HARI RAYA MORNING

Allah hu akbar 3x..............Its Ed morning. I woke up early to prepare for Hari Raya attire for the husband, two sons and self. My eldest daughter is married and live in their house not very far away from my home. After getting ready they (husband and son, the youngest stayed behind.) left for prayer at the nearby mosque. Being left to myself, my thoughts went back to the days when I and my family used to return to the big house in Tandek. (Since both our parents died, we no longer gather at the house during Malam Raya). All of us, 13 brothers and sisters plus our spouses and children will be gathered at bapa and mama house a day before Hari Raya. We all spend the night until the next day there. Bapa and all the males will be going to the mosque at Malam Takbir. While the malefolk were at the mosque, the womenfolk will be busy preparing food at home since all the congregation (majority of them) will visit our house to recite the Takbir immediately after that.

During this gathering, one can imagine the 'hula-balu' - laughter will ring from the verandah where some of my brothers and sisters exchange stories and jokes (mostly jokes and tall-tales), while others will be busy chasing after the little ones who will be running around the house playing chase, shrieking with laughter and at times crying after some little fights amongst them kids. The older kids will be busy playing katub - bamboo canon. Funny how I can find time to make new curtains for the windows while sharing in the commotion and my other sisters could also decorate and clean the house making it look new and festive.

Bapa will help mama make ketupat and my adopted brother Jainal will make lemang - his speciality. I will cook the rendang daging and sometimes mama will also make kuah kacang.
Some aunts and uncles (from mum's side) will also be there to help in preparing the food. The preparation will sometimes last until early morning.

Very early next morning, everybody will wake up and get ready for the Ed prayer at the nearby surau. Dressed in their new baju raya, all the menfolk will leave the house for the prayer while the womenfolk stayed home busily preparing food and drinks for the impending visitors, for as usual bapa will invite all the congregation to a raya gathering at our house. This time around, the guests will once again recite the Takbir Raya in our house while raya goodies will be served. Later we will all visit our older relatives' houses.

Lately I noticed, raya celebrations such as these seems to have dissappeared. Children no longer feel the necessity to spend time with their parents during Raya. A new culture have emerged. Hari Raya Open Houses now usually will include karaoke singing as part of the merry making. Hey, what's this ? Wakey wakey woman - stop livin in the past. I dedicate this pantun to myself:

Asal kapas menjadi benang
Dari benang menjadi kain
Barang yang lepas jangan dikenang
Sudah menjadi hak orang lain.

Live and let live - observed and adjust, observed and adjust.

Ps: This was written on raya morning.