zaha's

Married or not you should read this...

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 22:44:46 +0800

“When I got home that night as my wife served dinner, I held her hand and said, I’ve got something to tell you. She sat down and ate quietly. Again I observed the hurt in her eyes.

Suddenly I didn’t know how to open my mouth. But I had to let her know what I was thinking. I want a divorce. I raised the topic calmly. She didn’t seem to be annoyed by my words, instead she asked me softly, why?

I avoided her question. This made her angry. She threw away the chopsticks and shouted at me, you are not a man! That night, we didn’t talk to each other. She was weeping. I knew she wanted to find out what had happened to our marriage. But I could hardly give her a satisfactory answer; she had lost my heart to Jane. I didn’t love her anymore. I just pitied her!

With a deep sense of guilt, I drafted a divorce agreement which stated that she could own our house, our car, and 30% stake of my company. She glanced at it and then tore it into pieces. The woman who had spent ten years of her life with me had become a stranger. I felt sorry for her wasted time, resources and energy but I could not take back what I had said for I loved Jane so dearly. Finally she cried loudly in front of me, which was what I had expected to see. To me her cry was actually a kind of release. The idea of divorce which had obsessed me for several weeks seemed to be firmer and clearer now.

The next day, I came back home very late and found her writing something at the table. I didn’t have supper but went straight to sleep and fell asleep very fast because I was tired after an eventful day with Jane. When I woke up, she was still there at the table writing. I just did not care so I turned over and was asleep again.

In the morning she presented her divorce conditions: she didn’t want anything from me, but needed a month’s notice before the divorce. She requested that in that one month we both struggle to live as normal a life as possible. Her reasons were simple: our son had his exams in a month’s time and she didn’t want to disrupt him with our broken marriage.

This was agreeable to me. But she had something more, she asked me to recall how I had carried her into out bridal room on our wedding day. She requested that every day for the month’s duration I carry her out of our bedroom to the front door ever morning. I thought she was going crazy. Just to make our last days together bearable I accepted her odd request.

I told Jane about my wife’s divorce conditions. . She laughed loudly and thought it was absurd. No matter what tricks she applies, she has to face the divorce, she said scornfully.

My wife and I hadn’t had any body contact since my divorce intention was explicitly expressed. So when I carried her out on the first day, we both appeared clumsy. Our son clapped behind us, daddy is holding mommy in his arms. His words brought me a sense of pain. From the bedroom to the sitting room, then to the door, I walked over ten meters with her in my arms. She closed her eyes and said softly; don’t tell our son about the divorce. I nodded, feeling somewhat upset. I put her down outside the door. She went to wait for the bus to work. I drove alone to the office.

On the second day, both of us acted much more easily. She leaned on my chest. I could smell the fragrance of her blouse. I realized that I hadn’t looked at this woman carefully for a long time. I realized she was not young any more. There were fine wrinkles on her face, her hair was graying! Our marriage had taken its toll on her. For a minute I wondered what I had done to her.

On the fourth day, when I lifted her up, I felt a sense of intimacy returning. This was the woman who had given ten years of her life to me. On the fifth and sixth day, I realized that our sense of intimacy was growing again. I didn’t tell Jane about this. It became easier to carry her as the month slipped by. Perhaps the everyday workout made me stronger.

She was choosing what to wear one morning. She tried on quite a few dresses but could not find a suitable one. Then she sighed, all my dresses have grown bigger. I suddenly realized that she had grown so thin, that was the reason why I could carry her more easily.

Suddenly it hit me… she had buried so much pain and bitterness in her heart. Subconsciously I reached out and touched her head.

Our son came in at the moment and said, Dad, it’s time to carry mom out. To him, seeing his father carrying his mother out had become an essential part of his life. My wife gestured to our son to come closer and hugged him tightly. I turned my face away because I was afraid I might change my mind at this last minute. I then held her in my arms, walking from the bedroom, through the sitting room, to the hallway. Her hand surrounded my neck softly and naturally. I held her body tightly; it was just like our wedding day.

But her much lighter weight made me sad. On the last day, when I held her in my arms I could hardly move a step. Our son had gone to school. I held her tightly and said, I hadn’t noticed that our life lacked intimacy. I drove to office…. jumped out of the car swiftly without locking the door. I was afraid any delay would make me change my mind…I walked upstairs. Jane opened the door and I said to her, Sorry, Jane, I do not want the divorce anymore.

She looked at me, astonished, and then touched my forehead. Do you have a fever? She said. I moved her hand off my head. Sorry, Jane, I said, I won’t divorce. My marriage life was boring probably because she and I didn’t value the details of our lives, not because we didn’t love each other anymore. Now I realize that since I carried her into my home on our wedding day I am supposed to hold her until death do us apart. Jane seemed to suddenly wake up. She gave me a loud slap and then slammed the door and burst into tears. I walked downstairs and drove away. At the floral shop on the way, I ordered a bouquet of flowers for my wife. The salesgirl asked me what to write on the card. I smiled and wrote, I’ll carry you out every morning until death do us apart.

That evening I arrived home, flowers in my hands, a smile on my face, I run up stairs, only to find my wife in the bed -dead. My wife had been fighting CANCER for months and I was so busy with Jane to even notice. She knew that she would die soon and she wanted to save me from the whatever negative reaction from our son, in case we push through with the divorce.— At least, in the eyes of our son—- I’m a loving husband….

