When I was small, I used to follow my dad everywhere. I don't need to go to kindergarten. My childhood life filled with activities with my friends, siblings and of course my dad. No worries. If my Dad went to work in the paddy field, I will be helping him, not really helping actually because I was too small to give him a hand. What I did was giving him more problems. My Dad had to take care of me, scared that I will go to the river or to the nearby parit and got myself drowned. My dad won't allow me to use cangkul or anything sharp. So, he will make me a modified cangkul from a small tree, just look like a hockey stick to keep me busy in the pool of mud. I followed what he did. When he swing his cangkul, I will swing my hockey stick. He never get tired to attend to my stupid questions. He never scolded me or lay hand on me even when I was naughty. At noon, my mum will bring food for us. Before we had our lunch, my dad took me to the nearby parit. The water was crystal clear and cold. I could see some fishes swimming up and down the parit. He bathed me as well as cleaned himself. After that I waited for my dad to perform his prayer. Normally by that time my stomach was singing a keroncong song. I was so hungry but patiently I waited for my dad to finish his prayer. My mum left the food on the platform under the small hut in the middle of the paddy field where my dad and I normally took a rest or had a short nap. She could not wait because she had to go back home. My house was about 25 minutes walk from the paddy field. As a father, my dad fed me first. I knew he must be very hungry like me but to him I guess, I was the top priorities. Actually, I did a lot of activities with my dad. He never say no to my request. Of course, he will turn me down if I asked something beyond his capability. I still remember when I cried and wanted him to buy me a toy gun. He told me that it was a waste of money. I insisted to have the gun. Instead of turning me down completely, he made me one, a wooden gun complete with the bullet. I was so happy. I don't really care about the price as long as I have the gun. He taught me a lot about life and how to survive. He shared his valuable experiences. He loves to tell stories about our beloved prophet Nabi Muhammad SAW. We came from a very poor family but my Dad and mum believed that education is the most important element to change your life with brighter future. Good halal food and education are the most priorities. My Mum and dad worked so hard to bring up all 9 of us and instilled good values in our heart. They taught us the importance of strong family ties. Respect each other no matter how or when especially to your big brothers and sisters as well as our elderly. All of us were taught to be a strong Islamic believer. My parents showed us an excellent example by turning our family into a very respectful family now from such a poor family that everyone looked down on us. We don't take revenge. What we need to do is to show our gratefulness by helping others who are in need. "Harta bukan milik mu, milik mu hanya rezeki. Terkurang himpun lagi, terlebih memberilah". I always remember these phrases. They have a beautiful and hidden meanings, the way I see it.
My parents showed us that nothing is impossible to be achieved as long as you believe in yourself and at the same time not to forget our duty to the all mighty lord, Allah SWT. Always ask for HIS guidance and blessing. My dad always stress on us many times not to forget the ground where you stand. The higher you go, the humble you become. "Jangan sesekali berasa bangga dan riak kerana ia adalah perangai syaitan yang akan menyesatkan kita". He reminded us to maintain our eastern values as well as the original adab melayu. As far as our parents are concerned, they have sacrificed their youth and life for all of us. No doubt, it is their duty to give us education, food, clothes, shelters and love but we will never be able to repay them for everything that they have done for us. Never. Of course, both of them are not "maksum". They could not run away from making mistakes in their life that might affect us to a certain extend, but whatever it is, we have all the love that every children ever wanted. We should love our parents to the deepest of our heart and take care of them till the end of their life. We should be there for them always in whatever situations. Jangan ada sebesar zarah kekesalan atau pun kepayahan in taking care of our dearest parents. That the only minute thing that you can do for them in return of what they have done for you.
