Balik Kampung......

May 31 (Day 8 of cycle 3)



It was very nice of my friend RJ to give me a ride to kampung. Our houses are just 20 minutes of easy drive apart, so it was very convenient. Packed with necessary items to manage the reflux/gastric episodes should they strike, I was set after telling Kakak she doesn't have to come over for the next few evenings.



It was a pleasant drive, we yakked and yakked and yakked even though we do meet up quite often. Wasn't it someone who said that once you are very sure of who you want to marry, go for a long drive with him and if you can keep conversation going for the entire trip, then it is a good omen/sign. Kalau conversation terputus after the first toll plaza or R&R area, then, think twice or 3 times....?!





We picked up my brother who was already waiting so that we could go for lunch and then visit my Dad at the private nursing home in Bt Baru.



The Tangga Batu that Nenek built and Mum and Dad kept "alive"...


It was nice to be home since the last time was in early March, pre-surgery.

It was soooo nice to see my babies who were clamouring for attention. Ijan my brother has certainly been busy managing the house and it's compound. My late mother would have been so very proud of him to see how this young man had taken charge and kept the house well maintained, better than any one of us elder siblings could have done in the present circumstances. I took the opportunity to take 10m Gaviston to quell the spasms slowly emerging during the ride, although I took bites of cream crackers, careful not to drop crumbs in RJ's car.

We decided to have lunch before going to the private Nursing home in Bt Baru to visit my dad. RJ introduced us to a lovely, airy, warung style restaurant at Cheng Heights/Malim for a nice buffet spread of gulai kampung and fresh, juicy Ikan bakar(all types!). It was good to be in Kampung but when you have to pantang chilli, it can be quite a torture, but a better torture than wrenching pains in your tummy and chest.

The gulai spread was tantalising-pucuk ubi masak lemak cili api, pucuk paku masak lemak cili api, ketam masak lemak cili api, ikan assam pedas, all kinds of sayur lemak and goreng, all kinds of ikan/ayam goreng, all kinds of ulam-ulam from the common to the bizarre, all kinds of ikan masin goreng, all kinds of sambal belacan, all kinds of ikan panggang with mouth-watering looking rd and kicap sauces! Just a look made my gastric juices flow....but Allah is great, there was also a chicken with pasta(yes, pasta-macaroni) soup with shredded vegetables, so that was my staple, and a whole ikan bakar to myself with another that we shared! Everyone at the place seemed to enjoy their food and I gathered from the main person there that they open everyday and all night, except on Sundays when they close for the evenings. Apparently they have another "warung" at the MITC in town. Thanks RJ for putting the place on our map!

After lunch we were ready to visit my Dad ( and dreaming of having a snooze there, we were so full up!) but had to stop by Tesco to grab a few things ( he likes his 3-1 coffee mix). We found him reading the papers when we got there and caught up on what's been happening. It was nice to see him full of "complaints", which means he, at 88, is still very alert, very much assured of his rights and woe to those who try to manipulate him. It is when he is very quiet and has nothing to say that I would worry for it means that something is definitely wrong! It seems no one had visited him since my last visit in March. Apparently the Home called up my eldest brother who was a U.Proff, about having a family member to take my Dad to the bank for money to pay the home. In true tai-chi style, the home was told that as he is 67 years old, he is to weak to travel from KL to Melaka to do that for my father and can the home arrange for someone else to do it. Hmmmmmm.

Musn't dwell on things that can aggravate my gastric. I want to get better and must get better. To cut a long story short, RJ, my brother and I took my Dad out to paint the town at Bt Baru red. First it was to the bank, to get his money out. Then to a grocery shop to get a padlock. Finally we stopped by Bt Baru Corner Cafe, a Mamak shop for teh tarik, as it was teatime. My dad enjoyed it as it served his favourite Mamak food, Thosai! Lovely mamak food, a paper thosai, rawa thosai, masala thosai, roti canai and 4 drinks (tek tarik and warm milo) plus a small curry mutton cost 11.70??? I reflected upon that and suddenly remember why I love living in Melaka, as the ringgit can really stretch with no compromise in quality.....why did I ever move back to KL??

I broke the news about the true nature of my illness to my dad and he looked stumped. I hope he will not lose sleep over it as he had when I had my surgery. I wanted him to know just in case. Cancer is a life threatening disease and anything can happen and I don't want to go before him without him knowing why. He just asked if I have a maid to help around and I told him it is in the process. He appeared to recover when he started talking about starting a small dragonfruit plot.....at 88 and with a chronic heart and bladder problem, mentally he seems to have more oomph than people younger than him. Now if he has the body of a 30 year old.....or a 67 year old for that matter...

We left the home by 6 and RJ dropped my brother and I before going on home to join her son and family. I have known RJ since my last 6 years of working in the same MNC, and she is a blessing as a friend. I can only pray that God will shower her with all His blessings in this world and the hereafter. RJ if you are reading this, jangan kembang ye.....and thank you so much for all your help today.

Dinner for me was the Bubur Gastric I packed from KL, and my brother had his mutton curry with hot rice and lots of salads. Will post about my re-union with my babies....a whole write-up on its own right.....and I forgot all about gastric, refluxes, cramps and spasms when they are with me........even though the cramps are wrenching my tummy.....!