Memories are made of these...

Sometimes we prefer not to dwell on some memories lest they bring heartaches and tears. Mama always try to avoid all those familiar places that Mama and Abah used to frequent because they always remind Mama of him. Mama is only human and sometimes Mama dreads of going back to Abah's kampung (hometown) because the place and the people there always reminded Mama of Abah's absence. It has been nearly 3 years when Abah left us but to Mama it will always seem like yesterday.
Today Mama went back to Bukit Abal, a place in Pasir Putih to visit Abah's mother (Mama's mother-in-law). After Abah's death, she went to stay with Abah's youngest sister (a teacher)and her family in Selangor, another state in Malaysia. So we only get to see her once or twice a year, usually during long public or school holidays or during the Eids. She's well into her 80s and her sight and hearing have deteriorated over the years, more so after Abah's death. Abah was his eldest child and Mama guess his death has taken a toll on Siti (all the grandchildren call her by this name, the Arabic word for grandma). While Mama was there at Bukit Abal, Mama went to visit Abah's aunt who lived next door( Siti's younger sister).She suffered a stroke early this year and is wheel-chair bound. And she could not see or hear well at all. You either have to shout or to whisper in her ears.
Later on Mama brought Siti back to Kota Bharu to pay a visit to the new addition to the Bakri clan. It is Mama's first time stepping into that house after Abah's death. The sight of his red car ( Mama thought it has been sold) brought a lump in Mama's throat. Abah breathed his last in an ambulance but that red car was the car he drove that day when he had cardiac arrest.
However, Bro H and Sis A enjoyed themselves very much, running here and there playing with their half-sister and barely acknowledging their nephew. The new parents seem to be adapting well to their new roles and still have the time to entertain their half-siblings.