Le étage de Raya part 2

So the 2nd Syawal began with an early in the morning journey to Negeri Sembilan; we the 4 siblings were cramped at the backseat of a CRV.

Well it wasn't that bad

3 out of 4

3 hours or so ride and we reached Kampung Rantau, Negeri Sembilan (dad’s side granny) before noon. The best thing about celebrating raya here is I can eat as much lemang and rendang as the main course!

For my information, almost all parts of Kampung Rantau are my relatives, distant relatives; 3rd, 4th or 5th cousin. This is as a result of more than 10 generations back; one territory is controlled by one puak. We didn’t visit them though, since dad said he only knows the generation of my granny and the generation of my great-granny. Since most of them had gone and left the later generation, it has became too far that’s enough to make sense you don’t knock their door out of nowhere. But I have to say, their faces are kinda familiar when it comes to relatives wedding.

So this time it was a total of 6 houses, from Rantau, along Chembong, Lubok China, Ramuan China, Taboh Naning, Tampin and Brisu. What I love the most travelling along jalan kampung is because it’s not hot, even though it’s a small 2 lanes road; the scenery of traditional Minangkabau houses with wide green yard creates some sort of longing sensation.

The 4th house was Tok Rehsan’s house (late grandpa’s brother) in Tampin. Every time I stepped into his house, I know a year has passed by; we really only come and visit him once a year! Smiling and welcoming us he said “Baguih la ekau datang, eden ado bondo nak coghito ni ha”. Saspen la plak Tok Rehsan ni. What is it actually that he wanted to tell?

Commercial break: Jalan-jalan raya

SMJK Pulau Sebang. So what’s with this school? If you Google out, this school is located in Melaka and FYI I snapped this pic when I was in Negeri Sembilan LOL; because the road that we’re on itself is the boundary of Pulau Sebang, Melaka and Tampin, Negeri Sembilan.

Spotted A is SMJK Pulau Sebang

I see, that means most probably its students live in Negeri Sembilan and go to school in Melaka. And so mum said “Sama la mcm awk, bukan ke awak duduk kat Kluang, tp solat kat Batu Pahat”.

This is the best I could get

As you can see, North to Jalan Batu Bahat is the Batu Pahat district (spotted red, where our nearest mosque is located) and South to it is the Kluang district (where my house, Kampung Kurnia is located. And if people go further South is Felda Ayer Hitam). So whenever people asked me where I live in Kluang, easier I answer Felda Ayer Hitam (most haven’t even heard of Kampung Kurnia). But I hated it when they then say “Oh Ayer Hitam tu bukan Kluang, tu Batu Pahat”. Ughh! I felt like illustrating the map myself and say “I live in Kluang, not Ayer Hitam!” (obviously Felda Ayer Hitam and Ayer Hitam itself are 2 different places)

-The end of commercial break-

“Ekau ingat laie abang ekau yang ekau tak ponah jumpo tu? Sobona eh maso poso aghi tu dio ado jumpo eden kat pasar, kato nak la ghapatkan balik hubungan. Elokla ekau datang ni, buleh la eden sughoh Busu tolong bawakkan ekau poie ghumah dio kat boghisu”

Translation: kau ingat lagi abang kau yang kau tak pernah jumpa tu? Sebenarnya masa puasa ari tu dia ada jumpa aku kat pasar, kata nak rapatkan balik hubungan. Elokla kau datang ni, boleh la aku suruh Busu tolong bawakkan kau pegi rumah dia kat Brisu (Tok Busu is Tok Rehsan’s brother btw).

Dad has 2 older brothers he never met ever since he was born; of different mother, because my late grandpa was divorced with his first wife (the mother for dad’s 2 brothers), before grandpa married grandma. So the Jejak Kasih episode was about to begin.

It was about evening when we arrived at his house. I never stood a chance to meet grandpa for he passed away years before I was born, but when we saw an old man with white hair in front of the lawn welcoming us, right away mum said “That must be him, he looks exactly like your late grandpa”.

Almost 59 years they were parted, the date was 2nd Syawal witnessed dad and his long-lost biological brother got together. They had a nice long chat. His name is just like my dad’s; Zainudin, but Zainudin bin Jantan (dad is Zainudin bin Samsudin . According to him, his only sibling (dad’s another biological brother) passed away few years back. The problem with the older generation (era when IC hasn’t been introduced yet) is that they tend to have more than 2 names. My late grandpa for instances, dad lived with grandpa by the name Samsudin bin Hassan, but uncle Zainudin claimed he knew his father as Jantan bin Sanusi; that’s why if they were to find each other by names, it won’t work. But Alhamdulliah 2 long-lost siblings were reconnected.

Ps: Coming up is part 3. And I personally think it's the hardest part to edit =)