So Long Pahang Road

Ever since the passing of my Grandmother, there had been discussion about what to do with the plot of land she lived in at Jalan Pahang, Penang. It say right smack in town, next to an intersection. The lots next door had been converted into either apartments or shop lots. It was worth quite a bit.

She had 12 children, and the name on the title wasn't just her alone, but it had three other of my Grandfather's sibling on it. We knew that it was going to get messy.

I had decided from the very beginning to have nothing to do with it. My Dad and his cousins needed to sit down and thrashed things out. They had a good offer and the whole group decided to take it. And then came the nitty gritty of how to decide the proceeds.

There had been some disagreements but it was ironed out amicably. My Dad eldest brother was the most vocal and took the task of clearing up any disputes. The other siblings stood by him and a deal had been struck.

My Aunt who still lived there with her children had to move and the deadline was the middle of next month - June.

This afternoon, another Aunt of mine organised a kenduri as we were planning to move out from the lot, and well as for her plans trip to Mecca next week. That was the reason behind the day trip back to Penang today. And it was all worth it.

A lot of people turned up. All the siblings and cousins were there - mainly from the generation above me. I came along with my sister, Mum and Dad. Anita couldn't make it unfortunately.

I didn't grow up there - I went to school in Kepala Batas instead. Dad and his siblings moved there in the late 60s when my Granduncle brought the piece of land for his brother - my Grandfather - and his 12 children. My Granduncle was a famous Doctor back then, and he appreciated the sacrifices my Grandfather made while they were growing up. He looked after all my Dad's siblings and was close to me when I was young as well - he was a Paediatrician.

He retained the title to the land so that we didn't have to pay the taxes. I remembered that he even installed a phone line to the house when phone lines were not common yet.

My Dad younger siblings felt the loss more as they grew up there. My parents had their wedding there. Most of them had since moved on leaving only my Aunt who stayed with my late grandmother.

The crowd was too big for me to snap many photos. I still got some old ones somewhere on my hard drive. That would be a treasure. I realised today that that would be the last time I would see the old house as it was. It was kind of sad. Once I thought about purchasing the land to leave it as it was, but I knew it was going to be an idea that would not end well ....

So long Pahang Road ....