Hari Ini Hari Raya
WARNING: A VERY LONG ENTRY.
For this year's Idul Fitri, I've heard lots of surprises and went through several number of you're-pissing-me-off incidents.
30 September 2008
We could have left early but no thanks to work and the urgency of completing audit checks, both Harris and I left closer to 2000 hours instead of 12oo hours. In return for not coming back on Thursday and Friday (both Harris and I took off and leave), the trade off was to leave later.
It was really distracting to work on the last day of Ramadan and somehow, I got claustrophobic and random thoughts came to distract me. I couldn't concentrate in my work, laughter didn't really help in killing the distraction and towards the call to prayer, I felt suffocated.
I didn't have the takbir with my parents as I was still in camp. After hearing the azan in the battery's office, where apparent ignorant comment was made by 'mountainous' people (Harris would love to use violence against these people), we went up to listen to the takbir up in the bunk. I broke down as I heard the takbir being played out on the radio, thinking of the people who had left for good and it was strong enough to move me, despite my lack of understanding in Arabic.
There were minor details that needs to be cleared before we left and since Harris was on his way to meet his friends, I dropped him off at Ang Mo Kio MRT station. Arriving home at 2130 hours, I felt sheepish with my parents and seek their forgiveness on the night itself. Since I was extremely exhausted, I slept early.
1 October 2008
I missed the Idul Fitri prayers since I didn't even wake up (read: totally knock out) and I heard noises coming out of the living room. My maternal cousins came and since I was still groggy from sleep, I tried my best to appear presentable. My nephews came chasing and played games as I took pictures of them running around.
We left for my paternal grandmother's home late as many of my maternal visitors came to visit us and that of my maternal grandmother. Since waiting for the other relatives to come would be time-consuming, we all left as we've not met the paternal grandmother for quite sometime. Other paternal relatives also came and as other unknown relatives arrived, most of us got claustrophobic and went out for a while since her residence is small in size.
Before leaving for the paternal grandmother's home, instructions were issued not to allow anyone to enter our home unless there's "security clearance" from me or my mum. This is for the sake of security of the people who left behind and it applied to everyone even if they claimed to be our relatives.
Knowing that my half-relatives and their brood will come and visit my grandmother, I SMSed the half-niece on the instructions and since I knew the instructions will not be followed wholly, I blew up when I received a message asking me to inform the caregiver to open up the door. My instruction was that they should call when they've reached at the door, not when they're under my block. I fumed at my mum, asking her if I'm their chaprassi (messenger boy) or what? My mum, naturally, wasn't impressed.
From what I heard from the caregiver, my half-aunt said that they're not robbers, said that she's my grandmother's daughter and wants to visit my grandmother. The caregiver wasn't amused but rather scared. Reluctantly she let them in although I commented to my mum that had the caregiver denied them access, a big war will ensue. In all honesty, I would LOVE to see such thing happening.
I was concerned but immersed myself entertaining my younger paternal cousins and having discussion with my mum on what happened earlier on. Later, I had a tiff with one of my uncle's youngest daughter. She was only 5 old yet her attitude was really stinking. I noticed the ironic comments made by this very uncle about my parent's daughter and now I'm seeing the irony in his very own children.