The story of..

She looked pretty. Very calm and pretty in her new white dress. Her face exudes faith and serenity and nothing less than happiness.

I kept on looking at her for as long as I could without glancing away, never once worried that she would catch me staring. Oh, I am used to having people look back at me staring and if she does that, I would've been more than happy.

There were many others around us, more around her than me for she was the center of attraction that day. She has always been, ever since I can remember. I did too. I remember this time when I almost lost my patience for not being able to find our bunch of slippers but just in the nick of time managed to control myself before speaking to her. She would've been devastated had I burst out. We walked both, side-by-side across the road with her on borrowed slippers and me bare footed. When we arrived to where we wanted to go, I took the slippers back to where it came from and decided to search once again. And found the bundle.

Ah, kalau terlepas cakap masa tu, tak ke rugi rasanya?

She adored me too, I can tell. Whenever I meet her without my parents, she would seem restless and always trying to make me feel more comfortable that I already was. There were always special dishes that she'd save whenever she knew I was coming over and my cousins were forbidden to even catch a smell off it. I remember the fried cow's brain, the special ox tongue in tomato and the Milo drinks that we shared together.

When she was much younger, she would always make the extra walk to the grocer's to get me things that she would consider goodies (and my mum sometimes disapproves of) and when I met her the past few years, we'd go out for our occasional 'forbidden' high-cholesterol foods for breakfast, lunch or dinner. I was not able to entertain her much apart from the occasional assistance in the kitchen, the market or cleaning the house but without fail, I would always be there during Raya, just because I wanted to visit her.

She's now gone. The shortcomings that I was has been replaced by rewards in many folds. insya Allah. She must have had a serene passing with children and grandchildren in her company. No one in the room noticed it until she was already gone. She even slept with her daughter the night before she left us but her daughter didn't really sleep much. Although I know I wouldn't be able to make her life any better, her presence I'll miss. May Allah bless her soul.

Al-Fatihah..