A special note/request to visitors:
A visitor has emailed Pakcik of his problems to leave comments. If others find similar problems kindly let me know via email. Your emailed comments will be posted by me.I would also appreciate if someone would advise me where things have gone wrong and what I should do to rectify.  My email address:  almanar@pd.jaring.my

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This is the end

Two-and-a-half years ago Pakcik’s End of the Tunnel ( Pt 11 ) – No more nasi dagang (click here) - highlighted the marriage of ‘Neni’ the pet-name of a much-loved girl in a family which adopted us as part of them. Soon, and much to our disappointment, she was whisked off to a northern state where she and her husband have been working in a hospital. And she is now a mother, too, only to return to K Terengganu once in a blue moon to satisfy the longing of her parents for her and the grandchild.

Neni’s marriage temporarily ended her mother’s business –undeniably the best nasi dagang of this locality. To Pakcik it was not just the nasi dagang but a new deal struck between us; they were free to have coconuts from the many palms in the vicinity of Alamanar’s grounds. Accordingly, every few months they would arrange for a coconut climbing ‘specialist’ ( not a monkey in our case) to pick the nuts, about one hundred or so on each occasion. We were adamant that neither cash could pass hand nor free nasi dagang. Perhaps, on occasions we went to buy, our portions were slightly larger than what they would give to other customers. That was the deal - coconuts for them and for us, Almanar’s grounds clear of fallen nuts.

But this has finally ended. One day Neni’s father told Pakcik that they would now cease preparing nasi dagang on the insistence from their children to see them taking life easy. In our heart we know that the lonely couple yearn to be free to travel up north and everywhere else to be with their beloved daughter and grand-daughter and other children as well.

Yes, this is the end.

We have lost the special nasi dagang, and Almanar’s ground now sees fallen coconuts lying about, more coconuts than the two of us can consume in our life-time. At the same time Almanar is not having as many pupils as in the past. These recent developments give rise to a fresh idea. Almanar will stop functioning as it has been. Twenty years is long enough.

This is the end.

Look at our coconut palms 

And the cattle will be ours one day

We will start something fresh, as an entrepreneur.  New Almanar will be a supermart dealing with whole coconuts, young and old, canned coconut juice and coconut water. We will rear cattle as well, dealing in  whole cows, fresh meat and fresh milk. And once we have learnt enough cooking we will then have Almanar’s own nasi dagang on 7-to-11 basis with fresh young coconut water! Unemployed past Almanar pupils will be given employment priority.

50 years ago on August 28, 1963 

" I have a dream "  Martin Luther King 

Berkhidmat kerana Tuhan untuk kemanusiaan.