Bismillaah
alhamdulillaah, we took quite a long break this December, 2013. Started with two wonderful weeks at Penang: tokmak moved into an apartment previously rented by Kak Santi, Kak Santi moved out to Kulim, and daily dosage of cousins bonding and playing time for syurgawan at Kak Yana's nest.
After that was our big family trip back to Tawau, Sabah to attend a cousin's wedding and Jalan-jalan around Tawau-Semporna especially for our orang semenanjung spouses. Turned out to be a very interesting and eventful trip. Right after we've landed at Tawau airport, we took the walk down the memory lane driving through the small Balung, Inderasabah, Juragan, Wakuba, and Sg. Gading. Looking back at the klinik kesihatan Balung we used to frequent, SMK Balung where all of us went to, Juragan which used to be the end of the road where the henti-henti bas made a u-turn and headed back to town, SK Wakuba where our lives as school children were colored with wonderful memories with teachers and friends, and last but not least, our former 'home' where we spent many years filled with the joy and tears of childhood and life lessons.
Apparently, our 'home' was not there anymore. It was dirobohkan already, maybe because it was too old and dangerous. The river that we enjoyed so much looking much narrower and 'lonely.' the area around the house was very much 'silent' compared to the years we were there. Gone were the days when we stayed under one roof, worrying nothing about the world outside, treasuring our 'little' world no matter how hard life was. The kampung was looking old despite the road was raised higher with concrete bridge replacing the old, wooden bridge.
We had no blood relatives there, but we have friends whom we've treated as our own families and who have treated us the like. They are the reason we came back. Jalan-jalan was just a plus, not the main agenda. They are our 'friends in need are friends indeed'. They are Tokmak and Tokpak's bff, and they have became our pakcik and makcik.
Looking at their hospitality, kindness, and friendship really taught us a lot about life. Treat others they way you want to be treated.
At the kenduri, we've met families with grown up cousins. They were just babies and young children when we left many years ago. They are young adults now with different personalities and stories of their own. Time and distance do made wonders, mashaAllaah. May Allaah help us in preserving the family ties, ameen.
We also visited Semporna, where some men from our group became life savers by saving two young girls from drowning. We've just arrived at the place when a father with his three children lost their grips to each other. The father was holding on his youngest son, while his daughters were pulled away by the waves as they panicking and pulling each other down. Sadly, people were just looking at the poor family as they desperately waiting for help. alHamdulillaah, Nanot, Tok Bah and Abang Wan quickly jumped down and helped the poor girls. Sungguh mendebarkan masa tu..huhuhu..
