The 'Dreamed Kitchen Garden' - made a reality

Remember our dream of acquiring the piece of property neighbouring our home lot?  It finally became a reality about a year back.  I was pretty nonchalant about the whole thing and had stopped dreaming of acquiring it after going through one stumbling block after another, but not my other half.  For the record, he is a real determined person, especially after setting his goal and sight.  It was more for peace of mind than anything else about acquiring the property.  Our present lot is an intermediate lot while this is an end lot.  Our present neighbour in the other adjacent lot is a crowd as it is a multi-unit apartment and pretty crowded (and noisy, to add).  Retirees want some piece of calm and quietness.  Should there be a repeat of development in the lot we are eyeing, then there goes our peace (and sanity to add).

We had finally tracked the real owner (thanks to Facebook!), a private medical practitioner, with clinics in Subang Jaya and Shah Alam.  A pretty loaded person where promise of any amount of money (by our standard) is of no concern to him.  There was no way that we can even talk to him (on the phone), it was just the clinic receptionist taking our calls.  There must be something about medical doctors that they keep their personal number sacred.  But we do somehow got confirmation that the property is his but he is not selling.  We've been getting the same answer all through and any effort for a direct communication with him was averted.  NOT FOR SALE - FINITUM!!!

I gave up easily, not to be our rezeki, I opined.  Not my other half, it made him more determined.  Little was it known to me that that wish was included in his doa in front of the Kaabah when we were in Makkah for our last umrah trip.  He was pulling the biggest cable of all to open the path of contact and mind of the owner doctor.

As normally the case, umrah trip can be exhausting and for the jemaah to come back with coughs and flu.  We were no exception.  Being the one with the lower resistance, I was infected with the cough-flu bugs while in Makkah itself and lost my voice entirely.  I accepted it as part of kifarrah for my past doings and hope for total forgiveness from The Al-Mighty, InsyaAllah.  The other half only succumbed to the bugs when we were back in motherland.

Under coughing fits he announced going for medical assistance and the need to visit a doctor.  I was all for it until he mentioned going to Subang Jaya/Shah Alam to see 'the' doctor.  It never occurred to me that he was going to meet the owner doctor.  "He has to be persuaded, by all means," he said.  I stared hard in response for that was a long way to be driving for a 'simple' ailment when we have clinics at stone's throw away from home.  

He nevertheless made the trip after getting directions from our son Nazim,  (Nazim incidentally handles corporate medical insurance for his office and is knowledgeable of the Subang Jaya and Shah Alam clinics).  Coming home the hubby narrated the doctor reading out aloud our address and was too late in realizing my husband's other intention of seeing him.  He still contended that the piece was not for sale as his ownership was only half a share.  His 'partner-in-purchase' turned out to be another medical doctor!  This was making things doubly difficult for us.  To me the trip was in vain but not to my hubby.  He somehow got the doctor to divulge his private number and managed to persuade the doctor to call the said partner.  That, to my husband, was a step forward and not far off from our goal that had been eluding us all this while.

Even with the doctor's private number, calls and messages were not returned or even acknowledged.  Another trip it was.  Tired with the incessant calls/messages and the repeat visit, the doctor finally relented but not without a catch.  He quoted a non-negotiable price and a 'take-it or leave-it' condition.  It was steep and way above our expectation, but still much below the market price.  We went for it to finally call ours about two weeks after, Alhamdulillah.

Now the garden and lawn is flourishing and is a playground for the grandchildren when they are back for the weekend.

The prized newly acquired lot is cared for with much love.

Amir & Amira helping Che' (Nazim) grilling satay

 in the grounds last Raya.

...then it was fireworks time.

Adam taking a swing.

We have plants only in the periphery to allow more play space.

The jackfruit tree was planted before we even 

acquire the space has come to bearing.

The prized beko plant.

When there is nangka, there has to be cempedak.

We have the space fenced up for the kids' safety. 

The pineapple patch.  Hard to convince the other half that 

the pineapple suckers need to be a lot closer.

The cashewnut plants planted for their shoots.

The starfruit plant has initiated some flowering.

The spindly mata kucing plant has overshot the wakaf.

So much foliage from the passion fruit plant but still no flowers.

Contrary to its name, the katak puru plant is indeed a handsome plant.  

Invitation is open for anybody interested to use it as their 

party symbol for the upcoming GE.