My space.

In my first entry about my family background, I had mentioned that the reason for my GreatGrandfather (from now on referred to as Tok Odang) coming to Malaysia was unknown. Well during my visit at my aunts place in K.L. last week, she informed me that he was actually a very well off businessman! He used to go off for long trips on business, and in her words "So that's why he married three wives, one in each place"

"Three?" I echoed " I thought it was only two?"

But my aunt revealed to me that, no, actually there were three wives, besides Greatgrandmother (Moyang), and the lady in India, he had married again whilst on 3 year trip to Sarawak, and from that marriage there was a daughter! this information left me stunned, and for a split second I felt grateful that I wasn't living back in those days.......*cough*

But he was a rich businessman my Tok Odang, and together with other wealthy inhabitants of Kampung Ayer Barok, the village in which the story of my family unfolds, and the village in which I now live; They erected the very first Masjid in the area. The year was 1911 and it was a grant little masjid for the padi field village at that time. The marble pillars with floral designs were brought over all the way from Indonesia, and the roof is of traditional Betawi style, three triangular layers, one atop the other and each one smaller than the next, with the edges finishing off in an elegant curl. Tok Odang was made the Imaam of the Masjid, and after him my Grandfather (Atuk). The little Masjid is still standing to this day, a pretty little building at the end of the village road. In the mornings the villagers gather there to make Fajr Prayer, and in the evenings little children from the Islamic school next door tumble around on it's floors and play hide and seek behind the pillars. And in the middle of the courtway stands a sign proclaiming "This Masjid was built in the year 1911......." (I must take a picture of it one day)

Now back to where I left off : The marriage of my Grandmother (now on referred to as Nenek) and Grandfather (Atuk).

Atuk was a poor man of Javanese descent. His family owned next to nothing except for the rice fields in which they worked. Their meals were sparse, and their clothes threadbare. Here is the story of the engagement of Atuk and Nenek as told by my aunt, who in turn tells it like how Atuk did :

" They went to masuk meminang (go in proposal for marriage) to your mothers family, asking for your mothers hand. Afterwards my mother came back and told me that it was all done and I was now engaged for marriage. But I had never even seen your mother before! One day I decided that I must go and see this lady whom I was marrying by all means, so I went over to her house and climbed a coconut tree which was growing near the house. Your Ayah (father) can climb like a monkey you know! so I sat there and waited for your mother to come out. I waited so long that my foot even cramped and went  to sleep, But then your mother finally came out , she was so beautiful, She was like a puteri raja (princess),she sat on the verandah of her house and began reading the Qur'aan...such a beautiful voice too. I forgot all about my cramped foot and just sat there up in the coconut tree watching your mother read Qur'aan."

" Soon afterwards your mothers family invited me over to their house for a meal. I got so afraid when I saw their table! Do you know why? Because there was so much food on it! I had never seen that much food in my life.......and I became afraid of my  mother in law at that time. They served me a whole fresh fish! and it was huge, when in my house all we ate was ikan kering (dried salted fish). We were so poor. And my mother used to tell me ' If you want to become rich, you must not eat, and if you want to eat fish, then catch a fish, but dont eat it straight away! instead hang it up by it's tail and wait for it's juices to drip. Then use the drippings to flavor your food with. That way your fish will last longer and you will spend less money!'. My mother in law did not like me, and she told your mother 'Hah! this poor man! it's better if you dont marry him, if you do you will live like a beggar!' But your mother and I still got married....see?"


(To be Continued......Iftaar is nearly here :) )

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