However, this year the visit was twice. The 2nd visit on the 2nd Hari Raya was rather unexpected and tragic. Anjang, mak's younger sister passed away on that day. She succumbed to her cancer. Ajang had been suffering cancer for many years starting with breast cancer. She underwent surgery and series of painful follow up treatments and apparently the cancer subsided..she managed to lead a normal life only then she encountered pain at her waist… it was finally diagnosed that she now contacted bone cancer.
Once again she had to go through another painful cancer treatments, losing her hair in the process. I still remember during last Hari Raya, she and the family decided to spend the celebration in my kampung. She looked cheerful with the rest of us. We had a family gathering on the second Hari Raya night starting with a maghrib prayer followed by some gift exchanges and games. Mak and Anjang were requested to give a speech and delightedly she agreed… She joyfully described her happiness to be in the occasion and wished that we would carry on organizing this family gathering in many years to come even if she was no longer around.
Came the second Hari Raya this year, Anjang is gone forever…….She passed away at the KL GH. She fell from her bed causing her to be unconscious and never gained her consciousness. The family decided to bring her back to my kampong for her final resting place.
Earlier this year, Dadak confided to me that, Anjang’s doctor (Dadak’s friend) had mentioned to her that Ajang’s illness was terminal case. She advised me to visit Anjang regularly. In one of my casual conversations with Mak, I suggested to her for a visit to Mak’s old kampung in Kg Pasang Api , Bagan Datuk. Earlier, we had heard that the old house where they were brought up had been repaired, after being left idle for many years and this would be a good opportunity for them to visit the place. We agreed to invite Ajang and Wae and they were more than happy to join us. The three siblings, Nyah, Safa and I left my kampong early in the morning for this special trip. Along the journey, you can hear all the good old times reminisced by these three folks…. We stopped at the wet market in Bagan Datuk to buy some fresh fish for our lunch later at their brother’s house, Alang, their only brother.
As soon as we arrived at the old house, I can see their glittering eyes and their impatience to reach the house. They walked gingerly across the old bridge. The funny part, Wae being the eldest walked unassisted , but Mak and Anjang were assisted by Nyah and Safa respectively. The grandeur of the house was still there. Some parts of the house were no longer there. The three siblings commented so many things while inspecting the old house. Later, all of them settled down on the anak tangga of the house. I decided to sit down under a tree not very far from the three siblings. The sight and the sound of their cheerful never ending conversations reminiscing their childhood stories were priceless. I believed for that moment that they totally forgotten all their pains and suffering temporarily. The broad smiles in their faces were infectious….. Deep in my heart, I was so thankful and grateful for being given the opportunity to bring them this far.
Later we had delightful lunch at Alang's house, not to mention the fresh sembilang bakar. We snapped some photos of four of them...Apparently these were the last photos for four of the siblings together.
A week
before Anjang's demise, I called her. She sounded so weak and I told her about my plan to bring her to meet somebody for her cancer treatment. She agreed and I thought this might be my small contribution to ease her pain. I skipped my tarawih on that night and brought her to see a cancer specialist at Ampang. The sight of her fragile condition struggling to get into the car was unbearable.... We were advised by the specialist for Anjang to have a full blood test in order for him to really study her internal organ condition. Early the next morning, we once again dragged her for the blood test. We left her in the car with my wife, while getting the necessary arrangement and registration.. My wife confided in me later , that while they were together, Anjang expressed her regret and how she wished that she could have more time spending with her parents, Opah & Tok. She had been away too long while her parents were still alive and that was not her intention for being away too long.
She was then put under a fast track treatment with cocktail of medications good for 19 days, that she had to consume religiously every 2 hours. I kept on monitoring her progress on a daily basis and it seemed she made some good progress.
One day before hari raya, while on the way to balik kampung, I sent a massage to Nina asking her mum's condition, and her response was quite positive. Later, in the afternoon , I received a call from Safa saying that Anjang fell down from her bed and had concussion that caused her to be unconscious. She was rushed to HKL and underwent various tests. She never gained her consciousness ever since.
Early on the second day of Hari Raya, I received the news that Anjang passed away. We decided to bring her back to my kampung for her final resting place that is not very far from her parents' graves. That was part of her wish for home coming...
Wae related her story while visiting her on the first raya at HKL. She held Anjang's hand and softly called her name... As soon as her name was called the monitoring screen showed very rapid spikes, she was very much aware the presence of her elder sister. Wae saw tears flow down Anjang's eyes and cheek....
While on the way to the pusara, I was alone at the back of the van jenazah with Anjang, I had all these bad feelings for not helping her much earlier and looking at the motionless jenazah ,I realised how fragile our life is and we are after all God's creation and the same way we were delivered to the earth is the same way we return to Him, all the worldly things are left behind.......the ones that we love, the pains and sufferings, the worries and anxieties.....
May Allah bless her soul and be included with the muslimahs in Jannah..........Her infectious smiles will always be remembered.....
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