After finally getting the message, I walk of to my room where my Ben10 (my eldest nephew), takes a seat on my comfy red sofa and talks to me...we have a good laugh while he questions me about his latest discovery. "Lali, why do rhino's have horns?" (lol) and I admittedly try hard to answer these questions but sometimes even I am not sure what to say (his questions get more complicated the more you tell him) - giving him his treat for the day is normally a success. I normally get him smarties or astros (I get all the blue ones if he is happy with me otherwise nothing).
Every week, I have to arrive at home with his National geographic magazine and after happily examining it (for about an hour), he comes back to have a discussion with me post reading him every single article in that magazine including the advertisments. Sometimes, I am reading all this while trying to finish up work and he gets frustrated because I am not paying attention.
Ben10's mum, used to be my campus friend, who later married my elder brother - she will always come and show me her latest purchase or sometimes just buys something because I like it.
Over the years I have watched our dining table that seats 8 become smaller with the now 13 members. Its funny how our original places at the table have been shuffled around and soon to change again with no.14 entering the family as a new daughter-in-law shortly. I am sure my seat will be more than comfy for her, until I return for visits:) Ps: I am normally seated to mum's left, with Ben10's mum to my left. (Princess Arial will almost always end up on my lap).
I miss sitting down to dinner with everyone around the table while cracking up over our sillies of the day. Its never about whats on the table or the weather - the fact that every one of us is there, smiling & laughing, is all that matters.
I miss Thursday, our family Quran evening where everyone sits down in the prayer room. Mind you, the last time I was at home (in May), Ben10, now 6, was busy thanking Allah for noodles in his dua (quiet loud) - he got everybody laughing (while they were busy praying).
Enter our little mr, Spiderman, I like to call him Turkey cause he is cute and pumpkinish - his main interest revolves around driving cars. Spiderman loves making sajdah on his little musalla with his dad. What a sweetheart, always smiling and when he is busy driving his toy car, he has no time for Princess Arial, his sister who keeps telling him shooh when everyone is praying.
I miss going home for Jumu'ah on Friday and making my Thuhr Salaat with my mother, enjoying lunch with her before going back to work for the afternoon. Last Friday, when I spoke to my mum, she told me, these days all the boys and dad come home for lunch after Jum'uah salaat - she sweetly said, "I miss you here".
I miss taking my Ben10 dvd shopping - our regular weekend trip to Look and Listen always meant he and I both walked out of that shop smiling. ( I cannot express what a monster I have bred in Ben10 who now boasts the biggest kid dvd collection - he has every animated movie released since "Find nemo" as well as documentaries relating to animals).
I miss my dad taking me with him on errands - his way of spending quality time with me. I miss my brothers, the elder one always stopping at my room every day after work to see how I am. I miss my second's brother crazy take on life always telling me about his latest investment business case. I miss my younger brothers company, playing PSP challenges while sitting in our own rooms. I miss my niece, Princess Arial...my cute pumpkin who always has an excuse why she needs to camp with me over night.
I love my family - my mother raised us up with so much love that every time I am with them (having been away for a while) I realise what a beautiful treasure she gave us.
She is my wonder woman - may Allah bless her innocent beautiful heart, Inshallah.