The moment we stepped in the Accident & Emergency Unit, my daughter started to whine.
It was a fine Sunday. That Sunday was planned for a grocery shopping. A family of four, in a small car of ours, supposedly to be happy, changed our course from a shopping complex to a specialist hospital. What a turn!
My daughter knew it all too well: she was sick, she had high temperature and just vomitted her stomach out in the car. And now when I brought her to the hospital, she could imagine herself being constantly poked with the needles.
I shared her horrific detest towards the hospital too.
Apart from giving birth to Youssef nearly 2 years ago at this same hospital, and more than 6 years ago at Pusrawi Hospital for Sofea, all other experiences related to hospitals were just as gloomy as a morgue should be. Sofea and I were quite a regular at this Ampang Putri Specialist Hospital back in the years of 2006 until some time around 2008 to have Sofea's kidney problem sorted out. Then, in 2009, I spent my time as a dengue patient here.
Oh. I did not stop my fancy towards this rendezvous just at this particular hospital.
I was also a regular patient at Gleneagles Hospital for a few years started from 2007 when I first met Dato' Dr Mohd Husni Ahmad up until 2011 when he referred my case to University Malaya Medical Center under the care of Dr Siti Mazlipah Ismail. Along that period, I had another check up with one of the foremost Malaysian breast surgeons at the Gleneagles, Dato' Dr Suseela Nair.
Ahhh! If only I could use this information in my CV!
Tears were always my closest friends everytime I had to recover from sicknesses or from surgeries I had undergone. Frankly, I could not see the floor clearly though I knew it was always too ready to accept my fall. Thus, I just did not fall down. Falling down was just not an option. Upon seeing this, other people saw me as a strong person.
Truly, I was not. Still, I am not strong up until today. It was just a matter of daily survival.
"I will hold a special prayer and Quran recitation for the princess to get well quick."
Came a message from my bff into my smartphone's messaging system.
Tears welled up in my eyes again. If only she could see my appreciation towards her actions. Gratitude is just not the correct word to portray how lucky I was to have her in my big circle of friends. Despite my ignorance and hard-headedness, she was always there with a smile so sweet and words so kind to soften my heart.
"My family will hold a special prayer for Sofea's well-being tonight..."
Came in another message from my sweet sister, Zaiton. I was already speechless towards this kindness around me. I did not reply her message immediately. Overwhelmed with her kindliness, thoughtfulness and sweetness. I thanked her with my utmost gratitude but I know my words were just extremely simplistic and monotonous.
Thank you.
Thank you for all prayers and good wishes from all well-wishers. From all friends. From all bini-bini perkasa. From family members too. Only God is ever able to return your kindness. Heaven awaits for people like you.
And I love you all.
"Mummy, why am I in the office?"
Sofea asked me some time around 2am today, in her sleep.
"Darling, we are not in the office. We are in the hospital,"
I chuckled in my reply.
She nodded and went back to her sleep...
SWEET DREAMS SAYANG. I LOVE YOU SO MUCH.
