I Kept My Promise

I was so quiet lately.. even during the month of Ramadhan as well as Syawal. I hardly post anything here about my fasting and my Aidilfitri celebration. Alhamdulillah, all was well and I was given the opportunity to once again celebrate Hari Raya as well as my 32nd birthday! Most of the time my facebook will be most active. I was kept busy.. busy with all the preparations for my brother's wedding on the 1st of October, insya-allah.

Yasmeen wasn't my first 'baby'. I have another 'baby' whom I cared for since he was a few months old. At an age where mother could not bear to stay even a few hours apart from her child, this mother left her son to the babysitter. Following her disappearance, many other things have happened.

When his mother left, this 'baby' cried almost every night. He cling on her mother's 'sarong' and cried to sleep. Soon he was attached to me. I carried him everywhere I go. I was then 9 years or so.. I feed him, bathe him, care for him, did everything a mother should do for a child.

When my late father brought us to Melaka, we go through many other tough times together. This little boy was almost 'sold' to a Singaporean parent. I was against the idea and was hugging him every night from the day I was told he was to be 'sent off' to Singapore.. I beg and beg and beg and finally, my father changed his mind and he too could not bear sending his child off to a foreign country.

When we were staying temporarily at a double storey home belonged to the Welfare Department, my father was then a security guard and he works on shifts. When he was on his night shift, he will only be back at home after I left for school. So, this little baby, then 1+, sleeping soundly was left at home with a bottle of milk by his side. There was once when we (myself and another brother going kindy) came home from school and our father was working overtime, the baby was not in the living room. I found him standing outside at the balcony hands holding on the big black tank of water coz his diapers was all soiled. God knows how long he had been standing there under the hot sun.

I remember on my 12th birthday, my father bought me a cake and after I cut the cake he lying on his back predicting what will be 20 years later. He said that 'baby' will be pampered and well taken care of as myself and our brother will be working already. He made me promised I will take care of 'baby' and never send him away no matter what. In his letter to my mother, in the same year, he asked for the same promise. We never knew why..

Though he was a very very well behaved 'baby', no one really hold him, cuddle him as we normally see people would do to babies. He was most of the time alone.. playing on his own. When I went to school, he will sit still and play on his own at my grandparent's house and I will settle him when I come home. He will be all happy and cheery when he's with me. And since I stay with my mother, I will send him back to my grandparent's home at night.

When my father passed away, (Al-fatihah to him) my 'baby' has no one else left for him except me. At that point of time there weren't much I can do except hoping that he could stay with me. My mother was asked, who would take care of 'baby' from now on?? My mother took up the responsibility. Why? maybe she remembered the content of the letter and maybe she silently promised my father. She feed him, schooled him, gave him clothes, home and love he never gets from his own mother.For a Woman to take in the son of another woman who came between her husband and herself to me is not easy and yet, My mother did it with her own free will.

I remember one of our relative tried to take 'baby' to be their adopted son and my mother came and took us all home! My mother knows how much I love the little boy and for that she said that I should care for him.

Now, today, as the wedding date approach and I have much to do, I found joy in doing each and every bit of it knowing that someday, when my then 'baby' now handsome young brother look at his wedding album, he will tell his children that I did all of it..

More than that I always keep in mind, close at heart, the hope, the promise, the vision my later father once told me over and over again.. To take good care of 'baby', don't let anyone harm him and make sure he is not sent off..

I pray for your happiness as I have always did my 'baby'. May your life be filled with love, joy, may you find peace and content in your other half and share a lovely life together.. to my ever loved brother Khairil Adnan Ibrahim.. you are my brother, my son, my baby and I love you!

Norma & Talib - Battle in the name of Love

I have not the slightest idea how many people have been reading this. I do not know if I would be able to help spread the word but it certainly worth to TRY. In this holy month of Ramadhan, ever since I seen the MHI clip on Norma, whenever I wake up for sahur, or break my fast with the kids, husband and  mum.. Norma is always on my mind. What would she be doing? how is she feeling? not able to taste the food or drink like any other people around her, not being able to hold her own cup, spoon let alone to put food into her own mouth.

When I had to raise my voice to my girls (for whatever reason), and sometimes kinda like lost my patience, I thought of how Norma feels, not being able to kiss her son not even to hold his tiny hands let alone feed him, bathe him or dress him. How would it feel to be so helpless and there is nothing you can do for yourself. I know how painful it is not be able to hold your baby like other people do. It has happened to me before although its not even 10% as bad as what Norma's been facing now.

Norma married Mutalib in March 2010. She was then a teacher in Pontian, Johor. When she was 7 months pregnant, she started experiencing terrible headache, went to several clinic and hospital and all Dr. said was that  its just normal headache maybe due to her pregnancy. She gave birth to healthy baby boy on 21 January 2011 and that's when her headache became more severe.

She was still in confinement when she was wheeled into the emergency room of Hospital Putrajaya and  after all the checking and scanning, she was diagnosed with a stage 4 brain tumor when her son was just only 1 month old. She was then transferred to HKL (Kuala Lumpur Hospital)  and Dr. attach a device  to channel out the excessive liquid from the back of her head, after which she looked better, could respond, have a chance to hold her son and chatting away.

Sadly after 5 operations and 2 cycles (15 times) of radiotherapy the tumor in her head which originally was 5.5cm have grown to 7cm.

Today, Norma is still battling her life and the fight against the tumor continues with her beloved husband by her side.

Norma's monthly expenditure for diaper, medication and milk cost more than 3k.

Now, To all of you who are reading.. followers or not, Please do this one thing.. to forward and link this (or if you would like to follow up on Norma's progress go to http://miera301.blogspot.com/search/label/Norma )
to your friends and family.. a little goes a long way and during this holy month of ramadhan, spread a little kindness a little further i.e. to someone you have never met, never speak to.. who needs help.

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