The small details of your lives are what really matter in a relationship. It is not the mansion, the car, property, the money in the bank. These create an environment conducive for happiness but cannot give happiness in themselves.

So find time to be your spouse’s friend and do those little things for each other that build intimacy. Do have a real happy marriage!

If you don’t share this, nothing will happen to you.

If you do, you just might save a marriage. Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up

By: Ennaid Seyer

where there is a will, there is a way…

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 23:32:24 +0800

where there is a will, there is a way…

Date a Woman Who Challenges You

Fri, 06 Jan 2012 07:04:02 +0800

You’ll recognize her easily. She’s the one with a sharp mind of her own and tendency to speak what’s on it. She’s the one who has brought a classic novel with her to read in the doctor’s office waiting room so she isn’t stuck with People magazine. Her clothes are sensible most of the time and her style isn’t always based on fads. You’ll find her at a retail store thanking the staff because she knows what a difficult and thankless job they likely have, or at the DMV with her paperwork already filled out because she hates waiting almost as much as she hates people that expect everything to be done for them.

Date her because she’s great to chat with. She’ll talk circles around you on the topics she’s knowledgeable about, she’ll ask good questions learning about the topics she isn’t. Pursue a relationship with her because her opinion will mean something to you. You’ll bitch about your job in the evening and you’ll have a plan of attack by morning. She’ll call you out when you’ve done something stupid. She’ll side against you if she thinks you are wrong. You’ll be taken aback, but she’ll force you to rethink, reevaluate and see things from another point of view.

Go out to dinner with a woman who can make a reasoned argument. Disagree with her and learn something. Enjoy sharing a meal with a woman who is as pleased to be proven right as to be proven wrong, because she has either taught or learned.

She’ll have her unreasonable moments, as do we all. She will probably even acknowledge she’s unreasonable, maybe even in the middle of being so. Whether she apologizes or not, you’ll know she’s better than that. You’ll find you have no need to hear “sorry” because you’ll appreciate everything you know of her more knowing the emotional turbulence she handles, daily.

Date a woman who challenges you and you’ll grow as a person. You’ll respect yourself more when you’re around her. You’ll be annoyed a surprising amount of the time, sure, but that will pale by comparison with the time you spend wondering what she sees in you (though you know she has reasons that are well thought out and unwavering).

Spend all the time you can with her so that when you grow apart you’ll know you spent your time wisely.

If that doesn’t happen, marry her if she’ll have you. Spend the rest of your life being simultaneously infuriated and awed by a woman who will hold you down and lift you up in the most important ways.

Perfect Guys Don’t Exist

Mon, 02 Jan 2012 00:10:51 +0800

“He’s not perfect. You aren’t either, and the two of you will never be perfect. But if he can make you laugh at least once, causes you to think twice, and if he admits to being human and making mistakes, hold onto him and give him the most you can. He isn’t going to quote poetry, he’s not thinking about you every moment, but he will give you a part of him that he knows you could break. Don’t hurt him, don’t change him, and don’t expect for more than he can give. Don’t analyze. Smile when he makes you happy, yell when he makes you mad, and miss him when he’s not there. Love hard when there is love to be had. Because perfect guys don’t exist, but there’s always one guy that is perfect for you.”
― Bob Marley ―

except for no. 10…. but I still feel better.. :D

Wed, 28 Dec 2011 07:06:00 +0800

except for no. 10…. but I still feel better.. :D

I’m speechless after I’ve watched this video.. how...

Fri, 23 Dec 2011 11:02:00 +0800

I’m speechless after I’ve watched this video.. how come some1 can be so cruel to his own mother..

Charlie Chaplin's Final Speech in The Great Dictator

Sun, 11 Dec 2011 01:29:31 +0800

Hope… I’m sorry but I don’t want to be an Emperor – that’s not my business – I don’t want to rule or conquer anyone. I should like to help everyone if possible, Jew, gentile, black man, white. We all want to help one another, human beings are like that.

We all want to live by each other’s happiness, not by each other’s misery. We don’t want to hate and despise one another. In this world there is room for everyone and the earth is rich and can provide for everyone.

The way of life can be free and beautiful.

But we have lost the way.

Greed has poisoned men’s souls – has barricaded the world with hate; has goose-stepped us into misery and bloodshed.

We have developed speed but we have shut ourselves in: machinery that gives abundance has left us in want. Our knowledge has made us cynical, our cleverness hard and unkind. We think too much and feel too little: More than machinery we need humanity; More than cleverness we need kindness and gentleness. Without these qualities, life will be violent and all will be lost.

The aeroplane and the radio have brought us closer together. The very nature of these inventions cries out for the goodness in men, cries out for universal brotherhood for the unity of us all. Even now my voice is reaching millions throughout the world, millions of despairing men, women and little children, victims of a system that makes men torture and imprison innocent people. To those who can hear me I say “Do not despair”.

The misery that is now upon us is but the passing of greed, the bitterness of men who fear the way of human progress: the hate of men will pass and dictators die and the power they took from the people, will return to the people and so long as men die [now] liberty will never perish…

Soldiers – don’t give yourselves to brutes, men who despise you and enslave you – who regiment your lives, tell you what to do, what to think and what to feel, who drill you, diet you, treat you as cattle, as cannon fodder.

Don’t give yourselves to these unnatural men, machine men, with machine minds and machine hearts. You are not machines. You are not cattle. You are men. You have the love of humanity in your hearts. You don’t hate – only the unloved hate. Only the unloved and the unnatural. Soldiers – don’t fight for slavery, fight for liberty.

