I Miss You, Ayah.

It is customary for the Muslims of Malaysia to visit the graves of their loved ones the first day of Hari Raya. I am no exception but I make it a point to visit once a few days before the Hari Raya for the sole purpose of clearing the graves of creepers which seem to thrive very well in such  habitat. Mum and I used to do this together but ever since her knees were no longer able to bend without causing her great pain,  the task fell on me. Mum protested, insisting that she could still help me weed out those unwanted creepers but I firmly put my foot down. I will make another trip on the eve of the Raya and this time I will dutifully bring Mum along to pay her respects to Dad and Mum's parents.

Dad was buried in the Akar Peluru Muslim Cemetery Alor Setar in 1990 alongside my grandparents (Mum's parents), my uncle and two cousins who died when they were babies. So, sometimes other relatives beat me to the noble deed of cleaning the graves of our loved ones.

Last Friday, equipped with the necessary tools, xnuripilot and I headed for Akar Peluru. I prayed the ground would not be wet and muddy. It would then be a very, very sticky and messy affair. Surprisingly the ground was dry despite some rain a few days ago. I discovered no relatives had been here before me this time around.

I  wasted no time in tackling all those creepers.

Almost done.

Despite the grim and sombre atmosphere surrounding the cemetery, xnuripilot insisted that I take this picture of him!

Ok, done.  Semoga Allah mencucuri rahmat ke atas roh mereka. Amin.