ONCE CLOSE NOW DISTANT

It is sad to think how we drifted apart with time, or as we grew older. If only Tok Wan (my late grandmother) is till here with us, she would for sure shed tears looking at us.

No, we did not quarrel or get into fights or anything like that. We just silently drifted apart.

We were very close when we were children. We shared between us whatever limited things that we had.

We shared sleeping area (those days houses did not have too many rooms or no room at all). Still remember Mok Su Cikgu (my mom's cousin sister) always reminded us boys and girls to separate our sleeping area when we congregated in Mok Long's house in Kg. Besut.

She was very cautious in as far as girl-boy relationship. Of course nothing ever happened between us. We were too naive and pure for that. Tok Wan, on the other hand, made sure that we cousins did not get married with each other when we grew up.

She was very smart. She made sure that everyone of us was nursed by all of our aunts when we were still babies. By doing that we were all 'milk-siblings' and thus cousin marriage was self-prohibited.

We also shared food between us, be it breakfast, lunch or dinner.

As we grew up, things changed. We lived in our own house. We did not share things much anymore.

Everybody was busy with their own lives. Some of us are luckier than the others in term of economic and social well-being.

So busy are we with worldly things that some of us have not met, let alone talk, for a long time. More so after the passing away of all except one (that is my mother - may Allah bless her always) of our aunts and uncles.

A few of us even go as far as not caring for each other just because she is a the Chairman of JKKK's wife. Her husband always tries his best to show his power and exclude some of us who are qualified to receive aids just because our different political beliefs.

I try my level best to bring us together again, but it is not as easy as saying it.

Oh I really miss those wonderful childhood days!