"WHO KNOWS ?"

It was the first school I was posted to after completing my study in the teacher training college. A primary school in the northern of the nation. The class which was noisy, now turned to a total silent as I entered.

"Goooood morninnnnnnng teaaacherrrr!", yelled the class monitor with his shrieking voice that pierced into my ears. The rest followed in the same manner.

“Good morning” I replied, with no expression on my face. I guessed that created an intense fear in these little boys and girls. It was a complete silence and I felt uneasy. As a new teacher in school, I tried to assimilate myself to the situation in the school but at the same time, I knew I had to hold back a little in order to take control of these unruly students. There is a saying that if a teacher is too good or close to the students, well, there is a chance where students would step on the teacher’s head!

I started off the lesson by telling the students the topic for the day.

“Today, we are going to learn about fruits” I said sternly, trying to catch their attention eventhough they were already in the mood for learning. A sense of pride came and excitement engulfed me as I began to utter words in English so perfectly that it even amazed me. To begin the lesson with, I showed them the first flash card and asked, “What is this?” and in harmony they answered, “It is an apple”. The echo in their voices ran through me that even the child I was bearing within me then, leaped with great joy and happiness.
I then prompted another flash card and asked the same question. They replied to it in the same manner as before, “It is a pineapple”.
“Very good”, and with that appraisal, they applauded loudly. The children took pride when they could answer my questions well and with every word of praise they seemed to beam with joy. In my heart, I was indeed amazed at these kids, for English is a quite tough subject for them to understand when their surroundings do not permit.

The simple lesson for the day went on with another flash card. And with same question, I asked,

“What is this?”. Silence.

Again I asked.

“What is this?”. Silence.

They were not sure of the picture shown. Some even scratched their head which I believed were not itchy. It was just a normal reaction for students when they were uncertain of the answer to the teacher’s question.
To break the silence, I asked,

“Who knows?”

And as fast as lightning, together they answered.

“It is a who knows!!!”.

If it wasn’t because of my gigantic tummy, I would have fallen off the floor laughing. Even then, I laughed till I cried. The frown in their faces made me sympathized with the ignorance. As I laughed, I explained the meaning of the phrase “Who knows?” in the language they understood.

“Yang hangpa pi jawab It is a who knows tu, awatnya?
(Why do you answered me by saying, “It is a who knows?”)

Finally I had to enlighten them with the dialect they were familiar with, and the explanation was welcomed with a huge amusement. They found their stupidity a hilarious silly mistake to laugh at. And when the commotion turned calm, I announced the correct sentence,
“It is a mangosteen”, and together they repeated, “It is a mangosteen”.

“Stannnnd upppp. Thannnnnnnnkkkkkk youuuuuuuuu, teaaaaaaacher”.

The class monitor’s voice was heard once again at the end of the lesson.

You’re welcome.

I stepped out of the classroom, rushing for the headmaster’s office.
I must hurry to the hospital.
I felt like I was going to deliver.

LAY THE PRECIOUS MOMENTS

                    This is the experience I would like to share with you viewers, especially with the mothers worldwide. My plain English is hoped to cater enough understandings in you, and if you find it irritating, I plead you to read for its meaningful lesson behind it, because my turn is over and yet we wouldn't know what is happening next…

 

20 July 2009 Monday

Reached Tunis at about 3PM local time.

Left KLIA by Emirates on the same date at 2AM Malaysian time. Welcomed by my Tunisian bro-in-law, Khaled and his few other siblings. I was supposed to attend Khaled and Fairus’  wedding reception. My lovely sister weds a kind Tunisian whom she met in their workplace in Bahrain. They have officially married in Malaysia on March 2009. 

 

21 July 2009 Tuesday

Enjoying the trip while waiting for the big day which was planned to be on Saturday. Visited Cartage in the day and Sidi Bou Said at night. It was only the second night I was there but my heart was not with me. It has gone home, to the place where my husband and kids were struggling to live without the superwoman in the house…(flattered)…

Reached hotel exhausted.

Fall asleep at 1 AM. It was already time for “out to work”, back in Malaysia. 

 

22 July09, Wednesday

2AM in Tunis. Have just slept for one hour.

8AM in Malaysia. Received a bad news from Kuala Lumpur.

 

My second son, Mukhsin met with an accident.

A nasty one that could be fatal. His condition was bad;

broke his neck: c5 & c6, fractured on the left knee, and also the right femur.

Breath reading (cvp) was very low; 7 instead of 15, with all organs shrinking.

Only prayers can lift his spirit.

Let's lift the rest to God the Almighty.

