Fasting at My Hometown

Due to long Independence Day holiday, I take an additional one day annual leave because it has been a long time I haven’t “berbuka” and "sahur" at my hometown. I think it has been four to five years back since I start working in KL and various other places. Normally, I take a night flight home when it is already Hari Raya’s eve and once I went home 3days after raya back in 2005.

A day before Independence Day I head off to my hometown. It was suppose to be a 6 hours drive if the traffic was not too heavy. But since it is a holiday season, the traffic is quite heavy so it took me about 7 hours to reach home even with high-speed driving.

It does not feel like Independence Day this year. It is a little bit different, maybe because everybody was not happy with the government I guess, especially when Pak Lah is still the prime minister. Let’s forget about that lousy minister.

On the first night at hometown, my mother in law make a feast at home calling all relatives, I just sit and chat with in law’s uncle holding my eyes to prevent from falling asleep while at the sofa. After the feast, everybody was discussing about the planned vacation next year, while I am trying to remain awake with the headache. But just a few minutes later my mother in law gently asks me to take a rest at my room. Maybe my face said everything about how sleepy and tired I am. My wife followed me and massage me to relief my headache. I think I fell asleep just few minutes later.

The other night I sleep at my parent’s house. Before sleep I called my technician since I haven’t seen him for a week thinking that maybe he’s trying to find a new job after married. After calling him, I was informed that he did get two new jobs, one near to his house in shah Alam and one in Middle East. I just encourage him to join the Middle East besides highly paid (six time his current salary) he can get a new experience internationally but I remind him to make a proper notice at least 2 weeks so that there’s time to get his replacement.

I went to my hometown mosque for first Terawih prayer, there I realize Tok Imam Tua already passed away, previously Imam Muda was now replacing him, and his post was replaced with new Imam Muda. Few other older Pakcik-Pakcik that always prays at the mosque with me last decades was also gone and replaced with other previously younger Pakciks. Kids who were once always playing at the back was now already become a teenager. This means it’s been a long time since I left my village to start my own life.

That night I had buah salak that my father takes from the orchard. That night I received a text message from Shah regarding his 24 hours notice, thus, I text to other two charge man to cover the shift for his Resignation. That night I had my sahur with my family and my younger sister’s family. The next day I break my fast at my in laws house. And the final day I leave my hometown to my workplace.

Maybe next year I should take a leave again in early Ramadan. It’s different.