Innalilllah....

A call came in on my BB and it was from Mom. I gave my salam and I could sense something was not right on the other end. Mom asked where I was and told here that I was on my way to PD.

She broke the news to me after that. It was my Mak Lang. She had left us this morning, no illness nothing and she's gone. Inna Lillahi wa Inna ileyhi Raj'oon. As a Muslim, apa jua ketentuan dari Nya we have to redha.

I asked Mom when would the funeral be and she told me after asar. Okay....I did some mental calculations, I'd still be able to make it there after completing my tasks in PD.

Mak Lang Enab as she is affectionately known was my late father's cousin sister. Their kampung houses in Juasseh Kuala Pilah are just next to each other. Arwah Abah used to tell us their mischievous stories during their younger days, and Mak Lang was very much in the picture. They cari ikan in the sawah, they jumped into the taliair (which in locals speak known as bondar) and most of all, I remember his stories about how loving Mak Lang was towards my Abah and his other siblings. I remember tagging along Abah to kenduris at Mak Lang's kampung house when I was young. Each time she wanted to marry off her daughters, she would personally come to our house in Seremban and inform Abah. At times Abah was the spokesperson at her children's merisik or engagement dos. Obviously Abah was very respected by Mak Lang and family.

Our families are very close. Each Raya without fail we'd go visit her in her kampung house. As age caught up and it was no longer safe to live in the kampung house all by herself, she moved to Seremban with her youngest daughter. But Mak Lang would without fail open up her kampung house to receive us during Raya. She said she wants the cucu cicit to experience Raya the kampung way. Eat rebusan and lemang, just as how she and arwah Abah experienced their festive Raya those days.

And with me, the bonding is even more special. It was Mak Lang's mother who helped look after me when I was a toddler. Her mother gave me this name "Intan" and till today, that's how I am known to these folks. When both Abe and I first got married, he was so pelik when he heard the ladies calling me by that name. It was "Intan" this and "Intan" that. Frankly speaking I was rather embarrassed by that name too, but I played along as I didn't want to hurt anyone's feelings.

This Raya when we visited her, she complemented Abe saying that he was so good looking. I replied saying, "Ahhh tuo dah tu." and she said, "Iyo lah...lae tuo lae lawa lak de" (translation - more tua more good looking!!). Of course she had us in chuckles by her comments and I think Abe is going to remember those good moments with her sampai bila-bila.

Alhamdullilah...jenazah Mak Lang telah selamat disemadikan in Seremban yesterday after Asar. I rushed from PD after my meeting ended. Unfortunately I got lost somewhere in the taman where her house was. And, I didn't make on time to see her for the last time. Tak pe lah...my prayers are always for her. I was told she wasn't sick or anything. She complained of stomach uneasiness the night before after berbuka puasa enam and the next morning she passed away.

Alhamdullilah Allah telah permudahkan segalanya buat Mak Lang. Semoga roh Mak Lang dicucuri rahmat dari Nya dan ditempatkan di kalangan orang yang beriman, InshaAllah.