larat".

InsyaAllah Adik, in time, you will have the strength....

By the way, Adik has actually joined the school program that consist of sleeping at school and wake up for night-prayers but it was done in congregation with lights on. She said it was a whole different thing seeing the makciks tip-toed silently to the toilet under minimal lighting, made ablutions and prayed and made looong do'as  and crying while at that. Wow Adik! You must have stayed awake for quite sometimes to abserve all that!! Might as well bangun and sembahyang 2 rakaat....rugi lah Adik!

Anyway, Adik is now counting the day for the next trip.....

As for me, I hope to be able to always bring you with us but its all depends on the mesyuarah. So, Adik, ask from HIM, The  Most Benevolent Provider.

Post 3 days trip, Adik needs not much cajoling anymore to accompany Mama to weekly ta'alem program. It used to be quite a chore for Mama to plead with her every Friday morning and it always ended with some ice-cream on the way home. Very damaging indeed to Mama's ever-expanding waistline!! Last Friday, no pit-stop at Pasar Segar Kubang Kerian....Alhamdulillah, selamat duit dan pinggang Mama. She was in a hurry to get home to do 'tashkil' to Abah after listening to an enlightening and moving bayaan. Haha, kesian Abah...from now on, you'll have to contend with another feminine voice nagging you to go out there doing the work of  our beloved Prophet . 

Adik now is very consistent with the few amals that she picked up during the trip. One that I am really proud of albeit a bit envious of, is her determination to always make ablution before going to bed every night. And just before bedtimes, our nightly taalem sessions are more alive now that the girl who always complain of sleepiness is nowhere to be seen! In her place is a girl who keeps asking to do the reading as she said she could read the Arabic parts of the hadeeth better than Mama and Abah!!

I hope and pray, it will last forever and getting better and better.....May Allah choose you again and again...and if He does, please dont expect me to always be there to scratch your back, head, shoulder and everywhere because you couldnt feel with your gloves on...Yes, Adik chose to don the full hijab while on the journey, complete with khimar and gloves...and Mama has to be on her beck and call in case she feel itchy...Thank God it was just a  short journey! It got juuust slightly better on the journey back....

As a reward for the excellent conduct, Abah bought Adik a gold wristlet for her birthday......Happy eleventh birthday Adik...May Allah increases your ilm, beautify your akhlaq and showers you with the nur of  hidayaat. Always. 

 

 Adik at Aunty Niza's cute lil bookshop, following Mama's footstep, Adik is crazy over books and Abayaats. ( Kak Bashirah, thanks for the cute pink handbag, Adik is absolutely in love with it!)

 

And these are birthday presents from Mama, bought at discounted prices on occasion of Maribaca's Official Opening.

MEEOOOW....

(Please excuse the title...I'm not very good at giving post title, given that this is only my second attempt at  blog-posting. Unlike 'someone' who usually put fancy title only to write about how she misses her son!!)

Annnywayy....

Here I am again, taking  over from Mama for this month lest she will bore you to death with her same old - same old stories of you know what la kan...

Hemm, what should I write about now...

Let me begin by sharing with you my ever-increasing duties in this household.

I still guard the house.

Here I am at the vantage point where I could keep an eye on everything that moves. (and yes, the car is YELLOW...with the word 'Dragon Sound' on it...sungguh tak seswai dipandu oleh a niqaabi, dont you think?)

And yes... apart from that important duty, I still have to entertain the naughty girl... mostly by playing hide and seek with her. Ah, she's easy to please...

                                My favourite hiding spot....where is she now?

Right after 'Asar prayer, off we go and jump on  to her new-found sanctuary.....

Yes, you see it right. Its a rambutan tree....These days, weather permitted, she can be found here, reading,  almost every afternoon. And I keep her company, always. To tell you the truth, it was ME who discovered this spot. She saw me crouching there,enjoying the afternoon breeze while listening to those birds chirping and those naughty squirrels jumping mindlessly , eating all Abah's bananas, snakefruits, papayas and everything edibles. I have quit chasing them after being severely reprimanded by Mama long ago. She taught me to love all things  breathing and non-breathing ...though I still cannot comprehend why she screams her lungs out whenever those cute smallish green snakes slither by every now and then. Well, this place is like a zoo sometimes, all kind of creatures can be seen here.....While at this, I must say that I am so aghast at peoples' reaction whenever they see me approaching the  fish bowl to have a drink.

yesss, this is my favourite drink. Fish flavoured water. I dont eat fish though!!

