Misi Malam Tujuh Likur

Haha.. this entry was supposed to be posted a couple of days ago but I didn't have time to really sit down a do a proper entry. Beside the fact that I couldn't snap pictures of it due to
i. My digicam that is also 'fasting' and tak larat nak function *Sheeshh, there goes my raya pics*
ii. My 'flashless' phone camera

Anyway, it started last Wednesday as I came home from my tuition class to a 'dark' house. My mind suddenly flashed to the time when arwah Tok Hassan was still alive..

Whenever we arrived back at Kuala Kangsar, he'd take out all the pelita and place them all around the compound.. and our kampung being a true kampung complete with the vast compound, you can imagine how we loved it. My cousin, abg Sher was the fireworks master here while my brothers tagged along when he played with them. I was content with watching them through the big kampung windows we had at the house.

I remember one year when Adi decided to do a project of his own. He was a true scout, eversince he was in standard 4 until form 5. Even when he had found other activites such as his silat, he was still a scout at heart. He decided to make his own panjut using bamboo. He was excited as well as Tok. I don't remember who but it was either Ikram or Iskandar who helped Adi a bit in the panjut-making process.

But what I remember most is how Tok beamed. He kept telling me, "Ishh, kang gatal badan deme tu cari buluh tu kang.." But he couldn't hide the smile that was on his face to see his grandsons in the raya spirit.

So Adi and I-don't-remember-who spent the whole day cutting down the bamboo and making the holes to put in the.. what do you call it in English: sumbu for the panjut. Then they went to find some kerosene (?) for it and before maghrib, it was ready. I could practically see Tok jumping in seat, his walking stick and all, as Adi prepared to light his panjut :)

So that day, we had a beautiful compound, full with Tok's pelita and Adi's bamboo panjut. however, it didn't last long as a few hours later, Adi's panjut caught fire (He told me it was because he didn't put some clay around the sumbu or something like that..)

True, it was short-lived, but you should've seen Tok, raving about Adi's beautiful panjut for days after that.. In fact, for a while, I became a bit jelous hahah..

Anyway, smiling through that memory, I suddenly realized that THAT was what I needed. Something to remind me how special all of this was once to me. so the next day, I dragged Ad along to find some pelita. I didn't want the one with the stick because my rented house here doesn't have any soft soil for me to poke it into. I only wanted the normal pelita.. the aluminium kind being top of my list as that was what Tok's pelita made from, but I had to settle with the plastic ones. Ad just smiled watching her senior ke sane kemari singgah semua kedai sbb nak beli pelita hehe..

But the challenge was in finding the kerosene. Would you believe it, the house near my home and Pekaka DIDN'T sell any! Then I went to the quaint shops near the riverside, pun tak de.. Ughh, I was told back to come back the next day (takde jugak!) AND the next day (pun takde!) Sharil suggested I go buy diesel.. tp camne nak beli? Go to the pump attendent and say, "Saya nak beli diesel 2 ringgit, bley?" <-- Okay, ni cume alasan Ayu rase malu nak beli kat petrol kiosk.

In the end, good ol' Bagan Serai (jauhnye beli minyak, Ayu heheh..) provided me with a whole litre of it.

So on Monday (actually a bit early la for the Malam Tujuh Likur haha..), my house at least resembled a bit like my childhood.. and I was smiling like crazy throughout the night.

A tribute and AlFatihah to arwah Tok Hassan for showing me the joys in these kind of simple things.. :)