In the seventeenth chapter of Saint Luke it is written ” the kingdom of God is within man ” – not one man, nor a group of men – but in all men – in you, the people.

You the people have the power, the power to create machines, the power to create happiness. You the people have the power to make life free and beautiful, to make this life a wonderful adventure. Then in the name of democracy let’s use that power – let us all unite. Let us fight for a new world, a decent world that will give men a chance to work, that will give you the future and old age and security. By the promise of these things, brutes have risen to power, but they lie. They do not fulfil their promise, they never will. Dictators free themselves but they enslave the people. Now let us fight to fulfil that promise. Let us fight to free the world, to do away with national barriers, do away with greed, with hate and intolerance. Let us fight for a world of reason, a world where science and progress will lead to all men’s happiness.

Soldiers – in the name of democracy, let us all unite!”

51 FACTS ABOUT GUYS...

Wed, 02 Nov 2011 17:37:47 +0800

1. Guys hate sluts.

2. “Hey, are you busy?” or “Are you doing something?” ~ two phrases guys open with to stop from stammering on the phone.

3. Guys may be flirting around all day but before they go to sleep, they always think about the girl they truly care about.

4. Before they call, guys try to plan out a little about what they’re gonna say so there aren’t awkward pauses, but once he’s on the phone he forgets it all and makes it up as he goes.

5. Guys go crazy over a girl’s smile.

6. Guys will do anything just to get you to notice him.

7. Guys hate it when you talk about your ex-boyfriend or ex love-interest. Unless they’re goin for the let-her-complain-to-you-and-th en-have-her-realize-
how-wonderful-and-nice-you-are method.

8. A guy who likes you wants to be the only guy you talk to.

9. Boyfriends need to be reassured often that they’re still loved.

10. Don’t talk about your guy friends to your boyfriend.

11. Guys get jealous easily.

12. Guys are more emotional than they’d like people to think.

13. Giving a guy a hanging message like “You know what?!..uh…nevermind..” would make him jump to a conclusion that is far from what you are thinking. And he’ll assume he did something wrong and he’ll obsess about it trying to figure it out.

14. Guys are good flatterers when courting but they usually stammer when they talk to a girl they really like.

15. Guys hate asking parents for money to buy girls presents. So they come up with ideas like saving their lunch money for a week. But it never works because guys are always hungry so they end up asking the parents for money anyway.

16. Girls are guys’ weaknesses.

17. Guys are very open about themselves.

18. It’s good to test a guy first before you trust him. But don’t let him wait too long.

19. Your best friend, whom your boyfriend seeks help from about his problems with you may end up being admired by your boyfriend.

20. If a guy tells you about his problems, he just needs someone to listen to him. You don’t need to give advice.

21. A usual act that proves that the guy likes you is when he teases you.

22. Guys love you more than you love them if they are serious in your relationships.

23. Guys will brag about anything.

24. Guys use words like hot or cute to describe girls. We rarely use beautiful. If a guy uses that, he likes you.

25. Guys think WAY too much. One small thing a girl does, even if she doesn’t notice it can make the guy think about it for hours, trying to figure out what it meant.

26. Guys seek for advice from girls not other guys. Because most guys think alike, so if one guy’s confused, then we’re all confused.

27. Any guy could write out a rulebook or advice book for flirting, but no guy can write out a book about relationships.

28. Try to be as straightforward as possible.

29. A guy has to experience rejection, because if he’s too-good-never-been-busted, never been in love and hurt, he won’t be mature and grown up.

30. If the guy does something stupid in front of the girl, he will think about it for the next couple days or until the next time he spends time with the girl.

31. No matter how much guys talk about asses and boobs, personality is key.

32. Guys learn from experience not from the romance books that girls read and take as their basis of experience.

33. Guys worry about the thin line between being compassionate and being whipped.

34. If a guy looks unusually calm and laid back, he’s probably faking it and is spazzing inside.

35. When a guy says he is going crazy about the girl, he really is. Guys rarely say that.

36. When a guy asks you to leave him alone, he’s just actually saying, “Please come and listen to me.”

37. Guys don’t really have final decisions.

38. If a guy starts to talk seriously, listen to him. It doesn’t happen that often, so when it does, you know something’s up.

39. If your best guy friend seems to avoid you or is never around when you’re with your boyfriend, he’s probably jealous and likes you.

40. When a guy looks at you for longer than a second, he’s definitely thinking something.

41. Guys like femininity not feebleness.

42. Guys don’t like girls who punch harder than they do.

43. A guy has more problems than you can see with your naked eyes.

44. Don’t be a snob. Guys can be intimidated and give up easily.

45. Everything in moderation. Put on makeup, wear perfume. Just not too much.

46. Guys talk about girls more than girls talk about guys.

47. Guys hate rejection, but they hate being led on even more.

48. Guys really think that girls are strange and have unpredictable decisions and are MAD confusing but somehow are drawn even more to them.

49. A guy would give his left nut to be able to read a girl’s mind for a day.

50. No guy can handle all his problems by his own. He’s just too stubborn to admit it

51. Not all guys are assholes. Just because ONE is a jackass doesnt mean he represents ALL of us.

One Of The Best Arguments.!! I have ever read

Tue, 01 Nov 2011 16:43:52 +0800

An atheist professor of philosophy speaks to his class on the problem science has with God, The Almighty.
He asks one of his new students to stand and…..

Prof: So you believe in God?

Student: Absolutely, sir.