 They thought I'm gonna eat those tiny colourful fish. No way!! I'm much too civillised to do that okay!! Plus, I dont eat anything but my premium kibbles. Call me a food-snob, go on, but I stand my ground!

But I digress..... 
Back to Adik's adventure.

I have always known that you, Abang and Adik harbour a dream to have a tree-house. I remember how the two of you even tried to build one by yourselves after your request was turn down by Abah and Mama. They have their own valid reasons for turning it down though.

So, one day, Adik was doing her daily chores of putting the organic waste into Mama's compost heap  when I sort of meoowing at her from my perch. She came, she saw and she conquered!! Not one to argue over trivial  matters, I just let her.....Well, she still needs me up there as a company , so, no big deal. 
Since that day,she'll be here until the sound of  Qur'an reciting came from the nearby mosque indicating Maghrib is soon approaching. Nothing to worry here as the rambutan tree is actually in the backyard garden with chain-link on the perimeter.

At the moment she's reading Alice In Wonderland and I am being subjected to some kind of harrasment. She insists that I should grin like that stupid Chesire Cat!! She has  tried pulling my lips out and upward, cracked silly jokes, danced an  awful dance and  even threatened me in her attemp to make me flash a grin!! I feel like screaming, ADIK, STOP IT!! Yes, I could wink at you every now and then, but that's it ,okay,...I dont do GRINNING! Werent you and Abang believe that I am an 'aristocat' not too long ago? I am therefore, a lady-cat who must maintain her posture, stature and that nonchalant, indifferent look all the times. A grin will just wipe it away! NO CAN DO! Stop harassing me already!

In the morning, when she's in school, I take my much-needed rest...I used to sleep for hours and hours.

BUT, not anymore.
Recently I found Mama did something quite detrimental to the household finance. I observed her for a few days and concluded that I need to do something before it gets worse. Ah, what to do, duty beckons.

So, nowadays, whenever I see her sitting in-front of the desktop or her netbook for more than half an hour, I"ll just leisurely shashay  my catwalk over the keyboards. With my ample size, I just cover the monitor nicely and with my weight, everything she's been tapping away just vanish into the thin air. Abah is very thankful to me and applauds me for rendering a grrreat service to the household.

(I can only have my beauty sleep uninterrupted on mondays and wednesdays when Mama is not home,doing her so-called charity works.)

Yes, you guess it right.
Mama is on the slow but sure path of addiction to the on-line shopping!! I have seen packages arriving from all over the world for the last few months....THIS REALLY HAS TO STOP MAMA!! And she has a partner-in-crime. A cousin who shares the passion. They call each other almost everyday, comparing things, prices, web-addresses, whatever...This cousin, I happen to like her because she provides good advice to Mama regarding my well-being, otherwise I should ban her from visiting. I heard that her next visit will be on the coming CNY break, is it right?

I have to stop now...some noise is coming from the ceiling, gotta go inspecting.

And oh...Abang, if you read this piece a few years from now, please be informed that I DO miss you...I visit your bedroom everyday, sleep on your bed, on  your swivel chair and on your study-table where I can still sniff your smell....I know you miss me too. Dont worry, the coming weekend, Abah, Mama and Adik will go visit you and I'll make sure they wont forget to bring the camera to show you all my cute poses.

I end here with a picture of me wearing the bling-bling Adik bought for me in Seoul....very befitting me, if I can say so myself....

Signing-off,

Dr.M.Grey

RETROSPECT.....

