Arrivals and Departures

We got back to KL from Melaka yesterday in the late evening having said goodbye to Fafa, Iffah and Ira in the morning. Ibu had come from Singapore on Saturday to take them back by bus. Fafa was noticeably melancholy when we set off from KL on Saturday at the prospect of leaving Arina, Matin, Abbas and Qistina behind – I suspect most of all Arina who fulfilled the role of the perfect big sister admirably. It’s the first time I’ve heard any expression of that end-of-holiday sadness, which I think most adults readily recognise as part of the necessary fabric of things, from the kids in KL. She seemed to be still in something of the same mood on Sunday evening when talking to Noi on the phone she said she was surprised at how much she missed her Mak Ndak. (When asked how much she missed Uncle B the reply was a mere so, so which certainly put him in his place.) Arriving in KL we found most of our house guests in bed. Syam and Liza, who’d arrived on Saturday morning, had taken the family to Genting for the day and most were exhausted by the end of it all. It was really quite easy to separate Danial and Abbas from the television so Noi and I could watch the late night screening of the week’s Midsomer Murders.

By the way, I should clarify that as it turns out I didn’t play the Springsteen DVD in the van going to Melaka. I decided it would be too distracting but we did finally watch it in the house itself on Saturday, using Rachid’s new projector to get an almost cinemascope version of the show. I know I’ve said this before, but in case you are not aware, every sentient listener needs to get hold of this. Yes, it’s that good. What we did play in the van, succumbing to DVD mania, were a couple of episodes from Attenborough’s magisterial Life On Earth. I thought I would safely be able to just listen to the commentary and not be tempted to occasionally watch the screen. I was wrong. And I’d like to repeat: putting DVD players in the front of vehicles is sublimely stupid.

Moving on, this morning it was time to make our goodbyes to Zainab and family. By the end of things we had almost the whole family with us – Syam, Liza, Danial, Arina, Matin, Abbas and Qistina, having started two weeks ago with just the youngest two and their mum. Now I can finally read in peace without continually having to exchange ugly faces and conversation with a very inquisitive and observant six-year-old. And, of course, I’ll miss her (and the rest) massively.

I’m feeling something of that melancholy I mentioned earlier myself, but there’s plenty of cleaning to do, so after this it’s a case of up and at ‘em. Always a good cure.