Dari Gong Lilit ke Jakarta

2011

Assalamu 'Alaikum

Dari Gong Lilit ke Jakarta


We wouldn’t have gone if it wasn’t Popo’s wedding but ties that bind and the fear of Kak Ju’s cold stare saw us put ourselves into our kenduri kahwin clothes barely a few hours after arriving from a tiring morning flight from Kota Baru. The journey started just after Subuh from Besut, Trengganu that Saturday morning after a hectic previous day's barbecueing at Tok Aboh’s retirement cottage. Actually it all started on the Wednesday night when we took the overnight mail train from KL Sentral to Wakaf Baru, Kelantan.
We’ve done this trip before and it was again, fun. The kids really enjoyed the long shaky walk on the train from our cabin to the buffet car. I didn’t know what went through their minds but for me it always reminded me of the ‘freedom’ train from MCKK to KL every school holidays in days gone by. Train journeys always bring back happy memories for me although the trains we rode on as boys seems more from the era of Clint Eastwood’s ‘A Gun for Hire’, than the airconditioned modern transportation it now is.

Upon arrival in KB on Thursday morning we thought it was first going to be the usual lazy day’s rest at Che Yum’s, but Tok Aboh had different plans this time. He kidnapped us early and we found ourselves in his newly built abode in Gong Lilit, Besut barely hours after the bone shaking train journey. The kids loved the kampung scene with Tok Aboh teaching them how to set up a tent and tie a hammock, whilst I pretended to be a world renowned expert on how to tap rubber trees. I hope I didn’t murder any of the young rubber trees but the kids were suitably impressed with their Papa. Tapping rubber is the fashion now in Besut as the price of rubber has made it a lucrative income earner and hobby for many. The next day, Friday, was the barbecue day. Tok Aboh and I slipped out quietly to Kuala Besut in the morning whilst the kids were still asleep to buy the seafood for the evening’s extended family gathering. The local fishmonger pledged to me that the river talapia we just bought would taste mud free whilst Tok Aboh rounded up the other catches of the sea. The taste of fresh seafood in the East Coast usually makes me stop buying fish for a while when I’m back in the city. The expedition ended with the purchase of some clams from a stall on the river estuary. They were so fresh that some were still moving; at a price I won’t disclose to avoid tears of unnecessary envy. After a quick breakfast of what Tok Aboh described as probably the best nasi dage’ in ‘Ganu we headed home to prepare for the evening’s merriment.

Mama’s siblings started arriving from KB family by family, and by noon Tok Aboh was happily drowned under sixteen grandchildren, the majority at the age where fun means running in droves everywhere in the house, including up and under Tok Aboh. Mama and the sisters helped Tok Mi in the kitchen whilst Papa busibodied at the barbecue pit without much real contribution. It reminded Papa of rugby trials at school when he didn’t make the cut after the coach noticed his white rugby jersey was the cleanest after an hour on that mud filled pitch. Well, soccer has always been Papa’s game, whilst rugby is always about happily cheering in good clean clothes whilst its not you slugging it out in the mud wrestling frenzy out there.

Anyway I digress. And so that was how we found ourselves at Popo’s wedding on Saturday night bleary eyed and tired, with the thought of a morning plane trip to Jakarta to follow. Wedding is always about family gatherings where hopefully peace pipes are smoked, and past altercations, if any, are forgiven and forgotten. Mine is a mature family, many in the evening and twilight of their years. That was my fervent du’a as we left the reception early to prepare for the trip to Jakarta. Papa again is involved in another Islamic Finance Conference, this time in the capital city of Indonesia. As a panelist in one of the Conference sessions this one should be easier than Brunei where Papa had to act as Moderator. Last night we explored a shopping mall as we did in many other cities. Travelling with three schoolkids the Kids Zone in shopping malls is the major attraction of most travels, which suits Mama and I fine, as we’re not much of open air market goers ourselves. Today’s plan is Plaza Indonesia in the city center plus a tourist spot or two. Yesterday’s family meal at the mall cost R370, 000; back in Malaysia we could have bought a house with that number.

Wassalam,

Zahid

Note:
Dari Gong Lilit ke Jakarta = From Gong Lilit to Jakarta - a take on the famous Indonesian song Dari Anyir ke Jakarta.
kenduri kahwin = wedding
Subuh = dawn prayers
MCKK = Malay College Kuala Kangsar, a famous boys residential school
kampung = rural or village
Nasi dage' = East coast slang for Nasi Dagang a famous rice dish
'Ganu = Short for Trengganu an East Coast state.