My Lil Bro is 37 Today!

It was the year of 1972 when a 30yo mother gave birth to a cute baby boy. The boy was the fifth sibling in the family. The fourth sibling - Ja, a girl - was 6yo at the time. She just couldn’t understand why this baby was getting all the attentions from those well wishers who came to her house. The houseguests kept on increasing day by day and this made Ja rather jealous of the attentions that the newborn was getting. After all, she was the princess of the house for six whole years! This newborn was bringing chaos to her world, so she thought.

Now, at 43 yo, she could still remember the conversation that took place in her house at 108, Kampung Baru, Alor Setar.

Pak Ngah Ariffin (now Arwah) : Ja, suka dak dapat adik?
Ja : Dak
Pak Ngah Ariffin : Awat tak suka?
Ja : Tak suka lah. Pak Ngah nak, ambiklah.
Pak Ngah Ariffin : Pak Ngah ambiklah, ka Ja nak juai?
Ja : Satu ribu (or was it satu ratus?)
Pak Ngah : Oklah, Pak Ngah bayaq, nanti Pak Ngah ambik adik tu.
Ja : (somehow felt rather bad) Tak maulah Pak Ngah.
Pak Ngah : Awatnya?
Ja : (couldn’t answer.. and left. She could still remember the orang-orang tua laughing)

So a few days after that, she saw the baby sleeping on her mother’s bed. He was all alone, all cute and clean. She climbed the bed and looked at the baby closely. She was curious. So this was the baby who was stealing the limelight. He was kinda cute, she thought. What if I step on his face? Would he cry?

So Ja lifted up her foot slowly... and when it barely touched the baby’s nose, she stopped. Suddenly she realized that she actually liked this boy. She remembered Mak saying something like this boy was going to call her Kak Ja when he could speak. She quite liked the thought.

And she left the bed. The baby boy was left unharmed.

ADIK,
That was my two Dosa I made to you! Although I can’t remember a lot of things when we were younger, those two I remember crisp and clear. There you go - Confessions of a Sister!

I’m extremely glad that I didn’t step on your face Adik, or you won’t be having the mancung nose you have now..hahaha!

HAPPY 37th BIRTHDAY ‘LIL BRO! May you get the best in everything you do. May you be blessed with great health, abundance and happiness, lots of love and laughters and most of all, be blessed with a beautiful heart and imaan. May you and your beautiful family live life the best throughout the year, and many more years to come!


Adik on his 4th birthday in 1976.