Showing posts with label family. Show all posts
Showing posts with label family. Show all posts

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

My Cousin Ahmad Fakhruddin (D.D.)

Hello all,

I was blog hopping as usual cause I remember a posting about my late cousin that I posted a long time ago. It was on my Friendster blog, but it was deleted due to inactivity. In the years I thought that the post was lost since the original text itself was gone.

Until today...

Yes apparently the posting was transferred to another account of mine and I found it...and I would like to share it with you all...

The post was dated 1st July 2004 which was three days after he passed away...



Hey everyone…I’m not used to posting things but I thought of wanting to share something with all of you… On the 29th of June 2004, my cousin, Ahmad Fakhruddin b. Samsudin passed away. He passed away due to some heart complications. He left a wife and a daughter and he was only 23+ years old.

When I first heard the news from my mother, I couldn’t shake off the shock that was going on in my head. I couldn’t bring myself to believe that he was gone. As my mum left me in my room…I cried. He wasn’t just my cousin, he was my unofficial brother. His real brother, him and me were known to be the 3’s Stooges in our family. Despite being only cousins, our bond was just as close as we were real brothers. Whenever I was back in Terengganu, all three of us would get together and do the most craziest things. When we got older, we spent a lot of time talking about our lives. Even though we were but phone calls away, but being around one another was the best. We would talk about our dreams, girl problems, anything to seriousness until nonsensical stuffs. But the times when we were together felt like hours. We’d hang out near the pier at night and talked. Drove around and ‘kacau’ the ‘bapoks’…it was the time of our lives.

Now, he’s gone. No matter how I look at it, he's really gone. During his funeral I kept looking around maybe he would pop up and laugh his head off saying it was a prank. But seeing him on the bed. Lifeless…it was true that he has left this world. Before his burial, I gave my last respects and kissed his forehead. It was cold. How can a body so warm and full of life now be so cold. His brother held my hand and we held each other looking at our brother. It was goodbye. It was the last time, the ‘3’s Stooges’ were together.

Until now as I’m typing this out, my heart still aches. There were a lot of things that I didn’t get a chance to say. But the most is ‘I’m sorry…’ and ‘Goodbye…’ When his body was taken into the earth, I looked on. I looked around and saw the people which lives he has touched. He may not have had a high education, but he had a heart bigger than anybody else. He’s responsibility to his family has always had my respect. He loved his wife and he loved his daughter very much. He didn’t say it, but he acted upon it. And actions do speak louder than words. He had the biggest laugh among us, and there were times that he would talk to me about his problems. Being afraid for his daughter, afraid of what kind of husband and father he would be. But I always told him that he did fine, and there was nothing for him to worry about. Due to that, it shows…what a responsible and loving person my cousin was. D.D, my brother…I’ll miss u a lot…and there won’t be a day from now on that I would ponder on my own mortality and the times we had together…

You’ll always be my brother…

Al-fatihah…

And as I read this again after all these years...I still feel sadden by his passing. I still feel that he was still around and would call me out of the blue just to talk...His passing reminds me of our mortality and what we would like to be remembered for when we are gone...

Even after 6 years...I still miss him.

Monday, September 28, 2009

Hari Raya 2009

My last entry was a month ago. Wow. So much for wanting to post as much and as fast as, but I remembered me telling someone,'I blog when I have something to blog about'. And today I do have something to blog. It's about Hari Raya. My Hari Raya.

Why? Simple. This year is meaningful. Actually I have forgotten when was the last time I felt excited about Hari Raya, most probably during the times I could still get the hari raya 'angpows'. Hah!

But what I do know is that among the years, I have lost the feeling of excitement. The feeling of joy. The anticipation of 'balik kampung'. I have either forgotten or lost it. I don't know. I remembered on the first day of raya, after the prayers and gathering with the family, I'd just zip out and go watch a movie or something. It didn't mean much to me anymore. I guess I grew out of it.

Until this year. It was different. It meant something.

It's my first raya being married.

Never thought that being married would change so much of my perspective in life and among other things including Hari Raya.

I was excited. I was overjoyed. I couldn't wait to balik kampung. (Albeit at first I was reluctant...heh...didn't want to leave my toys and my new studio...) Hari raya shopping was fun and getting clothes for my other half was satisfying. The raya mood was seeping through my veins and I actually smiled to the thought of singing raya songs. Heck, I even got my students to sing raya songs and do a small show...for me! (well, they came in late and I had to think of some kind of torture...oops...I mean torment...eh...)

My first day of raya was really meaningful. For one I was celebrating it with my new family. We drove back to Rawang a day earlier so we can 'berbuka' together before raya. And the next day I indulge myself to my mother in law's trademark Laksa Johor (which is awesome...). Spent some time with my wife's family and later drove back to Shah Alam where all my sisters planned to meet up around the same time. It was a fantastic day. (Including our photo session...had to do it without help from anyone except a chair...and trying to get the perfect shot...hahahah)



After eating an abundance of food for the whole day...it was the yawning session...rice...not good taking in large amounts.




And some people were still hungry...



Next day we headed off back to my family's hometown, Terengganu. I was excited since bringing home my wife with me and I get a chance to show her where I grew up, played and enjoyed my simple life in Terengganu. And the best thing is she is a big fan of that little eastern state of 'keropok lekor' and Pasar Payang.

The ride was fun, we laughed...we joked...(despite me being the butt of the joke, thanks to my mum...) but I enjoyed it.

We stopped at our old house, mum would tell stories...it was...wholesome...

Next day in Terengganu we went to 6 houses...and thats a record! We stayed for 2 days and headed back to Shah Alam on Thursday. But before we left, the day before we went to pantai Batu Buruk to get a feel of the sand and sea...




It was a beautiful and meaningful trip. My grandparents were happy, my parents enjoyed themselves, my wife was happy meeting my relatives and...me?

I am contented.

Selamat Hari Raya to all.

And hope that your raya is just as meaningful and joyful as mine.