Prof: Is God good?

Student: Sure.

Prof: Is God all-powerful?

Student: Yes..

Prof: My brother died of cancer even though he prayed to God to heal him. Most of us would attempt to help others who are ill. But God didn’t. How is this God good then? Hmm?
(Student is silent.)

Prof: You can’t answer, can you? Let’s start again, young fella. Is God good?

Student: Yes.

Prof: Is Satan good?

Student: No.

Prof: Where does Satan come from?

Student: From….God…

Prof: That’s right. Tell me son, is there evil in this world?

Student: Yes.

Prof: Evil is everywhere, isn’t it? And God did make everything. Correct?

Student: Yes.

Prof: So who created evil?
(Student does not answer.)

Prof: Is there sickness? Immorality? Hatred? Ugliness? All these terrible things exist in the world, don’t they?

Student: Yes, sir.

Prof: So, who created them?
(Student has no answer.)

Prof: Science says you have 5 senses you use to identify and observe the world around you. Tell me, son…Have you ever seen God?

Student: No, sir.

Prof: Tell us if you have ever heard your God?

Student: No, sir.

Prof: Have you ever felt your God, tasted your God, smelt your God? Have you ever had any sensory perception of God for that matter?

Student: No, sir. I’m afraid I haven’t.

Prof: Yet you still believe in Him?

Student: Yes.

Prof: According to empirical, testable, demonstrable protocol, science says your GOD doesn’t exist.
What do you say to that, son?

Student: Nothing. I only have my faith.

Prof: Yes. Faith. And that is the problem science has.

Student: Professor, is there such a thing as heat?

Prof: Yes.

Student: And is there such a thing as cold?

Prof: Yes.

Student: No sir. There isn’t.
(The lecture the after becomes very quiet with this turn of events.)

Student: Sir, you can have lots of heat, even more heat, superheat, mega heat, white heat, a little heat or no heat..
But we don’t have anything called cold. We can hit 458 degrees below zero which is no heat, but we can’t go any further after that. There is no such thing as cold. Cold is only a word we use to describe the absence of heat. We cannot measure cold. Heat is energy Cold is not the opposite of heat, sir, just the absence of it .
(There is pin-drop silence in the lecture theatre.)

Student: What about darkness, Professor? Is there such a thing as darkness?

Prof: Yes. What is night if there isn’t darkness?

Student : You’re wrong again, sir. Darkness is the absence of something. You can have low light, normal light, bright
light, flashing light…..But if you have no light constantly, you have nothing and it’s called darkness, isn’t it? In reality, darkness isn’t. If it were you would be able to make darkness darker, wouldn’t you?

Prof: So what is the point you are making, young man?

Student: Sir, my point is your philosophical premise is flawed.

Prof: Flawed? Can you explain how?

Student: Sir, you are working on the premise of duality. You argue there is life and then there is death, a good God and a bad God. You are viewing the concept of God as something finite, something we can measure. Sir, science can’t even explain a thought.. It uses electricity and magnetism, but has never seen, much less fully understood either one.To view death as the opposite of life is to be ignorant of the fact that death cannot exist as a substantive thing. Death is
not the opposite of life: just the absence of it.
Now tell me, Professor.Do you teach your students that they evolved from a monkey?

Prof: If you are referring to the natural evolutionary process, yes, of course, I do.

Student: Have you ever observed evolution with your own eyes, sir?
(The Professor shakes his head with a smile, beginning to realize where the argument is going.)

Student: Since no one has ever observed the process of evolution at work and cannot even prove that this process is an on-going endeavor, are you not teaching your opinion, sir? Are you not a scientist but a preacher? (The class is in uproar.)

Student: Is there anyone in the class who has ever seen the Professor’s brain?
(The class breaks out into laughter.)

Student : Is there anyone here who has ever heard the Professor’s brain, felt it, touched or smelt it? No one appears to have done so. So, according to the established rules of empirical, stable, demonstrable protocol, science says that you have no brain,sir. With all due respect, sir, how do we then trust your lectures, sir?
(The room is silent. The professor stares at the student, his face unfathomable.)

Prof: I guess you’ll have to take them on faith, son.

Student: That is it sir… The link between man & god is FAITH . That is all that keeps things moving & alive.

I believe you have enjoyed the conversation…and if so…you’ll probably want your friends/colleagues to enjoy the same…won’t you?….this is a true story, and the

student was none other than …….
APJ Abdul Kalam, the former President of India

Golf Balls

Tue, 25 Oct 2011 04:47:54 +0800

When things in your life seem, almost too much to handle,
When 24 Hours in a day is not enough,
Remember the mayonnaise jar and 2 cups of coffee.

A professor stood before his philosophy class
and had some items in front of him.
When the class began, wordlessly,
He picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar
And proceeded to fill it with golf balls.

He then asked the students, if the jar was full.
They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured
them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly.
The pebbles rolled into the open Areas between the golf balls.

He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar.
Of course, the sand filled up everything else.
He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous ‘yes.’

The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively
filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.

‘Now,’ said the professor, as the laughter subsided,
‘I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life.
The golf balls are the important things - family,
children, health, Friends, and Favorite passions –
Things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, Your life would still be full.

The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, house, and car.

The sand is everything else —The small stuff.

‘If you put the sand into the jar first,’ He continued,
there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls.
The same goes for life.

If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff,
You will never have room for the things that are important to you.

