Just had my massage session with the machine in my distress room. Obviously it's not the same as the real feeling of a human fingers and palms massaging your back. But it's enough to make you say "Aaaaahhhh" after the 15-minute session. I still remember when my dad used to massaging the whole family whenever we got sick or caught a fever. We never went to any hospitals, take a medicine or pill if we had a fever. A few minutes massaged by my dad, then we could play with our neighbours' kids that evening. That's how magical my dad's hands were.
It's been a while since the last time I saw my dad with his sweat all over his body, his muscle hardening while his crooked fingers pinching, rubbing and massaging his clients. If the one asking for his massage service is a big or fat one, Dad would sweat more. There was one uncle named Adol who is so used to come to our house bringing some Jajan (junkfood) along with him and sometimes accompanied by his wife. It's always a small fiesta when he came for my Dad's service. Uncle Adol has a grocery store which is still run by his son right now situated across the town hall. He passed away last year.
I could still remember how my dad would recited his doa after a 2-rakaat prayer everytime a person asked for 'air penawar' from my dad. He would take a white bowl and wrote a doa inside it with a pen. He would then fill the bowl with the water. The water would be handed over to the person asking for it to be used on his/her children. For those who were going to sit for an exam, they need to wash their faces with it before they went for the exam.
There's always this taboo not to look at your back once you have entered the exam hall or the classroom. Of course you have to enter the hall or the classroom on your right feet. Recite ayat kursi and just get ready for the exam papers. Never ever look at your back. I always had a hard time with this taboo. It makes me nervous when I had to always look forward while waiting the exam paper to be distributed. As such, I've always go for my exam without my Dad's air penawar..hehe. But I asked for his bless by kissing his hand.
What a memory...
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