The Verandah

Four generations have stood on this part of the house, to welcome or to bid farewell. It would be on this verandah that one generation, then another, would wait for the ice-cream man on a hot day; it had always been here that families would sit on chairs or just the cool planks while the madre brought out trays of sweet hot BOH tea in the afternoon, and huge plates of keropok that would be gone in seconds; it was here that little Iskandar, or Abe, toddled and Azrul fell; fierce little plump Kaklin would bite Adam's cheeks and he bawled; little Ali with his long curly golden locks would shyly crawl towards his Che Ngah. Those rainy December holidays would witness the Johor family and Dungun families come back for very long vacations, and Tok Ayah cuddled Adik and everyone brought out their warm clothings and there was such bedlam! Tears of the very young and shrill laughter of the older ones comingled...and at this same spot where old uncles and aunties sit to gossip late at night while the children watched `Thundercats' or `Ultraman' inside; birthdays were celebrated here, barbeques three steps below; and the cars! everyone fought for the space nearest the tangga and the ones with the smallest babies always won and Abang Mi would win because he had the largest family back then. Che would be jolly even at 5.30 in the morning as she stood to welcome a homecoming child, or quietly wept to say goodbye.

When did all this begin to change?

Even in the advanced stages of his illness, late Ayah would still hung onto the strong steel bars as he spat blood that came out of his lungs...then at even more advanced stage, he sat there on his wheelchair and watched in silent sadness at healthy neighbours walking to the mosque across the road. We sorrowfully bid the final farewell to him as he left through this verandah...

Then - the house just became silent. The second generation became too busy to bring the third generation home. And now, the fourth generation hardly understood. Harith, Iman, Imran, Etek, and Adriana Hanna, and EmekJunior...and soon, Kakak Melissa Junior...welcome to Lot 606, Lorong Kenali, Kubang Kerian.