Grandma - The Lady With Vision

The nerve-wrecking news finally came. I knew that it was not a good one when my mobile phone rang at 5.30 a.m. with the caller identified as 'Ayah' on the screen. Only on rare occasions that I will get calls at such time, but that has never happened before.

I was half dozy, but I really tried hard to swallow and stomach the news that I was about to hear. Finally dad revealed it. I felt my heart dropped, but it dropped even further when my dad cried out "Nenek kau dah tak ada!" My grandmother passed away on that Monday morning.

"Oh my God, what should I do?" I asked myself after speaking to my dad. I couldn't sleep after that call and after thinking for a while, I decided to go back to dad's 'kampung' (village) for the burial ceremony. My siblings and I just came back from dad's kampung the night before, but I didn't mind going back again. Although my dad had told us we did not have to go back there if anything happened to grandma, I decided to go against his words. I never believed those words. Above all, I really wanted to be there for him because that's what he needed most, moral support and love from his loved ones. So that morning, my siblings and I went back to dad's kampung to pay our last respect to our grandmother.

Grandma or 'Nenek' as we fondly call her is a woman of her own. For a typical Malayan 'kampung' woman who was born in the 1920s, she certainly set her foresight ahead from the rest of the mothers at that time. "Nenek kau ni kalau tak ada wawasan, tak ada la Ayah belajar sampai universiti," I remembered my dad said that for few times when the subject on my grandma was brought up.

Dad told us that life was not easy for grandma, him and family back then. Although dad had to chip in by working very hard at a young age, grandma was determined and ensured that he made it to high school and tertiary education. Since my dad was the eldest son, she had envisioned him to obtain the best education that she could get or send him to. She believed that only education will improve the family's life and dad is her best bet to become the 'agent of change'. She has never mistaken for that one. It will remain forever accurate. Terror betul nenek aku ni.

I knew that deep down, grandma is a source of inspiration to my dad. Due to her very own wisdom and vision that she has set upon my father since young, I believed dad was personally motivated by it when he decided to pursue for his Masters studies. He braved himself to apply for the course and scholarship. He took the challenge and finally, he was awarded with the Masters degree from a US university. I think since then, my dad had somehow became the icon in his kampung for his success.

Nenek, I just want to say thank you. Thank you for giving birth and bringing up a great son and father that I could never ask for. I will not and shall not change it for anything. He is simply the best and when a person is at his or her best, it is due (fully or partly) to the mother.

We may not be like BFFs, but I will never forget your last few words before, "Bila nak kahwin? Cari la yang 'lawa'! Hihihi..." Your naughty tease with that cheeky laugh is pretty memorable until today. Yes Nenek, your granddaughter here is still on the hunt for the handsome (or 'handsome') eligible bachelor. 

May your soul is blessed by the Almighty Allah. Amin.