''I went back to Temerloh, Pahang last Saturday. This was my first visit after two years to Temerloh. It is where my dad was born and during my early childhood and throughout my teen years, we would always go back there to celebrate Raya and sometimes we will visit my grandpa and grandma every 3 months. I could still remember the laid-back lifestyle that my grandpa whom I called AKI led. Everything was slow paced as compared to the life in the city. Aki was a simple man and he used to work as a padi-planter when he was much younger. Nenek, on the other side, she was quite fierce and like to nag or berleter as we call it in Malay. I still remember one incident where I borrowed my uncle's bike and took for a ride around the kampung. Being only 12 or 13 and the lack of experienced in handling a motorbike, I fell and hurt my leg. The scar is still visible till now if I'm not mistaken. And nenek just can't stop nagging . How I miss those wonderful times.
Things are completely different when Aki passed away in 1998 I was in Dublin at that time. Prior to my departure towards the end of August 97, I still remember his words to me. He said 'awok pergi lah berlayor...aki takde ape nak kasi kat awok' ( you go ahead with your travels as I have nothing to give you). At that time he was bed-ridden and couldn't get up. Maybe age is fast catching up with him. I just kissed his forehead and that was the last time I saw him. Can't really believe that 9 months after that, he passed away.
Nenek on the other hand, was badly affected with aki's death. She was moody and never stopped visiting his grave every other day. This was told to me by my uncle, whose house is just next door to aki's house. Whenever I came back for the summer holidays, I never fail to visit her but she was not the same as before. One incident that I can remember clearly is when she came all the way to KL by bus just to send me to the airport. I was madly in anger with my dad as I could never believe how could he let his mom took the bus to come to KL. He could just inform me and I would gladly pick her up in Temerloh. Anyway, on the way to KLIA, she gave me RM10 as duit belanja. For her, RM10 is a lot of money..I felt touched and was determined not to fail her in my studies.... In 2002, when I finally came back for good and after getting a job, I didn't had the chance to go and visit her until I received a call sometime in 2005. My uncle called to say that she passed away due to heart attack. I regretted that I never took the chance to go and visit her. So there I was standing in front of her lifeless body and crying and regretting for not visiting her enough. I have to admit though, I wasn't that close to my relatives on my father's side. But that incident brought all of us together for the first time after so many years.
Like I mentioned, things are completely different now. The house in now empty. I can see anai-anai is happily eating away the old shack. Yes, I shed a few tears cause this was the house that I used to sleep when I was small. This was the place that I went to when I had my fights with my parents. This was the place that I played 'meriam buluh' when all the city kids played thunder claps. This was the place that we found a big ular sawa sleeping in aki's chicken barn.
How I miss those moments and I will cherish those moments for the rest of my life. Sometimes, I tend to forget where I come from but goin back to my roots that day, it helps me realized who I am all this while......''
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