Dying Young - Khairin Elisza

Berpisah sudah segalanya

Yang tinggal hanyalah kenangan

Diiring doa dan air mata

Yang pergi takkan kembali lagi

- Rabbani , Pergi Tak Kembali

I am supposed to write about my late father in-law, who was supposed to turn 63 on the 20th September. Today, I went online and was shocked with the news updated by one of my MMU friend. It was the passing of an old friend, Khairin Elisza . I don't know her well anymore after we graduated and I did not even manage to be on her Facebook friend list. All I can remember is that we took the same course back in MMU and we were always doing assignments together. She was a soft spoken girl. 

When I reached her house, a very friendly lady greeted me at the front door and introduced herself as Kak Ros, she is (was?) Khai's colleague from Prudential. And Kak Ros is carrying Khai's 8 month old baby girl, Qisya. I don't even know Khai worked at Prudential. That's how "lost contact" I was with Khai. I immediately turned into Neng Yatimah (Ratu Air Mata) and cried on Kak Ros's shoulder. All I can think about was my baby daugher Elena at that time. All mommies would think and feel the same. 

Khai's son was running around with other older kids. Khai's son is 4 years old. The same age as Ammar Zhaqwan, my eldest son. Dalam hati berdetik, " budak kecik ni tengah seronok main dengan abang2, mana dia ingat mak dia. Nanti nak tido, time nak susu, lapar, baru dia carik mak dia". 

We chatted with Khai's brother in-law before leaving early. Belum selesai pun mandi jenazah. Khai died of colon cancer, stage 4. Before this they thought it was just sakit perut biasa. 

Teringat kata-kata room mate saya pagi tadi, right after I told him about the news, 

"Apa saya nak buat kalau awak takde" . Saya diam je dan senyum je. 

Setiap ujian yang Allah datangkan, baik suka mahupun duka ada sebabnya. Lagi hebat ujian, hendaknya lagi tinggilah keimanan dan ketaqwaan kita. Hanya yang celik mata hati yang dapat amik iktibar dari setiap ujian dalam kehidupan yang sangat sekejap ni. 

Yang pergi takkan kembali. Yang tinggal kena teruskan kehidupan, walaupun sedih bila terkenang-kenang. 

Al-Fatihah untuk Arwah Khai (died at 32 years of age)

picture taken from her fb page.