Sunday, January 13, 2008

Absence makes the heart grow fonder

School holiday projet No. 3:
Kacang buncis from our backyard garden



We are now into the second week of 2008. The new schooling year is well under way. And our household is now back to “normal situation”. Normal, in the sense that we are now back to three; the Mem Besar, Nadiah and myself.

Syafiq and Anas had been safely deposited at their boarding school last week. And our eldest, Sakinah, reported for her second semester at the Polytechnic yesterday.

As I write this, we have just finished dinner. This is usually the “peak hour” in our house as the kitchen area and living room turns into a hive of activity. Sakinah would be clearing the dinner table. Syafiq might be wiping the dinner table clean, and Anas would be asked to take the rubbish out.

Nadiah, as usual, would be busy with the remote control incessantly trying to search for Tom Tom Bak or something similar for her prime time viewing. The Mem Besar, ever so hard working, would plonk a bundle of washed clothes in front of the television for her to expertly fold, one by one, with her eyes transfixed on the screen!

As for me, I would be very busy lying on the sofa analysing the newspapers for news of grave importance to world peace and security, economic growth, national politics and (just a bit) on sports.

Things could get pretty noisy what with Syafiq trying to wrestle the remote control off Nadiah, or Anas (always the mischievous bully) tormenting Nadiah just for the fun of it.

But something is amiss tonight. It’s so quite.

Before the holidays started, I had worried about how to fill my children’s long school break with something useful (wrote about it here). When they duly returned home, things – as expected – went haywire. More dirty clothes to wash everyday, extra food to stock up and prepare. And I lost count of how many times the Mem Besar and I had to scream our heads off for them to tidy their rooms, to wake up and get out of bed, and so on.

All in all, it’s certainly not what the doctor would prescribe for someone diagnosed with hypertension.

But now that they have all left for schooling, I can’t help thinking about them – noisy antics, playful jibes and untidy bedrooms aside

I think I’m missing my kids!

"Absence make the heart grow fonder", the saying goes. How true.

To Sakinah, Syafiq and Anas I hope you guys had a fruitful school holiday. Study hard, and work smart. And all the best wishes from Abah and Ummi in your studies this year.

We love you all very much.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Saudara Azizi ,
With Nadiah around there is still life . Me and mak wan dah balik asal . My eldest son had settled in Kelantan , The newly married Ihsan is staying with his in-laws in Bangi , Ikhwan is working in Penang while my only daughter salwa will be teaching in Sungai Petani . Only on weekdays Ikhwan and salwa will be back home....nak makan asam pedas emak and what not.

Azizi Ahmad Termizi: said...

Pak Cha

Although you dah balik asal, but at least your children still remember you & are close to you, i.e. they visit regularly (even though it could be the asam pedas that attarcted them!).

I hope my children will remember me, continue to love me and make do'a when I am old.

AO said...

lain kali kalau ambil gambar kacang ke gambar apa ke, boleh tak lose the date. sayang, cos gambar tu cantek.

Azizi Ahmad Termizi: said...

AO

noted & thank you for the comment.

Anonymous said...

Saudara Azizi,

Insyaallah , they will remember you. If we love them , they will love us . Always doa for them to be anak yang soleh dan solehah. Doa dari Mem Besar lebih mustajab.

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