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A friend asked me today whether I would be going home for Aidilfitri. I believe the question should be, when. As far as I’m concerned, not to return home for Aidilfitri is not an option, simply because my Mak is expecting everyone to be home for the festival, no matter how tight our schedules are or how crazy the traffic heading north would be at this time of the year. Like I said, not to go home is not an option. I missed celebrating Aidilfitri with Mak only twice – once in mid-80s when I was a bachelor in Kuching and wanted to find out how they do it there, and again in late-90s when I was already married and living in KL. You wouldn’t want to know the “lectures” I got from Mak and my siblings, and how guilty I felt after that. As cliché as it seems, Aidilfitri is the time to seek for forgiveness, share the good food and strengthen family bonds. To me it is also more than just that. It is the time of the year when Mak is in her element playing the role of mother to all her children...

We had gathered for Iftar in Subang Jaya yesterday and also to celebrate a double birthday, that of Mama and my brother-in-law, Zaid. Happy Birthday! Mama, groovy... I am visualising you and Daddy zipping through town in the beemer with the top down! Zaid, take it easy at work, bro.

Nur’Ayn Az-Zahrah would have been 5 years old today. She was born at the UKM Hospital in Bandar Tun Razak. I was there all the time my wife was in labour until our little darling was born. Ayn was immediately wheeled into the neo-natal intensive care unit after birth where she remained until the night she breathed her last three weeks later. Our poor Ayn was born with multiple complications – defects in the brain, kidneys, intestine, eyes and heart. Since pregnancy, we were told of her condition, which somewhat prepared us for the worst. During the three weeks she was in the ICU, both my wife and I stayed with her. With wires and tubes on her, we didn’t have the courage to hold her in our arms. My wife and I would spend as much time as we could with Ayn, watching over her as she went through her fits, which we couldn't do anything about. Each time she had her fits, we would hold her tiny arms and I would tenderly stroke her forehead, whispering to my poor Ayn that her Papa and Mam...

Aku sudah hampir melabuh tirai kehidupan di BERNAMA. Hari akhir ku di sana pada 25 September ini. Aku akan bercuti, langsung mengakhiri khidmat selama 28 tahun di pertubuhan yang menjadi kebanggaan ku. Ia bukan sahaja pejabat tetapi bagaikan rumah ku selama 28 tahun. Di situ adanya rakan yang sebenarnya bagaikan saudaraku sendiri... Selamat tinggal kawan dan detik kita bersama. Seakan baru kelmarin kita bertemu di dalam mimpi. Engkau telah mengalunkan lagu merdu ketika aku keseorangan, dan aku, ketika engkau kesepian, membina menara sehingga menerjah langit nan biru. Namun kita harus bingkas bangun dan tidak boleh lagi diulit mimpi kerana subuh sudahpun berlalu dan mentari sudah setinggi galah. Air yang pasang dinihari tadi mulai surut dan bahtera yang menantiku sudah mengibarkan layarnya. Maafkan aku kawan kerana masa sudah sampai untuk kita berpisah. Seandainya engkau dan aku bertemu lagi ketika kenangan mula berbalam di senja nanti, aku akan menyapa mu semula dan engkau akan men...