So…

Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness.
Play With your children.
Take time to get medical checkups.
Take your partner out to dinner.

There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal.

‘Take care of the golf balls first —
The things that really matter.
Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented.

The professor smiled
‘I’m glad you asked’.

It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem,
There’s always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend.’

I'm Sorry...

Thu, 29 Sep 2011 09:22:52 +0800

Pencil: I’m sorry
Eraser: For what? You didn’t do anything wrong.
Pencil: I’m sorry cos you get hurt bcos of me. Whenever I made a mistake, you’re always there to erase it. But as you make my mistakes vanish, you lose a part of yourself. You get smaller and smaller each time.
Eraser: That’s true. But I don’t really mind. You see, I was made to do this. I was made to help you whenever you do something wrong. Even though one day, I know I’ll be gone and you’ll replace me with a new one, I’m actually happy with my job. So please, stop worrying. I hate seeing you sad. :)

I found this conversation between the pencil and the eraser very inspirational. Parents are like the eraser whereas their children are the pencil. They’re always there for their children, cleaning up their mistakes. Sometimes along the way… they get hurt, and become smaller (older, and eventually pass on).

Though their children will eventually find someone new (spouse), but parents are still happy with what they do for their children, and will always hate seeing their precious ones worrying, or sad.

“All my life, I’ve been the pencil.. And it pains me to see the eraser that is my parents getting smaller and smaller each day.

For I know that one day, all that I’m left with would be eraser shavings and memories of what I used to have…”

This is to all the parents out there…By: Lenny Koy

my first thought when i saw the man..

Thu, 22 Sep 2011 18:56:01 +0800

i saw the pair of eye, looks gloomy, watery and sad…

it speaks a thousand words…

i’m sure he’ll feel alone without her.

he has started to miss her…

Kesatlah Air Matamu Wanita..

