It's cold. Been raining for a couple of days here at the East Coast.
Cold as a witch's teat. As they say in the old country.
The three nephews have staked a claim on the TV set.
One of my uncles and aunts from KL are also here. With their first grandchild - a girl - after years of bringing up sons.
They said they will leave soon, before the water rises and make the roads impassable.
My village is near a swamp. It was a bauxite - aluminum ore - reserve. Until the villagers needed a place high enough to escape flood waters every year.
It will take decades before the ore ages enough, though. And too little to warrant a mining investment.
Hold on.
Just saw my aunt and uncle off.
They have invited me to go to their place time and again. Haven't found the time to do so.
My aunt gave my nephews some ang pows. Raya money.
For me, there were two pairs of socks. You always need socks.
Especially with the cold.
Soon, I would have to transfer some sweet treats from my sister's car to my brother's. We had bought the things in KL and had carried it more than 200km to Kuantan.
For some reason, they cannot be exposed to SOME people.
The rain has picked up. It's pouring now.
The night is cold. I am not.
Had two full plates of plain porridge. With sambal dried anchovies and dried radish - fried with shallots, garlic and eggs.
Salted eggs. Salted fish.
The earthworms will be exposed tomorrow.
The conversation has turned to guns. And rifles.
And the possibility of homemade pneumatic rifles.
My mother is offering freshly-caught river fish to my brother.
He refused.
I need to transfer the sweet things soon. Under the cover of night and rain.
