Probably the most memorable bedtime story ever

I am sure many others have had this once-in-a-lifetime experience before. An unforgettable experience that burned into our mind that left a permanent scar, embedded throughout our entire mortal life. At first I just hope it was just a dream. Another one of my childhood's bad dream. But when I open my eyes I was still in the same freaking oblivion. I woke from my deepest slumber, feeling very much groggy from the sedative effect and I found myself still in bed, in a hospital and strong chlorine smell stuffed my nostrils.

That was three days before Raya. The night of malam tujoh likor. I barely could walk and drag my feet to the hospital with the help of my other half. My chest cavity felt so constricted depriving of air and congested with pain I felt like to explode. But I took it as a blessing. God probably gave me another rare opportunity to experience the second spiritual cleansing episode during the last leg of our holy month of Ramadhan. Only this time it was much intense and much complicated. To cut the story short, Alhamdulillah everything went on smoothly - for the time being.

So instinctively when I heard the first takbir on the telly that was hung in front of my hospital bed, I felt a gush of mixed feeling flooding the inner me. I must get out from the place and be at home, celebrating the day with my family and not rotting in the hospital bed staring at the empty ceiling. If not because of the mere sanity that still left inside me, persuading the doctor to discharge me, I would have still in my hospital bed celebrating Raya with the other homeless citizen.

The first day of Raya turned out to be not as quiet as I expected. I didn't go to the masjid for the prayer as I was still very weak. I thought to just lay in my bed and savor the serene moment in the comfort of my home. However, my kampungless neighbours who noticed the unusual movement in my house and my cars that were not supposed to be in the porch on the first day of Raya, came to check and they finally ended up in my kitchen table having a sumptuous dishes of nasi hujan panas, daging gulai darat and nasi himpit my other half cooked earlier that morning. My BIL from Sepang also came and my younger sister from Klang came, en-route to Kuala Trengganu stopping by later that evening, topping up the the dishes with many more traditional culinary.

Another family friend, we first got acquaintance while in the UK long time ago, who doesn't has any close relative in KL and purposely didn't go back to their kampung in Johor because three of their kids are having exam this year, came to visit us (actually they thought I was still in the hospital) and we had a lot of thing to catch up. I almost forgot my dire condition, the first day passed by and sliding smoothly almost unnoticed. It was quite a Raya after all. I ended up spending the whole first week of Raya in KL. The first time ever.

Thank you to my fellow bloggers who sent beautiful Kad Raya throught snail mail and all the Raya wishes through this blog, email and sms. Finally, I would like to wish my fellow countrymen, especially my friends and family in the keropok lekor eating nation, in Kg. Sg. Derhaka, Kg. Bukit Bayas, Kg. Atas Tol , Kg. Pulau Rusa, Marang and Setiu who celebrate Hari Raya Nam (enam) as meriah as the Hari Raya Aidil Fitri if not more colorful this Sunday- Selamat Menyambut Hari Raya Nam folks! Sorry I can't make it this year.





p/s: I shed 7 kilos of my body fat in two months. At last...my ideal BMI. You don't need to diet really, a stone in a gallbladder will do :)