..Pin at her gift shop..
..unlike her brother, who is married with two daughters, Pin, in her mid-forties, is a spinster..customers will normally find them cheerful and easy to deal with..as with most Chinese in Kelantan, both speaks Malay with a heavy Kelantanese dilect..
..Chuan, the goldsmith..
..whilst Chuan commutes everyday from Kota Bharu, where he has a home, Pin makes the little shop her home.. and home is where she takes care of her 74year-old father..who remains motionless for the past two years..on a bed and at the back portion of the shop...senior Chuan is totally paralyzed after a stroke that he suffered in early 2007..fed through a tube, and on schedule every day by Pin, only his eyes move..
..but his hair grows...
..every now and then, my wife will be asked to crop his hair.. the first time the request was made, she called me to ask whether it will be alright..the terms of her opening the little shop was unequivocal..no men..I pondered over it when she called.. Chuan Senior is a friend..we used to chat and joked over stuff and damsels during his healthier times..so I said ok..but I want to be there when you do it..
..not used to cropping hair in bed to a motionless head, my wife struggled..I helped lift his head..all the while avoiding his eyes..but it met, nonetheless..for a moment there, it was like staring into a bottomless pit..as a tear welled in his, mine filled..I murmured something to Pin..but I know he was trying to say thank you..
..later, that night, after Isyak prayers, I gave my thanks to Him..thank you, O Lord, for Your little mercies..if I must die, for I know I must, let it be with iman.. and let it be quick..let me not suffer, O Lord..for You are the Most Loving..and the Most Merciful...
8 comments:
May Allah have mercy on our souls and the souls of the departed, Pak Mat. it reminds me of the days when I used to help my late grandma take care of my bed-ridden grandpa whenever we were back in Kluang. My late Atok Antan suffered from stroke, but I was too young to understand. he used to call Man, my younger brother (easier to utter and remember) whenever he wanted to answer the call of nature. My grandma, a strong-willed and independent lady, was patient in keeping him company. The lessons in life, Pak Mat. During those days, I liked to rummage through old stuff, mostly that belonged to Atok Antan. I discovered books, magazines and Dunia Sukan! Only after his demise I discovered he was a stringer for Utusan Malaysia! Oh how I wished I had a little bit more time with my Atok. PakMat, please send the Chuans my hello and regards. If one day I were to set foot on the sleepy hollow of Bachok, PakMat must take me to the shop, but don't worry, I wont ask for a haircut!
..salam lc..all the more reasons we must spend time with our love ones..irregardless..young or elders..during healthier times..during happier times..no matter how busy we are..
..your grandpa was lucky in that he had your grandma to keep company..
..but come to bachok..pakmat will give you the haircut..and introduce you to pin..
..stay healthy, lc..you need strength for the final..gomo kelante...
walau duk kelate, tak pernah pergi lagi ke bandar bachok..kena include dalam 'must do list' nih.
Aminnnn ....
Hello PakMat, this sure a very heart warming posting.
It is sad to read, to know of such suffering.
But I guess only the MAN up there can answer when we meet him one day.
Kesian read about your Mrs potong his rambut. I think he recognised her.
I too bila time to go, nak pergi no delay, tak mau my isteri have to suffer look after me.
But saya da kasi notice, not to be cremated as cannot stand heat, but buried.
And to include a brand new digita watch, cheap one will do, imagine the watch ticking away even lepas tiga tahun, ha ha.
My friend said set auto alarm, every morning to ring at 7am, ha ha.
Also a deck of cards, a packet of Lucky Strikes..maybe a car magazine to read on my way to where ever.
My isteri reply said 'living already lecheh, da mati lagi lecheh'! Ha ha.
You have a pleasant weekend, Lee.
Situations like this fill me with deep humility.. and gratitude. bcos it clearly shows that my lot in life isnt as bad as i think and that thru the grace of God i am still able to do something about it so i better not whine, i better not give up.
Yes pakmat i too share the fear of becoming a burden to my loved ones. its the main thing that motivates me to keep fit (and hopefully, healthy) and is also an important part of my daily duas.
When its time to go pls let it be mercifully quick & easy.. amin.
Abg Mat (i'm 10 when P ramlee pass away), just found out your blog, linked through Kelantan bloggers.
Will continue reading the old posting later on. My 'lepas Jumaat' time gone reading your posting,entertaining.
MFT
Cikgu Hani..
..how could you..not come to Bachok..part of Kelantan, you know..:)
zX..
..amin..thanks..
Uncle Lee..
..you always make me smile..your words and anecdotes never failed to tick my funnnybones..life my spirit..take along a digital watch?..may I suggest also an MP3 player or Ipod..set to play all those songs of yesteryears..?
..you keep well, lee..jdbb..we cannot have something to happen to you just yet..
Justiffa..
..for, indeed you are blessed..maybe in more ways that you care to count..and in more ways thanl you realised..but we gave our thanks..dan kepada Nya kita berserah..
MFT..
..please don't call me AbangMat..berdiri bulu roma gak..Pakmat it is..and welcome to my domain..and why anon..? don't you have yours?..that I may step in once a while to rest my tired bones..?..:)
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