The great ones

Great uncles and great aunts are all that's left now that both Tok and Tok Ayah are no longer with us...
From the humble beginning in a remote village tempat jin bertendang called Kampung Sungai Batu in Kedah, alhamdulillah, now my great uncles and great aunts have come a long way...

Tok Lang and Tok Teh

These men and women lived during the tough times under Japanese Occupation and during guerilla war was constantly fought with the communist under the Malayan Emergency period. They raised their children since from pre-independence days - the ladies had to go to Kelas Dewasa to learn how to read and write in roman alphabets (they had no difficulty reading and writing in Jawi because they had been taught how to read the Quran since they were very young).

Tok Long with her eldest grandson and family

It goes without saying that life in the traditional kampung in the 1960s was a far cry from today living in a modern house in the Klang Valley. I remember hearing stories of Tok waking up really early in the morning so that she could make kuih to be sold at the schools by her then school-going children. This - back in the days when there was no blender/mixer/self-timed oven, so everything had to be laboured manually. Plus the fact that she still had babies and toddler - her kids being quite close in terms of age-gap and with no washing machine, she had to do all the laundry - tonnes of traditional nappies included - manually. Near the river too.

The younger ones greeting Tok Lang and Tok Teh before leaving the kenduri

My father and his siblings are very close to their maternal cousins due to the proximity of their old houses as well as age factor. Cousins tend to be closer when they are of the same or near same age - and that's part of the reasons why my uncles and aunts are close to their cousins. This was back in the age when all of them were afraid of their Pak Lang who is the most 'cengil' (strict) and knew they could get away with pranks if they were near their jolly, not-so-'cengil' Pak Teh.   

Ayah with his Pak Lang

Nyah sharing a light moment with her Pak Teh

Today, Tok Lang is no longer as 'cengil' as he used to be. And Tok Teh is still as jovial as ever. Tok's elder brother, Tok Long has passed away for quite some time. Tok's youngest brother, Tok Chik passed away when he was in his forties in 1992. Tok Ayah passed away in the same year - when I was sitting for my SPM. And Tok passed away 15 years later, in November 2007, on the same day of my younger brother's kenduri. ('kenduri sambut menantu' for my SIL)

Tok Lang with Teh, her DIL Mak Su and her daughter Nyah Koza

Alhamdulillah, during my cousin Imad's wedding last Sunday, the mood was definitely more cheerful and not as sombre as it was during the last kenduri in 2007.

It was good to meet up with our great uncles and great aunts. There are many things that we can learn from them and they are very willing to share. When I was asked where my kids were and replied that they were at home, down with chicken pox, I was immediately advised to go find "daun semambu" (neem leaves), "bagi anak mandi dengan daun tu, pastu letak kat bawah cadar, bawah sarung bantal" and "jangan bagi anak kena hujan, sat ni dia jadi hitam". Oh, okay. Yes, orang-orang dulu loves sharing traditional tips even without being prompted because it's in their nature to distribute what little knowledge they have. I supposed it might have something to do with the fact that they lack documentation - so the great wise ones will try to distribute and disseminate information  by word of mouth to one and all everytime they have a chance to do so.

Tok Long with two of her daughters, Teh Noriza and Chu La

After all, 'ilmu yang bermanfaat'  is a type of charity that benefit the 'donor' even after they have passed away, kan?