 

It was chaos in the hotel room. Mom, Dad and my First bro-in-law couldn't hold their tears but I was lucky to have strong sisters like Kak Long, Fairus and brother Zubair. The two nieces who were sleeping in the next room were not yet informed. Though I couldn't hold the shock myself, I must admit that at that very moment, I had lost my senses. Sitting in the hotel bed, what I could do was just looking at those siblings working out looking for two seats to fly back. God knows what would happen without those helpful people in my life ever since. 

 

Kak Long was telling me every now and then, that it was just a process of reincarnation for Mukhsin to go through;

            that I had nothing to worry about,

                        that I had to be strong,

                                    that I was not to weep….

And later she told me that I was to chant with what she has written on a small piece of paper torn from the cigarette box…on my way back to KL.

 

Well, no regrets….

 

 
22 July ‘09
9AM Tunis. Everyone was feeling down at the breakfast table in the hotel café. The scheduled day trip had to be cancelled due to the incident but the tourist guide, who was 70km away from the hotel, insisted on coming to meet up. Upon reaching, I saw tears on her face, weeping and we hugged as though we have long known each other, and she told me how sorry she was. There was a peculiar feeling that I could feel some strength running in my blood. I have yet to understand this god sent lady when in such a situation, she, who had never been in my life came about before me, and showered me with all her supporting spirit.

My brother and I shall be leaving while the rest had to stay for the ceremony. It was such a concerned family-in-law Fairus has that they wanted to postpone the reception so that all of us could fly back. After much discussion, we decided not to.


23 July09, Thursday
It was a longer journey back from Tunis to KL. The flight was stranded for two hours in Tripoli Airport due to some Libyan Air Force tasks, and I sat uneasily in the seat, wishing for a pair of wings…

Norlin, a good friend of mine, Jett a sister who is always special to me, and Lina my beloved sister-in-law who did not join the trip, were at the hospital, closely texting updated report. Apart from Mukhsin, I was worried about my husband who happened to be at the accident location five minutes later, watching Mukhsin carried away in the ambulance, where he himself was later sent to the hospital by the man involved in the accident, and knowing him for 26 years, I believed he was in a very low spirit, what more without the soul support at his side.

Upon reaching KLIA at 2.40PM, and checked out one and a half hour later, we went straight to Hospital Sungai Buloh and managed to reach there at 5PM. The corridor of the ICU was crowded with friends and family members who were there to welcome me back, but yet I felt like a stranger, too enclosed in a misery that distracted me from recognizing them. Lina was always by my side, preparing for the worse, knowing that I suffer from high blood pressure. Finally I saw the face I was looking for, and hugged him, and whispered to his ears that he and I would have to be really strong this time. God is testing both of us with things we never thought of, and HE knows best.

Soon after, Lina led me into the ward. My heart sank once I saw my son lying in the ICU bed, with wires all over. He was not responding at all but his CVP was getting better it seemed. His eyes closed, part of the head shaved, face swollen, and his body was double the normal size I remembered.

It was still on my mind how I asked him to get a motorbike license a month before hand. Initially, I have asked a friend of mine, if he could ferry Mukhsin back from school on the days I go for Tunis. There was no problem on his side, but later Mukhsin was asked a favour by his teacher to train the Police Cadet Platoon for a performance which was scheduled on the 1st August. Since the training was to take place after school hour, Mukhsin had no choice but to get a license for himself and to borrow my husband’s motorbike.
…And it was only the seventh day he rode it on the day he fell off.


24 July09, Friday
Yasmin Ahmad, one of Malaysian renowned directors, and the director for "Mukhsin", collapsed due to stroke. She passed on the next day at 11.29pm, taking along all her incomparable talent. It was such a great loss to the nation, but the choice is not in our hands. Al-Fatihah.

26 July09, Sunday
Yasmin Ahmad laid to rest but my Mukhsin was still fighting for his life. My prayers for him never stopped. I wish for God to let my son continues to be by my side as ever.

Wake up Mukhsin dear. I know you have such courage and I am aware of how much we love each other.



…Each and every move is in the hands of God, and he never reveal it but I always believe in intuition;
...and that prayers do wonders…





TO BE CONTINUED…

foreword

my intention of creating this blog is no other than just sharing experience and expressing thoughts through every day life observation. in return,i hope to get constructive comments from viewers who are willing to share the same opinion as well. since i have just started this blog with the help of my son, i really hope that viewers would bear the flaw with me. i shall spend time to put my overflow ideas across. thus, a helping hand is appreciated.

i would like to express gratitude to bloggers ninakimi, sakiradewa, tourmaline bear, and also redhotmama for their inspiration though they did it unconsciously.