Fragrant Rye

My Baby Sister, Rye

She's the 5th accidental baby that was conceived a little while after my Ayah came back from his Hajj pilgrimage. I remember vividly that little slow dance my parents shared in their bedroom upon Ayah's return. Whatever happened next is up to your imagination because I slowly tiptoed downstairs and left the two lovebirds be.

A few months after, Mak announced that she was going to have a baby. The months went by fairly easily and swimmingly that nothing held Mak back from her outdoor shoots and long hours at the tv station, almost forgetting about her huge bulge. She's unstoppable when it came to capturing the best shots for her magazine program.

She knew it was going to be a girl. We were all excited with the new boost to our girl power in the household. Mak was so busy that when it was time to name her anak bungsu a couple of weeks before EDD, I helped her go through the Islamic Names book while she was in the little girl's room. She said she liked the name Rehana, after that sweet looking actress in Gila Gila Remaja. So we wanted to check on the correct spelling for the Arabic pronunciation. We found Raihana, which means a bouquet of sweet smelling blooms. I remember squealing in delight outside the WC door when we found the name, can't imagine what kind of A-ha moments my mom was having in the toilet. She came out a very happy woman, her new baby's name has been finalised. Whether it was entirely because of that, I was too young to process.

My baby sister was born 10th of June 1987. I remember going to SJMC and seeing her for the first time. She looked exactly like a Japanese doll my Dad had bought for my mom during his trip to Tokyo. I touched her chubby cheeks, all my mom's kids came out big and fat, we almost looked 3 months old; there was this shockingly exciting buzz of static. I touched again, there it was again. Waah, her skin was so soft it had static electric.

Her younger days were filled with a lot of love and great fun. She is the lucky baby to have enjoyed the trappings of more involved parents, with my mom slowing down from TV work, and my dad working from home most of the time. All the 3 of us big sisters; Kak Long, Baya, Diana and I mothered her since the day she was born until now. Even Abang Hafidz pampered her in his strange macho lanun way.

She is now in Perth, the farthest she has been on her own, albeit a whole town of our Masjid Tanah, Melaka folks in Bentley to spy on her. We all miss her. Especially Mak who is soothing her empty nest syndrome by going on yet another honeymoon with Ayah. I miss her cooking. She is one of those people who can really make a nice dish of something as simple as potatoes.

She's been to my house thrice and I love it when she gets excited looking into my larder and fridge. When she is around I get to relax ,she'll take over Aishah and help herself in the kitchen.

I can go on and on endlessly about how great my baby sister is, suffice to say, she is every parent's dream come true and a lovely chummy sister at that.

I gave her a call last night and we had a long chat. She went shopping earlier during the day and was trying on her new jacket, ooh aah-ing over the bulu-bulu kat leher, bulu-bulu kat sleeves...

She must be doing okay.

Happy 18th Birthday, Rye Tebobut. Sorry no cake from me this year, I hope that little gizmo reached you safely.

*meekkk...but but...*

Translation: I love you.