Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Kisah Aku & Lisa

Tiada yang lebih sedih bagi seorang ibu melihat anaknya menderita (sakit), walaupun anak itu belum tahu apa erti derita (kesakitan).

Melahirkan anak bukanlah suatu perkara yang mudah, dan aku amat terhutang budi, terhutang nyawa dengan ibuku, bergadai nyawa hanya untuk melahirkan aku yang bila sudah pandai berkata-kata, hanya pandai mengguris hatinya.

Lisa, yang aku kenal dalam jangka masa yang amat singkat, merupakan rakan berbual semasa di John Radcliffe Hospital. Seorang yang sangat rendah diri dan baik hati budinya. Aku menjadi tempat dia meluahkan perasaan bila waktu melawat sudah berakhir. Perasaan sedih dan hiba kerana tidak dapat bersama anak perempuannya yang baru dilahirkan. Tess terpaksa ditahan di wad khas kanak-kanak kerana terpaksa bergantung kepada alat bantuan (photovoltic light, glucose drip, etc). Aku hanya mampu menghulurkan simpati saja. Semua ini kuasa Allah.

Rupa-rupanya Lisa juga seorang peminat novel. Kebetulan dia nampak aku membaca (sebuah buku yang aku pinjam dari hospital, yang kemudiannya aku beli atas tujuan kebajikan). Dia mencadangkan sebuah novel "Those Faraday Girls" karya Monica McInerney. Dia bercadang untuk mengirimkan novel tersebut melalui pos setelah dia dan Tess dibenarkan pulang ke rumah.


Kini sudah hampir 4bulan sejak pertemuan kami di John Radcliffe Hospital. Novel yang dijanjikan telah tiba pagi tadi. Dia masih ingat rupanya. Yang membuatkan aku bertambah terharu ialah kata-kata Lisa dalam suratnya;

"I wanted to say thank you for your very kind note. The day you left was a very difficult one for me as they had to put Tess on the drip again after taking it out. I think I must have gone to sleep when you left, so I'm sorry I didn't say goodbye. Your note did make me feel better though, so thank you..."

Aku harap persahabatan yang terjalin dalam masa yang singkat ini akan berkekalan.

Thank you, Lisa, from the bottom of my heart.

Saturday, June 06, 2009

Sense of belonging

I've been leaving in Subang Jaya, practically my whole life. My family (then it was only Mak, Ayah, Izad and me) moved to Subang Jaya from Kg Pandan when I was 5/6 years old.

I went to a pre-school in SS19, and 6 years of primary education in Sek Ren Keb Subang Jaya in SS14/5. I did also attend religious school, Sek Agama Masjid Darul Ehsan in SS15 near the local masjid.

Then, I went to JB for my secondary education and later my tertiary in UTM Skudai. I think that it was when I lost my sense of belonging towards Subang Jaya. I've left behind my friends from my early years in school. I have close friends then, but now as if we are total strangers. I was able to track back my old friends via Facebook and Friendster, but browsing through their pages, I can't get myself connected to them even we've been together in the same class for 6 years.

Perhaps, I'm being a bit emotional about this (as always), but I suppose I'm not the only one. Then again, I was the one who moved away (went to boarding school, etc), and I can still call Subang Jaya as my hometown. I wonder how others feel, for those who practically never reside in one place in such a long time. Constantly having to change schools, make new friends. However, I believe everyone of us has his/her own sense of belonging. If you ask me, I would say Subang Jaya and JB as both of these places were where I grew up, mature and learn about life.

And now, I'm going to add other places to the list; Oxford and Ajil, Terengganu. As an old saying; Jauh perjalanan, luas pandangan. :)