Eid amidst the coconuts

The kids had a great time for Eid. We all flew back to West Malaysia to my
wife’s village, just got back last night.. It was the first time my wife
had been there for Eid in 8 years, and my first time ever. The kids got
along great with all their cousins and second cousins, and were spoiled
rotten by all their uncles and aunties. All 7 of my mother-in-law’s
children came back this year. She was very very happy. She has 10
grandkids now and 12 step-grandkids. I’m finally getting fluent enough with
Bahasa to keep track of what’s going on in the family, and beginning to
really remember all my cousins-in-law. My wife must have first cousins in
the triple digits. The custom here is to go visiting neighbors after the
eid, to have tea and snacks and then move on the next house. Kids are given
a little bit of money from everyone they visited. Iwan cleared 55 RM. He
was a little avaricious banker by the time it was all over, counting and
recounting his money in the corner of our room.

The worst incident of the whole trip was when Salihah got attacked by our
neighbor’s rooster. He’s lived next door all his life, knew my wife’s late
father very well. He’s also a distant cousin. Well, he likes to keep
chickens, and they peck and scratch in our yard too. One old rooster is a
little daft, and the d*mn thing attacked Salihah. Luckily she had the good
sense to turn around and run, so she was only pecked on her back and arm.
But the bites ripped her shirt and drew blood. This would all be terrible
on its own, but the worst thing is, this all happened to Ridhwan three years
ago! The same damn rooster! At the time, back in 2000, we were quite upset
of course, but since it had never happened to anyone, we just let it lie.
Then it attacked my three year old nephew a little while later, after we
went back to the US. That was the last I heard about it, and I just assumed
the rooster had wound up in the stock pot after it’s second offense. But in
fact, the rooster was spared. Then it attacked our neighbor’s own grandson
and tagged him right above the eye. His son-in-law demanded the chicken’s
death but our neighbor would not relinquish the bird, claiming it was good
luck. The son-in-law took his wife and kid and has not been back. Well, I
was furious, but social ettiquette just would not allow raging at the old
man, and besides, if he denied his own grandson justice, he certainly
wouldn’t grant it to me. So I plotted to kill the rooster. If it was dead
and gone, I could simply apologize and he would have to accept. But I
failed. I had a good go at it with a machete, and several times with a
slingshot, but I couldn’t bag it. After every failed attempt, it would crow
upon reaching safety. Sometimes, when it was in the yard, it would see
Salihah and crow some more. What a cock.