Fri, 19 Aug 2011 23:58:06 +0800

“Apabila hati terikat dengan Allah, kembalilah wanita dengan asal fitrah kejadiannya, menyejukkan hati dan menjadi perhiasan kepada dunia - si gadis dengan sifat sopan dan malu, anak yang taat kepada ibu bapa, isteri yang menyerahkan kasih sayang, kesetiaan dan ketaatan hanya pada suami.” Bait-bait kata itu aku tatapi dalam-dalam. Penuh penghayatan. Kata-kata yang dinukilkan dalam sebuah majalah yang ku baca. Alangkah indahnya jika aku bisa menjadi perhiasan dunia seperti yang dikatakan itu. Ku bulatkan tekad di hatiku. Aku ingin menjadi seorang gadis yang sopan, anak yang taat kepada ibu bapaku dan aku jua ingin menjadi seorang isteri yang menyerahkan kasih sayang, kesetiaan dan ketaatan hanya untuk suami, kerana Allah. Menjadi seorang isteri….kepada insan yang disayangi…..idaman setiap wanita. Alhamdulillah, kesyukuran aku panjatkan ke hadrat Ilahi atas nikmat yang dikurniakan kepadaku. Baru petang tadi, aku sah menjadi seorang isteri setelah mengikat tali pertunangan 6 bulan yang lalu. Suamiku, Muhammad Harris, alhamdulillah menepati ciri-ciri seorang muslim yang baik. Aku berazam untuk menjadi isteri yang sebaik mungkin kepadanya. “Assalamualaikum,” satu suara menyapa pendengaranku membuatkan aku gugup seketika. “Waalaikumusalam,” jawabku sepatah. Serentak dengan itu, ku lontarkan satu senyuman paling ikhlas dan paling manis untuk suamiku. Dengan perlahan dia melangkah menghampiriku. “Ain buat apa dalam bilik ni? Puas abang cari Ain dekat luar tadi. Rupanya kat sini buah hati abang ni bersembunyi.” Aku tersenyum mendengar bicaranya. Terasa panas pipiku ini. Inilah kali pertama aku mendengar ucapan ‘abang’ dari bibirnya. Dan itulah juga pertama kali dia membahasakan diriku ini sebagai ‘buah hati’ nya. Aku sungguh senang mendengar ucapan itu. Perlahan-lahan ku dongakkan wajahku dan aku memberanikan diri menatap pandangan matanya. Betapa murninya sinaran cinta yang terpancar dari matanya, betapa indahnya senyumannya, dan betapa bermaknanya renungannya itu. Aku tenggelam dalam renungannya, seolah-olah hanya kami berdua di dunia ini. Seketika aku tersedar kembali ke alam nyata. “Ain baru je masuk. Nak mandi. Lagipun dah masuk Maghrib kan?” ujarku. “Ha’ah dah maghrib. Ain mandi dulu. Nanti abang mandi dan kita solat Maghrib sama-sama ye?” Dia tersenyum lagi. Senyum yang menggugah hati kewanitaanku. Alangkah beruntungnya aku memilikimu, suamiku. Selesai solat Maghrib dan berdoa, dia berpusing mengadapku. Dengan penuh kasih, ku salami dan ku cium tangannya, lama. Aku ingin dia tahu betapa dalam kasih ini hanya untuknya. Dan aku dapat merasai tangannya yang gagah itu mengusap kepalaku dengan lembut. Dengan perlahan aku menatap wajahnya. “Abang…..” aku terdiam seketika. Terasa segan menyebut kalimah itu di hadapannya. Tangan kami masih lagi saling berpautan. Seakan tidak mahu dilepaskan. Erat terasa genggamannya. “Ya sayang…” Ahhh….bicaranya biarpun satu kalimah, amat menyentuh perasaanku. “Abang… terima kasih atas kesudian abang memilih Ain sebagai isteri biarpun banyak kelemahan Ain. Ain insan yang lemah, masih perlu banyak tunjuk ajar dari abang. Ain harap abang sudi pandu Ain. Sama-sama kita melangkah hidup baru, menuju keredhaan Allah.” Tutur bicaraku ku susun satu persatu. “Ain, sepatutnya abang yang harus berterima kasih kerana Ain sudi terima abang dalam hidup Ain. Abang sayangkan Ain. Abang juga makhluk yang lemah, banyak kekurangan. Abang harap Ain boleh terima abang seadanya. Kita sama-sama lalui hidup baru demi redhaNya.” “Insya Allah abang….Ain sayangkan abang.” “Abang juga sayangkan Ain. Sayang sepenuh hati abang.” Dengan telekung yang masih tersarung, aku tenggelam dalam pelukan suamiku. Hari-hari yang mendatang aku lalui dengan penuh kesyukuran. Suamiku, ternyata seorang yang cukup penyayang dan penyabar. Sebagai wanita aku tidak dapat lari daripada rajuk dan tangis. Setiap kali aku merajuk apabila dia pulang lewat, dia dengan penuh mesra memujukku, membelaiku. Membuatku rasa bersalah. Tak wajar ku sambut kepulangannya dengan wajah yang mencuka dan dengan tangisan. Bukankah aku ingin menjadi perhiasan yang menyejukkan hati suami? Sedangkan Khadijah dulu juga selalu ditinggalkan Rasulullah .. Lalu, ku cium tangannya, ku pohon ampun dan maaf. Ku hadiahkan senyuman untuknya. Katanya senyumku bila aku lepas menangis, cantik! Ahhh….dia pandai mengambil hatiku. Aku semakin sayang padanya. Nampaknya hatiku masih belum sepenuhnya terikat dengan Allah. Lantaran itulah aku masih belum mampu menyerahkan seluruh kasih sayang, kesetiaan dan ketaatan hanya untuk suami. “Isteri yang paling baik ialah apabila kamu memandangnya, kamu merasa senang, apabila kamu menyuruh, dia taat dan apabila kamu berpergian, dia menjaga maruahnya dan hartamu.” Aku teringat akan potongan hadis itu. Aku ingin merebut gelaran isteri solehah. Aku ingin segala yang menyenangkan buat suamiku. Tuturku ku lapis dengan sebaik mungkin agar tidak tercalar hatinya dengan perkataanku. Ku hiaskan wajahku hanya untuk tatapannya semata-mata. Makan minumnya ku jaga dengan sempurna. Biarpun aku jua sibuk lantaran aku juga berkerjaya. Pernah sekali, aku mengalirkan air mata lantaran aku terlalu penat menguruskan rumah tangga apabila kembali dari kerja. Segalanya