We have been making so many trips to The Pearl of the Orient that we almost  know the east-west highway like the back of our hands.   Abah could point out  the exact location of which mosque in which locality. Mama knows where best to stop for toilet break. We even have a pet name for our favourite stop ( silly little private joke of Mama & Abah) . We marked the best goreng pisang stall ( at the junction of Panglima Bayu, from Jalan Rantau Panjang Lama onto highway) and a  shop  that sell  keropok lekor that taste as similar as the 'originals' in Losong. And yes,we also pay close attention to  those treacherous slopes too.......

We do not feel that the distance is that far anymore....how could we, when the apple of our eyes is there waiting for us!!

And I must mention how I am  yet to tire of drinking the greens of the hills and the blues of the rivers along the way. (Tasik Banding is just soo breathtakingly beautiful!). And Oh, it is SOOO refreshing. We always end up winding down the car windows and let the fresh cool air of the Banjaran Titiwangsa in.( We usually make our journey in the early hours) Abah likes it too, but not so much for the air, but  more for economic reason!! He could saves on petrol as no air-conditioning is in need, plus, it gives  the machine more power to climb those hills. Dont forget, we are an environmentally-conscious bunch of people!!

Lately,we took to bringing a picnic basket whenever we visit Abang. How satisfying it was to see Abang, Hassan, Tareeq and Amer relished every single morsel...they do miss home-cooked food though they never complain about the meals served by the school.

seen here, Abang,Tareeq, Amer and Hassan eating in harmony and penuh adab...

As for us visitors, delightful as they are, Penang foods generally are not very agreeable to us. We always go to Penang armed  with a supply of Loratadine  or risk disturbed sleep due to blocked nose. But of course it doesnt stop us from sampling the northen delicacies....

Abang ( as well as Hassan, Tareeq and Amer) are painfully thin and it worries me to no end. I would go on and on about it.....complaining,whining, crying ( typical of me!) and asking Abah to request from the management to allow us to bring some supplement for Abang. I know Abang misses having fresh milk  as it has always been his preferred drink and used to drink copious amount of it everyday at home. And honey too. The inhaler and nasal spray was not so much in need  when he  constantly took honey as is practised in our home. And I lament over the fact that as we are trying to eat more of organic products at home, Abang just has to make do with whatever given to him.

Abah would usually listen to me for a few minutes, than started his pep-talk. Abang is thin, so what. Most of the Holy Companions were thin. And they lived the life that we should modeled on. A simple lives free from ostentation and extravagance. A little hardship it is indeed....why making a mountain out of a molehill. Isnt it a common believe that hardship is more beneficial to the soul of man than are comfort and ease?

I was afraid that we are depriving him of certain live-style that he's used to or what I perceive he should be having...What live-style? On what do we based it on? The way accepted by common people? Do not confuse ourselves of what are the REAL needs of our children as opposed to those preached in the books of the kuffaar. Are we not telling ourselves every night in our ta'alem about it? Now is the time to put it into practise.

Astaghfirullaah hal 'Adzeem....

Sometimes I wonder at my own shallowness!!

Adik is far better than me. She accepts it whole-heartedly.She deals with her loneliness. Concerned aunties, uncles, cousins and neighbours keep asking if she's okay, knowing how close she is with Abang. She pacifies them all with a big bright smile and told them she has got another best-friend now named Mama and ,of course Grey too!.  No sooner than I uttered, "Oh, its so sad to see Abang...,she would take my hand and stared at my eyes fixedly and said," Mama!, Abang is okay, he's happy, stop worrying!". She even takes precaution. As we reached the gate of Abang's school, she would remind me, " Mama, no crying okay. If you do, Abang will too.... ". Abang himself tried to make me feel better by actually lifting me up by way of proving that he is STILL strong no matter how thin he gets. And I am a good 20 kg ( or more) heavier than him!!

Thanks Adik, you are a gem! And of course Abah too. Your pep-talks are always a soothing balm on my wretched heart...I love hearing them so much that sometimes I just "buat pe'el" to induce them!! Hehehe...jangan marah Bah!!

I know, I should be the one comforting them, not the other way around.........

So ,in this year of 2010, I intend to grow-up....I'll try to learn more, put into practise even more of  whatever little 'ilm that I have and be a better muslim as a whole, Insya Allah.... Kind souls who chance upon this page, pray for me please.....thank you.