Remembering My Mom

Been a while since I last posted. Been busy with so many things around. hard to pin point about it.Anyway, today's post is about my Mom.

I had a moment right before my nap today as i was exhausted....remembering about a particular things my Mom used to do when I was growing up. Wanna hear the story?....here's anyway...

Being a single mother for most of her life, trying to make her ends meat wasn't easy I guess. But i want to concentrate on one thing that I used to do with her. She used to sell all the 'ulam-ulam' or local veggies,edible greeneries at a night market twice a week near a military camps in Sg.Udang in Melaka. I sometimes follow her but most of the time in one of the weekly night, she doesn't want me to go because it's a school night.But i do still go sometimes since i get my way crying to follow her. I think I was about 7-9 maybe...can't remember exactly.

So many preparations that she does before taking all of her finding around the villages to sell. She had a few friends that supply her the items that they planted or outgrown. My Mom herself planted several fruit plants and veggies for it too such as 'cili padi' hot peppers, 'daun ulam raja','petai','jering',lemongrass...that i can remember. She will get the 'beremi','pengaga' and other stuffs frm her contacts and finding including belacan and cencaluk that sometimes she will make it herself. She can also weave, you know what we called the beach weave mat? We in Malaysia use it to cover the concrete floors. If she have to climb the trees herself, she will do that too. She was a women with many talents now that I think about it. After gathering all of this stuffs, she will packed it together in a few bags and carry it to the bus station to catch a ride with the public bus. And with me sometimes helping what ever I can.More in trouble then anything but hey! I do help too especially carrying the light stuffs ;) Anything that can be sell and either she doesn't have to pay for it or pay it at a minimum frm her supplier weekly.

Once we get to the location, she will find her spot, using her weave mat/canvas...she will spread it on the road that was blocked for that time for the night market.Sometimes she had to squezze and ask permission to sit next to the stall but once a regular, she normally had her spot....sort off. Everything is fresh and locally grown with no pesticides, so we normally have to try to sell everything that night and trying to minimize the lost. The night market only open for a few hours frm aroun 5-8pm........but there's a lot of crowd so the possibility were exciting.It's business, there's a good night and bad nights. As always. I will sometimes ask a few pennies and find my bargain...I guess that where I got my skills huh? I will wonder around the night market and find my things or simply just buy Burger Ramlee for RM1 at that time or maybe less. I couldn't remember that details...but I know i always asked for burger for dinner if I go with her. Going home in a bus with that breezy night air, i always ended up sleeping in the bus or sometimes  not. But i always enjoy my time with her at the night market 'pasar malam'.

She also made some few friends around there with different businesses. I remember there 1 particular one who owned a restaurant near there and we always talk to her while waiting for our bus rides home. Everytime I passed by that place, I always remember my times with my Mom and how different it look now the last time I saw it. But memories was meant to last forever in your heart as long as you want to revisit it occasionally and not forgetting where you come from. It made be humble and appreciate for all her hardwork to make some $$ to raise and support me and my brother at that time with the best she can and I'm glad that I did studying hard forr her too and being the best that i can.Most of use who were still schooling at that time have a small government scholarship, so it help her a little.

I didn't experience the harder life like my sisters and older brother face earlier in their life as I was too young or not even born, but at least this memory is mine. We had a hard life, being poor and with no stabile income Mom. But the hardlife always help us push harder to some of us of coz and for that I thank you very much.

I miss you Mom.....very much. I know you are in a better place and I want you to know that Jeffrey will know about how great you are as a strong woman. I will tell him all the stories that I can remember without being a shame of my past. I never did.........I'm proud of my past and you make me who I am...strong  like you.
 I love you
Al-Fatihah.