Hari Raya Aidilfitri came and went but as they say, Muslims celebrate it for a month and I think we're only at the twelfth day of Syawal. So, seeing youths by the dozen in their colorful baju kurung as they go about visiting is still a common sight. However, Hari Raya this year is not as joyous or jubilant as I had expected it to be. Perhaps it's because I remember so vividly how when I was little, I had such splendid hari rayas... But that was back then when my father was still alive; I remember how he loved to make lepats and the both of us would toil on the eve before the big day to make ketupats because my mom and sis would be too busy with the cooking & cleaning while my other brothers didnt know how to make them...
It's been four years now that my family has celebrated Syawal without him, and though it does get easier, sometimes old memories flood back with such amazing clarity despite the years that had passed. What made it a little hard this year was probably the fact that the anniversary of my father's death fell only a couple of days before Hari Raya. Often, after I perform my prayers at night, I do wonder what my father would have to say or would do about the predicaments which the family have faced or continue to face through the years since he's been gone. That is, if he was still around... Still, wouldn't it be grand if he could see his four little grandchildren now, all grown up into precocious little girls, and who always seem to land themselves into all sorts of trouble during the festive season??? hahhaha... *sigh*
One undeniable good thing about Hari Raya though is that it's the only time of the year when I really, really clean my room and those god-awful windowsills which are perpetually caked with dust and grime. During my thorough cleaning, it's also inevitable that I would "discover" certain peculiar things which I had forgotten the existence of; for instance, these adorable stuffed figures were bought around six years ago during my national service days in taiwan...
yes; these are really the seven dwarfs!! now, where's Snow White??? ;p
