Friday, October 16, 2009

Mak's Gift of Love To Her Four Daughters

16 October 2009, Friday (27 Syawal)

Last Sunday (11 October), when my eldest sister, Kak Pah handed me Mak's coin bracelet which Mak had bequeathed to her four girls, I had held it tenderly. I had gazed at it lovingly as it was passed from my sister's hand to mine. I've not seen it for quite sometime.
After Mak passed away in 2000, we decided not to split the coins so that we could "contain" Mak's image and memories. We had thought that by splitting, we would be dismantling our memories of Mak.

And during the first couple of years after Mak's demise, the girls took turn to keep the bracelet for a year each. But soon after, everyone forgot all about the bracelet with the many things that had happened in our own respective lives. Nevertheless, that did not mean that we had forgotten about Mak.  Not one day had I not thought about Mak. Mak will always be dear and close to my heart.

And today, when I looked at the bracelet again, it had reminded me of Mak's consummate love for her eight children. In our lifetime, we each had been given many gifts by Mak.  But this coin bracelet is truly special as it had held exceptional memories of Mak.

Mak had been a remarkable woman. She was a woman of substance. Despite being poor, Mak had saved enough money to buy these these coins in Mecca, Saudi Arabia in 1968. And when she came back, my grandmother and auntie (Ayah's sister) had helped her to send the gold coins to the goldsmith to turn it into a beautiful bracelet.

After a lapse of 9 years, the 4 girls have finally decided that the best way to handle the bracelet was to distribute it equally among the four girls.

And last Sunday, after my sister had handed over the bracelet to me, and with a very heavy heart, I had taken it to the goldsmith to have the coins split. Nonetheless, my aching heart was appeased when I think that this time, Mak's Gift of Love will be really dear to us. The coin pendant will sit very close to our heart.  Mak will be with her four girls every day of our lives.

Mak, thank you so very much for your Gift of Love. We will always love you. Mak, I've reserved the biggest compartment of my heart for you.  May Allah bless your soul. Al-Fatihah.

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