Life by the beach

"Dan apabila aku sakit, maka Dia lah yang menyembuhkan penyakitku;" The Holy Quran, Surah Asy Syu'ara' [26:80]

My stomach was in knots. I am always nervous even when I saw the word HOSPITAL. I am not fond of needles and I used to faint at the sight of blood. As much as I wanted to avoid it, there is always the need to be there. Seated outside the operation theatre amongst family members who waited anxiously for hours... is not a situation you want to picture yourself to be in.

When the agony of the 'wait' was over... there was the painful feeling of watching someone waking up with the sedative slowly taking off. Weak and in pain, all I could do was stood silently and tried to think of something to say to the family standing closest. Visiting sick relatives usually get us to think and rethink about our own presence, our own life journey. To stop, assess and reevaluate our track. Should we continue the intended path or have we been derailed?

I was handed over a small book and recited the Zikir to grant us Syifaa. Only from You, Ya Rabb, the Mighty Healer.

Today was the most awaited date for my nephews and nieces. Their parents' flight back home. They braved through the 56 days on their own... well, under the care of a now semi-professional 'nanny' i.e. yours truly!

My log-book as follows:
I have burnt lunch once (defrosting mum's pervious' nights' dinner), nearly burnt a trouser at ironing, passionately over-watered the nearly-withered plants (after realizing that my cousin actually have live plants outside the balcony), left blisters on the right arm from frying chicken and spent two sleepless nights at the children's ward!

Hey, you don't know me. I am not that bad. Alhamdulillah, the hospital experience alerted me of their sister's habit of not taking enough drinking water. She pecked and picked her food. When she was first admitted, I nearly cried and blamed myself for not being meticulous... I didn't pay attention to their eating habits. Alhamdulillah, she is more lively and energetic now. She drank water at regular intervals. Mum helped picked some vitamins for her to take.

Saturday, 7th May 2011.
I woke up early morning for Subuh prayer. Thank you, Ya Rabb, for giving me the opportunity to experience the 56 days of challenge. I have gotten to know more about my cousin's children, love them and most important of all, the journey had been worthwhile. The tasks taught me a lot of things, made me somehow a slightly better person (a long way to go), leant useful lessons in patience and passion through things that we simply took for granted and most important of all, thank you Ya Rabb, for being there watching over us.




My life is back to normal. Well, slightly bit more than normal. I am 56 days older and wiser. I still have a few days of leave (well, what's left of my 28 days leave anyway) that I can spend ...umm let me see, after days spent driving kids to school, cooking, laundry, afternoon naps, surfing the net, catching up on work... maybe I will just rest at home, stay away from my computer (when possible), maybe improve on my baking skills... arghhhh nothing exciting, but these will do for now!

or MAYBE I will go to the movies again. I watched Fast & Furious: Fast Five last night with Elva and Nana. Maybe I will watch it again heh... will you come with me? ;)

4 as in the number 4... a sum of four ones, or the answer to two apples plus two apples. Exactly two weeks ago, I left the airport with four teenagers left under my care for five weeks as their mum left for Singapore with their dad to undergo a series of treatment. Exactly two weeks ago I felt confident that I would sail through tasks that felt so familiar and sounded like 'a piece of cake';
1. wake up early, prepare breakfast and lunch
2. drive them to school
3. drive myself to work
4. pick them from school
5. do dishes and laundry
6. prepare dinner when necessary
7. go to bed early
8. go back to number 1

Cook, wash, drive... nothing could be easier than this, right?
well, after two weeks... I woke up early dawn, sometimes too early, just thinking about the breakfast that I will prepare that WILL be acceptable to four teenagers that have different eating preferences! My mind was kept partly occupied with thoughts of having to go back early to prepare or buy lunch because I woke up having not enough time to prepare them.

My hands red and itchy... rashes resurfaced from allergies (non-stop use) to detergents. hahahah I havent been doing heavy laundy or did dishes everyday of the week since my hostel days or before the word MAIDS were introduced into our vocabulary. The maids were an added bonus to our life yet the allergies stayed!

My cousin started her treatment today. AND today we were told that the five weeks should start from today.

"Hey, what happened yesterday? Tell me, something interesting happened in the morning right after you arrived at work",    "My foot lah... No way I am going to tell you!"

Hahahahah...really, I have always liked that expression... 'My Foot!'

But yeah, I have always taken for granted that my foot is always ready to walk me everywhere. As always without thinking, the brain just routinely asked the right/left feet to step-up when it sees the stairs. BUT this time, the brain just failed to estimate the distance...because it was busy doing other things and hence was charged guilty of causing the TWISTED feet.

I was ready to put my best foot forward this week, but Allah has other plans for me.... and I got off on the wrong foot this morning at work. I attended two meetings that required me to be on my feet most of the time. I limped to the lift (at my flat, luckily), limped (sort of clung at the handrails) past the stairs, limped across the road (slightly embarrassed for slowing the traffic)... and everywhere else. Oh how I miss my healthy foot.

And most of all... sitting between the two sujoods, I have problem getting the right foot upright!