Little Ladies Part 9

Hari raya is drawing near.  Hmmm...hari raya...our most awaited festive day after our most special month which had not been so festive for the last 20 years or so.  But ok laah...we survived it, manage to have some fun, and join in the merry-making, though in my heart not fully....

I always had difficulties paying zakat fitrah because by right, payment should be by our guardian. But since we are not so close, my guardians and I, so I paid for myself and the girls. Without fail, every year, it would tug on alot of heartstrings since like I said, by right it should be paid by a guardian. Its not the money. Its the thought that I don't even know if there is a guardian for us or not. No husband, faraway father (for both me and the girls), lost brothers ...(tears welling now) and I can't even ask, because I am afraid, they had not notice at all. Oh well, its only 7rm per person and ones I get it done, ignore the painful song in my heart, its forgotten till the next year. This year, Alhamdulillah,  Aishah has taken it upon herself to pay for everyone since she has grown-up and had made a living of her own. Until she gets married, I shall pass the batton to her.

We would always cook our trademark hariraya dishes of ketupat, sambal goreng, kuzi ayam, sambal kacang and sayur lodeh, each of everyone's favourite.  We used to buy the ketupat's moulds, but now the Little Ladies can weave, so its  homemade and nicely shaped.

Hajar would make the patience required kuzi ayam or lamb, frying the onions carefully so that it is not over fried, and pounding it patiently.

Mimi would be in charge of making dessert and so far her recipe is the simplest of all that takes 2 minutes to prepare. Just add one can of evaporated milk to one can of fruit cocktail and Viola! Dessert!  I hope she has progressed this year and come up with something more fancy.

Another difficult moment would be going for hari raya prayers as I would see, intact families in their beautiful clothes, usually of same colour tone for each family, going together to the mosque, the distinguished fathers and elegent mothers, handsome and beautiful children in tow,  and it would just be the 4 of us for 20 years now braving the crowds, sans a male 'guardian'.

I won't even begin to describe the intact families' hariraya celebration to compare with ours.

But Alhamdulillah,  so far we have made it, and our low key hariraya is still hariraya and we always end up enjoying it,  As long as we have each other, it will always get better.