...stock-taking, 2011..

with 6 cucus..taken a few days ago at my ex home..
...2nd daughter, Lina's birthday..

..now that we are all well into the new year, after the probationary month of January, its time for this coot take stock of what he's got..a profit and loss of sorts..the debits and the credits....

..now, let's see...the movables and the immovables..statics and liquid..

..3 marriages and 2 divorces..14 children, 8 girls.. a son died at infancy..6 of them gainfully employed, 2 in colleges 1 awaiting spm, and 2 still at school..and an only son from the first marriage, 30 years old, an addict, forever giving problems to his mother and grandmother, not to mention his sisters..5 son-in-laws with the resultant 8 grandchildren..all under 7..

...not too bad, if I may say so, 1 bad nut out of 13..but still a dot, nonetheless..

sibling-wise..an eldest brother fast approaching senility...alone and lonely, living in a derelict room with his 10yr old grey tomcat named Yellow..we were 3 brothers born to Aminah and Hamid, with me being the youngest..2nd elder brother, in a better economic position, approaching 70,  sickly and pale but young wife expecting her 1st child..flukes do happened.....and a half sister in KL, not too happy with 3 adopted children and children in-laws..yet not able to bear her own children...

..eldest brother, Jo with his constant companion,
 an aged, grey cat, named Yellow..

.there is a saying in Malay that goes..where ever the feet is planted,  the sky is shouldered.

...the sky is Bachok, where I had my feet planted...on a piece of land given by my wife late father..upon which I build a home..and a house..with some cats, 5 children...2 stray chickens and a monkey..the mosques are too near for me not to heed the bilals' call to prayer..and the neighbours are too nice and generous for me to be otherwise...if there is any truth into the thinking that environment maketh the man, than I am Pakmat..shaped and moulded by my environment.....approaching 66 and, hopefully,  well on the road to redemption...

2 cucus in London...

..as in everyone else's life, there are highs...and there are lows..I have taken the good along with the bad...and try to keep an equable stance, no matter the situation...even thought the horizon is getting nearer, there is no trepidation..for whatever our plans are...God disposes..

..to Tommy, Yuin Ting, Chuan, Pin, Ee Lynn, Way Fong, Way Lee, Uncle Lee, Pat and all of my friends, no matter the creed or race...Happy Chinese New Year...
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