We used to call her ' opah ' ( now deceased ) and she was some one whom I loved ,cherished and respect so much . She was a caring and loving grand mother . I was closed to her even when I was still a kid . Infact I was told I was practically brought up by her . I remember during the school holidays I would spent my time in her house . I also used to follow her wherever she went . I followed her to the pasar minggus , kenduris , suraus to listen to the religious preachings and to relatives houses .
When I started work in Muar , Johor she came and stayed with me in my room in the Officers Mess. She cooked and washed clothes for me . And when I was to get married to my wife , she was the one who handled everything for me . Otherwise I would not know whether I could get married or not because I did not get the support of my parents to marry some one not of their choice . Infact opah was always around when I was in need and she was ever willing to help me in whatever ways .
Most of the time opah would stay with me no matter where I was transferred to . She stayed with me when in Segamat , Banting, , Shah Alam and even Port Dickson .
In 1997 Opah had a fall at my brother's house in Subang Jaya when she was there for a few days . She did not tell us why she felt but later I found out that she was accidentally pushed by my naughty nephew who was playing around near her . She was admitted to the University Hospital ,Petaling Jaya for about a week . She had a broken hip and had to be operated . Since then she could not walk properly and always complain of having pain in the hip . Since then too her health began to deteriorate . Inspite of that she still stayed in my house in Shah Alam .
In 1998 I was transferred to Port Dickson . She did come and stayed a few weeks with me in Port Dickson although I was then staying a bachelor there . My family was still in Shah Alam due to school going children . She then stayed back with my family in Shah Alam for a few months before she asked to be sent to my mother's house in Sabak Bernam. Perhaps she was feeling lonely because I was not around . Normally I was the one who would talked and joked with her . My wife just could find the topic to talk to her ,because she being a quiet lady too .
On 23rd.October 1999 my beloved Opah passed away at my mother's house . I was told she died slone in her room . I rushed home from Port Dickson to see only her dead body . This was the most distressing moment I ever encountered in my life . I could not help but cried aloud all the way while driving from Port Dickson to Sabak Bernam . My only regret was why I allowed her to stay with my mother in the kampong .I believed she died feeling unhappy and dejected . She was not happy there and I knew she wanted to be with me .Apparently she was not that good with my mother .I just could not do anything because I was staying alone in Port Dickson and she refused to stay with my family in Shah Alam . Perhaps she could have lived longer if she were to stay with me . As many of us know , pscychology plays an important factor to one's life .
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