Kampung Days

Out of nowhere I thought of my grandparents and how much I missed those kampung days. I’ve only been to my dad’s hometown in Lenggong, somewhere in Perak, since my mom’s side all moved to the city. To reach it we’d have to pass through a windy road that’ll make the trip up to Genting relatively pleasant.

Lenggong is the typical picturesque and isolated kampung althought in later years the development seemed to spread even to there(some say because Ong Ka Ting is from Lenggong). I’ve not been to Lenggong for many years, to be exact, since my grandparents passed away but I figure it’ll be quite a lively place by now.

I remember my grandparents’ house which was like a huge maze, partly because I was small but that only made it all the better to play with. Playing hide-n-seek was great, I remember this ‘tunnel’ which is actually a narrow corridor connecting the front of the house to the back with rooms in between and how we used to call it haunted but went there all the time anyway. Hah that must be why I’m not scared of ghosts huh, I remember how we always tried to scare each other even when we were in the toilet and how one of us would sometimes succeed.

I remember the chicken coops at the back of the house which woke us up every morning and how we weren’t scared of ghost but of chickens. Not scared of chickens to be exact but scared of the trouble we’d get into if we played with them. I remember eating the greatest chicken I will ever have, grandma’s ginger chicken, now it’s a lost receipe, even mom can’t make it as nice as grandma…

I remember hiding behind each other when the lion dance began and the firecrackers started. I remember the haunted room at the tunnel and how we used to hide and play there. I remember grandpa’s gigantic kampung bike and how we’d try to ride it but never did.. I wonder what happened to that bike. I remember the biggest and best slide ever, not those plastics ones in the city but those made out of smooth concrete. I remember the waterfalls, the trees, the birds and the mountains and the morning air. I remember the cuckoo clock that I used to thought was annoying.

I remember how dad and mom got separated and I still went. I remember how mom used to call at night and we’d crowd around that old telephone. I remember the baby cradle. I remember climbing up that long stairs and how we used to sleep in the attic together.

and the best part is that it’s so simple yet it’s what I remember most about the past. and I’m so sorry I used to say that place was boring, I regret it now. I guess… that’s the way things go, we never know what we got till it’s gone. I should probably appreciate every moment no matter what I’m doing… sounds so corny.

maybe one day I’ll take a look at Lenggong again.

-mx