perlu aku uruskan. Aku terasa seperti dia tidak memahami kepenatanku sedangkan kami sama-sama memerah keringat mencari rezeki. Namun, aku teringat akan kisah Siti Fatimah, puteri Rasulullah yang menangis kerana terlalu penat menguruskan rumah tangga. Aku teringat akan besarnya pahala seorang isteri yang menyiapkan segala keperluan suaminya. Hatiku menjadi sejuk sendiri. Ya Allah, aku lakukan segala ini ikhlas keranaMu. Aku ingin mengejar redha suamiku demi untuk mengejar redhaMu. Berilah aku kekuatan, Ya Allah. “Ain baik, cantik. Abang sayang Ain.” Ungkapan itu tidak lekang dari bibirnya. Membuatkan aku terasa benar-benar dihargai. Tidak sia-sia pengorbananku selama ini. Betapa bahagianya menjadi isteri yang solehah. Kehidupan yang ku lalui benar-benar bermakna, apatah lagi dengan kehadiran 2 orang putera dan seorang puteri. Kehadiran mereka melengkapkan kebahagiaanku. Kami gembira dan bersyukur kepada Allah atas nikmat yang dikurniakan kepada kami. Namun, pada suatu hari, aku telah dikejutkan dengan permintaannya yang tidak terduga. “Ain…..abang ada sesuatu nak cakap dengan Ain.” “Apa dia abang?” tanyaku kembali. Aku menatap wajahnya dengan penuh kasih. “Ain isteri yang baik. Abang cukup bahagia dengan Ain. Abang bertuah punya Ain sebagai isteri,” bicaranya terhenti setakat itu. Aku tersenyum. Namun benakku dihinggap persoalan. Takkan hanya itu? “Abang ada masalah ke?” Aku cuba meneka. “Tidak Ain. Sebenarnya……,” bicaranya terhenti lagi. Menambah kehairanan dan mencambahkan kerisauan di hatiku. Entah apa yang ingin diucapkannya. “Ain……abang…..abang nak minta izin Ain……untuk berkahwin lagi,” ujarnya perlahan namun sudah cukup untuk membuat aku tersentak. Seketika aku kehilangan kata. “A…..Abang…..nak kahwin lagi?” aku seakan tidak percaya mendengar permintaannya itu. Ku sangka dia telah cukup bahagia dengannku. Aku sangka aku telah memberikan seluruh kegembiraan padanya. Aku sangka hatinya telah dipenuhi dengan limpahan kasih sayangku seorang. Rupanya aku silap. Kasihku masih kurang. Hatinya masih punya ruang untuk insan selain aku. Tanpa bicara, dia mengangguk. “Dengan siapa abang?” Aku bertanya. Aku tidak tahu dari mana datang kekuatan untuk tidak mengalirkan air mata. Tapi….hatiku… hanya Allah yang tahu betapa azab dan pedih hati ini. “Faizah. Ain kenal dia, kan?” Ya, aku kenal dengan insan yang bernama Faizah itu. Juniorku di universiti. Rakan satu jemaah. Suamiku aktif dalam jemaah dan aku tahu Faizah juga aktif berjemaah. Orangnya aku kenali baik budi pekerti, sopan tingkah laku, indah tutur kata dan ayu paras rupa. Tidakku sangka, dalam diam suamiku menaruh hati pada Faizah. “A….Abang……Apa salah Ain abang?” nada suaraku mula bergetar. Aku cuba menahan air mataku daripada gugur. Aku menatap wajah Abang Harris sedalam-dalamnya. Aku cuba mencari masih adakah cintanya untukku. “Ain tak salah apa-apa sayang. Ain baik. Cukup baik. Abang sayang pada Ain.” “Tapi….Faizah. Abang juga sayang pada Faizah….bermakna…..sayang abang tidak sepenuh hati untuk Ain lagi.” “Ain…..sayang abang pada Ain tidak berubah. Ain cinta pertama abang. Abang rasa ini jalan terbaik. Tugasan dalam jemaah memerlukan abang banyak berurusan dengan Faizah….Abang tak mahu wujud fitnah antara kami.” “Lagipun….abang lelaki Ain. Abang berhak untuk berkahwin lebih dari satu.” Bicara itu kurasakan amat tajam, mencalar hatiku. Merobek jiwa ragaku. Aku mengasihinya sepenuh hatiku. Ketaatanku padanya tidak pernah luntur. Kasih sayangku padanya tidak pernah pudar. Aku telah cuba memberikan layanan yang terbaik untuknya. Tapi inikah hadiahnya untukku? Sesungguhnya aku tidak menolak hukum Tuhan. Aku tahu dia berhak. Namun, alangkah pedihnya hatiku ini mendengar ucapan itu terbit dari bibirnya. Bibir insan yang amat ku kasihi. Malam itu, tidurku berendam air mata. Dalam kesayuan, aku memandang wajah Abang Harris penuh kasih. Nyenyak sekali tidurnya. Sesekali terdetik dalam hatiku, bagaimana dia mampu melelapkan mata semudah itu setelah hatiku ini digurisnya dengan sembilu. Tidak fahamkah dia derita hati ini? Tak cukupkah selama ini pengorbananku untuknya? Alangkah peritnya menahan kepedihan ini. Alangkah pedihnya! Selama seminggu, aku menjadi pendiam apabila bersama dengannya. Bukan aku sengaja tetapi aku tidak mampu membohongi hatiku sendiri. Tugasku sebagai seorang isteri aku laksanakan sebaik mungkin, tapi aku merasakan segalanya tawar. Aku melaksanakannya tidak sepenuh hati. Oh Tuhan…..ampuni daku. Aku sayang suamiku, tapi aku terluka dengan permintaannya itu. Apabila bertembung dua kehendak, kehendak mana yang harus dituruti. Kehendak diri sendiri atau kehendak Dia ? Pastinya kehendak Dia. Apa lagi yang aku ragukan? Pasti ada hikmah Allah yang tersembunyi di sebalik ujian yang Dia turunkan buatku ini. Aku berasa amat serba-salah berada dalam keadaan demikian. Aku rindukan suasana yang dulu. Riang bergurau senda dengan suamiku. Kini, aku hanya terhibur dengan keletah anak-anak. Senyumku untuk Abang Harris telah tawar, tidak berperisa. Yang nyata, aku tidak mampu bertentang mata dengannya lagi. Aku benar-benar terluka. Namun, Abang Harris masih seperti dulu. Tidak jemu dia memelukku setelah pulang dari kerja walau sambutan hambar. Tidak jemu dia mencuri pandang merenung wajahku walau aku selalu