Miles and miles away from Manila, Mrs MP met her life partner in KFC Muscat when their eyes were twinkling to each other about two decades ago although he was a staff @McD. LOL! Ever sweet PD befriended a guy during her student days in America. Her husband was actually her best friend who used to send her love letters on her behalf to her so called boy friend. Yet the table turned and she married her best friend instead of her boy friend! Now, I wonder if the love letters ever reached her boy friend? Ho Ho Ho! Another couple I knew met their better halves through scandalous or triangle relationships. She was her girlfriend's best friend who acommpanied her girlfriend dating times. When her best friend got married to another man, she immediately married her best girlfriend's boyfriend to the chargrin of her bestfriend. Hi Hi Hi What say you? I say I believe in the Malay saying: Jodoh Di Tangan Tuhan or literally Marriage is in God's Hands!
From those stories, it only shows that each and everyone of us has a story to tell about how people met their better halves :) Well, what about my Dearest Mom and my Late Dad? Perhaps, I should write here about their love story for my children's knowledge. About how they met and the arranged marriage they had and how the marriage had survived to this day. Alhamdulilah. Amin. Mom was born RR on 22 August 1931 and Dad SW in year 1925. He was six years Mom's senior and had left all his loved ones for the permanent world on 20 December 1988 at aged 63. In fact, he once told Mom that he wished to die at that age which was the age when our beloved Prophet Mohamad SAW died. Indeed, his final wish was granted although I wish he could stay longer just like my Mom who is now an octagenarion and still healthy and very strong hearted woman at 82! In less than a month, insyallah she will welcome the bright and more colorful New Year 2014. Perhaps to see more newborn great grandchildren :)
Last spring, I was truly fortunate to be able to stay with my Dearest Mom for a week in my home @SA Town. My daughter and I fetched her from her hometown in Happy Village and together we had a memorable mother-daughter bonding time! I took the opportunity to cook for her and serve her the best I could knowing fully well that this youngest daughter of hers is not a 'homely' type person. All my childhood life with her @our small yet cosy home and ever since I left that home for a boarding school at the tender age of 12, I have never 'liked' domestic chores and all related to it but Mom knew that pretty well. Perhaps she and my late Dad played the role too where they always said, "Adik, need not do any chores, etc, etc ..." And, of course I smiled happily then which to this day I still smile happily because there is always someone to help me with the house chores. In those days, all the helpings and assistances whenever my Mom needed them rested at my two elder sisters Sis Anne and Sister Sophie! And, to this day together with my elder Sister Mia, I am always their ever 'manja' little sister! Just named what I felt like eating and what nought, all the three will do their best to cook for me to the chargrin of my own children :D
Anyway, back to my Mom's story. She did not meet my late Dad liked the nowadays couple or liked how I met my better half. She was at her small home in B-Village well protected by my late maternal Grand Dad HR and his sweet wife late maternal Grand Ma HM. The time was during the Japanese Occupation in 1940s over Malaya and before my beautiful motherland become Malaysia. According to Mom, one day my late Dad came with his parents to my Mom's home. She doesn't know what was the purpose. But, she caught glimpse of my late Dad's face from behind the curtain and immediately took a liking of him. When her late father whom I called EL told her to make some refreshments for the visitors, very quickly she did! Being a good knitter and very skillful with her hand works, she placed a selfmade tray cloth which was made of fine material onto the tray before she placed the cups of coffee and some ubi rebus on the tray to the visitors. And that little knit work caught the attention of my late Dad's eyes! And straightaway in his heart he said that he wanted to marry the girl who made that pretty and eye catching tray cloth! Wow, that's already love at first sight though not at first eye contact :D Very soon, he told his mother - my late paternal Grandma Nyai that he wished to marry my Mom. Really sweet isn't it! And that happened in 1944 before the Japanese Army surrended. During that trying time my late Dad was already 19 years old and a fine gentlman who read Quran very well while my Mom was only a 13 year old village girl! But, true love knows not bound ...
And, to make the story short, I was told that both their families met again and my Mom was soon married to her 'silent' heartrobe! Since aged 13, she was happily married to my Dad and lived with her mother in law in Sweet Water Village which was quite far from her parents home. Yet, my late paternal Grandma Nyai took care of her and passed down her legacy to my mom. My late Dad was late Grandma Nyai's youngest son, so he was her 'apple of the eyes!' Grandma Nyai loved my Mom very much and she taught my Mom all the things which every woman should know especially about beauty and the importance to take herbs or jamu! When late Dad and Mom moved to their new home @Happy Village, Grandma Nyai followed and lived with the loving couple. They had a great 'mother-daughter' relationship until Grandma Nyai passed away peacefully on Mom's lap in 1978. And ten years later, my late Dad passed away peacefully also on Mom's lap! Indeed, the trio or trisome had a great time together since they first set eyes on each other till their death bed. Al Fatihah to my late Dad and late Geandma Nyai. But above all, my surviving and loving Mom is exceptionally the superb person who gives her life and full attention to the duo - her forever loving husband and wonderful MiL without neglecting her very own children.
I truly love You, Mak! And, while writing this piece my mind and heart are soaring fast across the oceans to You for I miss you very much ... Insyallah, with God's Will, we shall meet again and continue with our daughter-mother bonding just like the last Spring :) You're the One and Only Mother who taught me what endless love is and that love knows no bound! Indeed, I applied the knowledge I acquired from You to my Only daughter, too! Thank You again, Mak.
(Note: Photo taken via FB Wall which was posted by a friend through inspirational quotes).
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