RETIREMENT PLACE - KL VERSUS HOMETOWN

After undergoing a one-week self quarantine and lying down at home, last Saturday we visited my parents in Kampung Bukit Kuang.

"Where have you been? Long time no see. I miss you," my father said as I made my way into his room and sat beside him on the bed.

"Really?"

"Yes, I really miss you, my eldest!"

That was how, my mere presence would bring joy and happiness to both of them.

I did not shower them with gifts and much money, but by just being with them, hugging them, talking to them, reminding them of the yesteryears and once in a while snipping his unkempt totally grey moustache and beard.

I could clearly see how bright and cheery were his eyes whenever I was around with him.

Once in a while he cracked up jokes, like for instance the moment when he saw pretty student nurses surrounding me when I just completed my appendectomy!

On the other hand, my mom, well I was the only one willing to sit for hours listening to her stories and sometimes sermons. She was so full of stories to tell. In a session, she skipped from one topic to another with ease. Most of the times I just sat and listened. Rarely I chipped in, fearing that she will 'kecil hati'.

Others would just left her by, unwilling to hear her stories, which were often told for the umpteenth time.

To liven up things sometimes I talked about jewel of the forest that often visited her cherry tree. They were the beautiful and mesmerizing scarlet backed and olive backed sunbirds, the yellow vented bulbuls and sometimes even the pink-necked pigeons. They were all attracted to the red juicy cherries.

These are important factors that had made me decided to have Kemaman as my retirement ground...besides being nostalgic about the place I grew up of course.

BTW this morning as I was coming down the stairs, I slipped and strained my left knee - the one with the old injury due to Osgood-Schlatter disease that I had when I was in form four.