Rumah Mak dan pokok jambu air Nek

We are not from a rich family, they have nothing to pass on to us, no boxes of jewelleris, diamonds or pearl, no antiques except this piece of land that shared among three siblings and the most important is the MEMORIES...

I spent most of my childhood time at my grandma's house which is just next door, I call her 'mak' and my mom as 'mama'..Nek was still alive when I was in primary school, she left us at almost 100 years old with small build and skinny and grey eyes due to age and poor eye sight, I still remember her wrinkle skin and her grey hair, how she sit on timber floor in a small room with fixed louvered timber window overlooking the river

This is the spot where she planted pokok jambu air..it was a big tree covering the whole compound, there were money plants creeping on its trunk and roots that sprawling her piece of land...sometimes we peel off its bark while eyeing for a ripe fruit. Everything was green around this area, this compound was bigger back then even though there are many houses with staircase facing this tree. Everytime after the rain, I might rushed and collect jambu air...I don't know how to explain but the sight of the fruits make me happy, for a little girl it was as simple as that.....I like to brush the bark after the rain when its still wet and fresh..some part of it was covered with mossess..it make a great combination with the cracked bark..

Nek died sometime in the 90's when I was in primary school, I did not feel sad the moment I heard about it..it only made an impact few months later and now it still is..especially when the tree is no longer in the compound....but I could draw it anytime, I remember the spot where I plucked the money plant...miss her....

Nek is Mak's mother, Mak is a single mother who is tough and strong..I don't know much about it, it was not an issue back then...this is the house where she lives forever...until now

There is a door on the left of this picture, and there was a timber staircase facing the river, most of this house was made of timber and attap roofing, sometime Mak weaved these attap and I watched her doing it closedly and sometimes I got a chance to try it...

Rumah Mak is a typical traditional house with rumah ibu, beranda, separation of private space and semi private and well ventilated. My uncle ,Arwah Pak Teh used to have a built in 'tabung' which was covered with plywood on his bedroom wall..

There were line of pokok puding along the house and one lime tree..everytime the image flashed, I will remember Nyonya Eng's house, and with that will come this song..'nyonya bangun pagi, siram pokok bunga'....