Dear AJ,
I haven’t replied your previous letter to me, have I? And it has been quite a long time, he… he… he… (with a sheepish smile). I’m sorry. So, how are you doing? Hope all is well and fine.
Happy Ramadan. It’s Ramadan again and it’s almost the end of the year 2003, nearly. So, you could imagine the weather here. Sometimes, it’s hot in the afternoon and rainy the whole night. At other times, it rains the whole day, as I suppose today will be. I’m back in my hometown since the last 3 weeks. Examinations have passed and the results will be out soon. I’m not doing anything much. I just keep my mom company; watching our favourite TV programmes together and helping her with house chores. I’m looking for a part time job or something like it around here, but it’s been unsuccessful so far. Most of the companies want to hire permanent employee. I could try fast food outlets, but a workplace like that opens everyday and a leave on festive season will not be a sure thing. I may celebrate this Eid with my entire family. It hasn’t been so for quite some times. Last year, my sister’s family was in the south at her husband’s home. My brother in the northern region will come home too. He has been away for 4 years because of work. If he could make it this time, I don’t see why I have to be elsewhere. It’s not easy to see the family complete. But not every festive season is a good one to me. Other families will ‘go back home’ to mother’s or father’s home, but as I could remember, this is the place ‘home’ for me since I was born here, a few years later than my older brothers and sisters. When I was younger, my father used to take us back to his home in the southern region. I remember being there once or twice. Then he just went there by himself some years later. His mother died last year, and I couldn’t even visit her. I couldn’t be close to her, as close as other people have been with their grandmother. I did feel sad when she passed away, but not as much as I should. I don’t have relatives here. They are all over the country. I seldom meet them, and I keep mixing up their name. I’m not sure if I could remember the names of their children. I always ask my mother, but I keep forgetting it. I may have to build a complete family tree and paste it on my bedroom wall to keep track of my roots. My mother is the youngest of 10 but a few of them have died. My father is the eldest of 5 and they are all still alive. I don’t know why I am telling you all this. I just want to tell you that I have not been close with my relatives and I don’t know how to talk or mix around them if I meet them or if I could love them. But I am thankful that I still have them, unlike some people who have to live alone. As time and situation meets, I shall get to know them someday.
(Bla… bla… bla…)
(Bla… bla… bla…)
All I want to say is have a good Ramadan. God bless.
Sign,
...................
This is one of the letters from my friends that I have kept for at least a year. Some others even dated 5 years back. I keep them nicely in a box, but somebody has moved it onto the cement floor and caused it and the stuff I put in it to rot. I have to say goodbye to them (I mean the box and the stuff in it, ok).
I haven’t replied your previous letter to me, have I? And it has been quite a long time, he… he… he… (with a sheepish smile). I’m sorry. So, how are you doing? Hope all is well and fine.
Happy Ramadan. It’s Ramadan again and it’s almost the end of the year 2003, nearly. So, you could imagine the weather here. Sometimes, it’s hot in the afternoon and rainy the whole night. At other times, it rains the whole day, as I suppose today will be. I’m back in my hometown since the last 3 weeks. Examinations have passed and the results will be out soon. I’m not doing anything much. I just keep my mom company; watching our favourite TV programmes together and helping her with house chores. I’m looking for a part time job or something like it around here, but it’s been unsuccessful so far. Most of the companies want to hire permanent employee. I could try fast food outlets, but a workplace like that opens everyday and a leave on festive season will not be a sure thing. I may celebrate this Eid with my entire family. It hasn’t been so for quite some times. Last year, my sister’s family was in the south at her husband’s home. My brother in the northern region will come home too. He has been away for 4 years because of work. If he could make it this time, I don’t see why I have to be elsewhere. It’s not easy to see the family complete. But not every festive season is a good one to me. Other families will ‘go back home’ to mother’s or father’s home, but as I could remember, this is the place ‘home’ for me since I was born here, a few years later than my older brothers and sisters. When I was younger, my father used to take us back to his home in the southern region. I remember being there once or twice. Then he just went there by himself some years later. His mother died last year, and I couldn’t even visit her. I couldn’t be close to her, as close as other people have been with their grandmother. I did feel sad when she passed away, but not as much as I should. I don’t have relatives here. They are all over the country. I seldom meet them, and I keep mixing up their name. I’m not sure if I could remember the names of their children. I always ask my mother, but I keep forgetting it. I may have to build a complete family tree and paste it on my bedroom wall to keep track of my roots. My mother is the youngest of 10 but a few of them have died. My father is the eldest of 5 and they are all still alive. I don’t know why I am telling you all this. I just want to tell you that I have not been close with my relatives and I don’t know how to talk or mix around them if I meet them or if I could love them. But I am thankful that I still have them, unlike some people who have to live alone. As time and situation meets, I shall get to know them someday.
(Bla… bla… bla…)
(Bla… bla… bla…)
All I want to say is have a good Ramadan. God bless.
Sign,
...................
This is one of the letters from my friends that I have kept for at least a year. Some others even dated 5 years back. I keep them nicely in a box, but somebody has moved it onto the cement floor and caused it and the stuff I put in it to rot. I have to say goodbye to them (I mean the box and the stuff in it, ok).