Sunday, March 18, 2007

The Wedding Planner...


Thoughts recorded on March 07, 2007...


Hanna Suhaila was so excited when we spoke over the phone last night. "Mommy, Mommy!! Guess what?!", she asked. I was so used to her sanguin-ness that I did not really expect anything out-of-the-ordinary, because to a sanguine child like my Hanna, EVERYTHING is exciting. "Yes, Hanna...what is it that you want to tell Mommy, dear?", I asked.

"Hanna dah 'khatam' Al-Quran!!!!", she literally screamed!

I was smiling ear-to-ear when I heard her scream, because :

Firstly (of course), I was (and am) SO proud of her....Especially, because this is her second time to "khatam" The Al-Quran.

Secondly , I wasn't sure if it was the fact that she had khatam for the second time OR the fact that she didn't have to sit for "mengaji" session anymore after this(?!) that really made her day yesterday (?!)

But, a deal is a deal - and I have to stick to it, even though it would be nice if she could khatam for the third time (?).

I promised Hanna that she only needed to repeat the whole Al-Quran one more time before she could stop attending the 'mengaji' session... So, I'm keeping to my end of the bargain.

So, Hanna - it IS official : Last night was your LAST mengaji session with Ustadz Hadi. BUT, BUT, BUT!!!! That does not mean that you do not need to read The Al-Quran again after this, okay? Promise??!! You can always join the session every now and then when you feel like it, okay? (THAT was wishful thinking - on my part...Hehehe...)

Anyway, then I asked her, "Do you want Mommy and Ayah to hold a small khenduri to celebrate the occassion or not?"

And somehow, the reply that came was not so convincing? It was like...."Hmmmm, no need la Mommy...tak payah lah..." Which I found quite out of character for my sanguine child. I was expecting like - "YESSSSS!!!! Can I invite ALL my friends over for the khenduri, and can they come for a sleep-over after that, and can you and Ayah bring us to see a movie the next day, etc., etc.,?? Can I? Can I? Can I?", that sort of thing.

So, I asked her - "Why Hanna tak nak Khenduri?", and then she started giggling, and said "No need lah Mommy...(giggle giggle giggle)". And then I said, "Okay then, we will have your khatam khenduri when you get married nanti, okay?" And, somehow, I actually MEANT it (?) It was not like it was meant as a joke or anything (?), you know what I'm trying to say here? At THAT moment, it just occured to me that her wedding day is NOT that long to go? (Insya Allah...).

And of course, what came next was a typical Hanna reaction -

"AAAAAAAARRRRRRGGGGHHHH!!! MOOMMMMMMYYY!!!!! THAT'S WHAATTT????? ANOTHER TWENTY YEARS or something?!!! That's SOOOOOOOOO loooonnnnggg!!!! I will only get married when I'm twenty-something what?!!!

Hmmmm...you got the sum all wrong, dear. It will NOT be another twenty years. If you are ELEVEN + years old now, and if you are getting married when you are twenty something, say TWENTY SIX (?), that's another FIFTEEN years, my dear....FIFTEEN years is NOT that long to go, okay? I can STILL VIVIDLY remember what happened FIFTEEN years ago, like it was just yesterday. 1992 - the year I did my Bar....(I guess because I still have nightmares about it until now? LOL!!!)

Anyway, you know what? The melancholic part of me, was already thinking about Hanna's Wedding Day last night?! And then, of course, a few years down the line - Hasya's and Hilman's?!

I was like - Oh my God...how many canopies can fit in our compund nanti?; I think I know who's going to be the official photographer (I have been looking at his Fotopages on a REGULAR basis before this, by the way!); what would be the theme of the wedding?; when will the "khatam" khenduri be held?; what kind of a wedding is it going to be ? (the "Garden" thingy will probably be SO-NOT-THE-IN-THING anymore by then, I'm sure); the wedding dress?!! Hmmmm...how many of those does she need?! And oh yes...the bunga telur? And the bunga pahar? Can I letak RM444,444/= for the wang hantaran, or not? Or RM888,888/= taking into account of inflation, and all? Aiihhhh...

Whatever it is, my daughters' wedding will definitely NOT be like the wedding of the one Datuk Whom-We-Shall-Not-Name here... SO...OVER-the-top, SO... NOT my style...(?) (What I'm trying to say actually is : "Where got people to SPONSOR one??!") LOL!!!

I'm a pretty weird Mom, huh? Well, like they say, better start early. Because it is ALWAYS the MOTHER of the bride who will have to do everything for the Grand Wedding. Never, and I repeat - NEVER expect the FATHER of the bride to chip in his "khudrat". But, it's okay - as long as he can chip in the RM! Loads of RM!!! (So, Ayah, better start your triple shift from now!!! LOL!!!); AND, it is ALWAYS the mother of the bride who will end up like a "kain buruk" after the khenduri...And I'm not allowing myself to be that - the "kain buruk", I mean... So, planning way, way, ahead of time IS CRUCIAL. Fullstop.

Can you believe that? I was actually thinking about ALL that last night? BUT, FIFTEEN years is not long to go, you know?

So, to all Mothers out there who have children (especially daughters) of the marrying ages, (that means between 11 to 99(?!), by the way) wherever you are... You'd better start making your guests list now. I have started mine - and I'm now at guest number 37, by the way...

All the best for the Grand Wedding, my friends...

Wassalam...

P/S : And Hanna...your friends sleep-over thing? If you decide to have the khatam khenduri soon - maybe we can have them over. BUT, if your khatam khenduri is on your wedding day...I think DEFINITELY not...

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