melarikan pandangan dari anak matanya. Tidak jemu ucapan kasihnya untukku. Aku keliru. Benar-benar keliru. Adakah Abang Harris benar-benar tidak berubah sayangnya padaku atau dia hanya sekadar ingin mengambil hatiku untuk membolehkan dia berkahwin lagi? “Oh Tuhan…berilah aku petunjukMu.” Dalam kegelapan malam, aku bangkit sujud menyembahNya, mohon petunjuk dariNya. Aku mengkoreksi kembali matlamat hidupku. Untuk apa segala pengorbananku selama ini untuk suamiku? Untuk mengejar cintanya atau untuk mengejar redha Allah? Ya Allah, seandainya ujian ini Engkau timpakan ke atas ku untuk menguji keimananku, aku rela Ya Allah. Aku rela. Biarlah… Bukan cinta manusia yang ku kejar. Aku hanya mengejar cinta Allah. Cinta manusia hanya pemangkin. Bukankah aku telah berazam, aku inginkan segala yang menyenangkan buat suamiku? Dengan hati yang tercalar seguris luka, aku mengizinkan Abang Harris berkahwin lagi. Dan, demi untuk mendidik hati ini, aku sendiri yang menyampaikan hasrat Abang Harris itu kepada Faizah. Suamiku pada mulanya agak terkejut apabila aku menawarkan diri untuk merisik Faizah. “Ain?……Ain serius?” “Ya abang. Ain sendiri akan cakap pada Faizah. Ain lakukan ini semua atas kerelaan hati Ain sendiri. Abang jangan risau…Ain jujur terhadap abang. Ain tak akan khianati abang. Ain hanya mahu lihat abang bahagia,” ujarku dengan senyuman tawar. Aku masih perlu masa untuk mengubat luka ini. Dan inilah satu caranya. Ibarat menyapu ubat luka. Pedih, tetapi cepat sembuhnya. Aku mengumpul kekuatan untuk menjemput Faizah datang ke rumahku. Waktu itu, suamiku tiada di rumah dan dia telah memberi keizinan untuk menerima kedatangan Faizah. Faizah dengan segala senang hati menerima undanganku. Sememangnya aku bukanlah asing baginya. Malah dia juga mesra dengan anak-anakku. “Izah……akak jemput Izah ke mari sebab ada hal yang akak nak cakapkan,” setelah aku merasakan cukup kuat, aku memulakan bicara. “Apa dia, Kak Ain. Cakaplah,” lembut nada suaranya. “Abang Harris ada pernah cakap apa-apa pada Faizah?” “Maksud Kak Ain, Ustaz Harris?” Ada nada kehairanan pada suaranya. Sememangnya kami memanggil rakan satu jemaah dengan panggilan Ustaz dan Uztazah. Aku hanya mengangguk. “Pernah dia cakap dia sukakan Izah?” “Sukakan Izah? Isyyy….tak mungkinlah Kak Ain. Izah kenal Ustaz Harris. Dia kan amat sayangkan akak. Takkanlah dia nak sukakan saya pula. Kenapa Kak Ain tanya macam tu? Kak Ain ada dengar cerita dari orang ke ni?” “Tidak Izah. Tiada siapa yang membawa cerita…….” Aku terdiam seketika. “Izah, kalau Kak Ain cakap dia sukakan Izah dan nak ambil Izah jadi isterinya, Izah suka?” Dengan amat berat hati, aku tuturkan kalimah itu. “Kak Ain!” jelas riak kejutan terpapar di wajahnya. “Apa yang Kak Ain cakap ni? Jangan bergurau hal sebegini Kak Ain,” kata Faizah seakan tidak percaya. Mungkin kerana aku sendiri yang menutur ayat itu. Isteri kepada Muhammad Harris sendiri merisik calon isteri kedua suaminya. “Tidak Izah. Akak tak bergurau……Izah sudi jadi saudara Kak Ain?” ujarku lagi. Air mataku seolah ingin mengalir tapi tetap aku tahan. Faizah memandang tepat ke wajahku. “Kak Ain. Soal ini bukan kecil Kak Ain. Kak Ain pastikah yang……Ustaz Harris…..mahu… melamar saya?” Dari nada suaranya, aku tahu Faizah jelas tidak tahu apa-apa. Faizah gadis yang baik. Aku yakin dia tidak pernah menduga suamiku akan membuat permintaan seperti ini. Lantas, aku menceritakan kepada Faizah akan hasrat suamiku. Demi untuk memudahkan urusan jemaah, untuk mengelakkan fitnah. Faizah termenung mendengar penjelasanku. “Kak Ain…..saya tidak tahu bagaimana Kak Ain boleh hadapi semuanya ini dengan tabah. Saya kagum dengan semangat Kak Ain. Saya minta maaf kak. Saya tak tahu ini akan berlaku. Saya tak pernah menyangka saya menjadi punca hati Kak Ain terluka,” ujarnya sebak. Matanya ku lihat berkaca-kaca. “Izah…Kak Ain tahu kamu tak salah. Kak Ain juga tak salahkan Abang Harris. Mungkin dia fikir ini jalan terbaik. Dan akak tahu, dia berhak dan mampu untuk melaksanakannya. Mungkin ini ujian untuk menguji keimanan Kak Ain.” “Kak…maafkan Izah.” Dengan deraian air mata, Faizah meraihku ke dalam elukannya. Aku juga tidak mampu menahan sebak lagi. Air mataku terhambur jua. Hati wanita. Biarpun bukan dia yang menerima kepedihan ini, tetapi tersentuh jua hatinya dengan kelukaan yang ku alami. Memang hanya wanita yang memahami hati wanita yang lain. “Jadi…Izah setuju?” Soalku apabila tangisan kami telah reda. “Kak Ain….ini semua kejutan buat Izah. Izah tak tahu nak cakap. Izah tak mahu lukakan hati Kak Ain.” “Soal Kak Ain….Izah jangan risau, hati Kak Ain…Insya Allah tahulah akak mendidiknya. Yang penting akak mahu Abang Harris bahagia. Dan akak sebenarnya gembira kerana Faizah pilihannya. Bukannya gadis lain yang akak tak tahu hati budinya. Insya Allah Izah. Sepanjang Kak Ain mengenali Abang Harris dan sepanjang akak hidup sebumbung dengannya, dia seorang yang baik, seorang suami yang soleh, penyayang dan penyabar. Selama ini akak gembira dengan dia. Dia seorang calon yang baik buat Izah. ' "Akak.....Izah terharu dengan kebaikan hati akak. Tapi bagi Izah masa dan Izah perlu tanya ibu bapa Izah dulu." "Seeloknya begitulah. Kalau Izah setuju, Kak Ain akan cuba cakap pada ibu bapa Izah." Pertemuan kami petang itu berakhir. Aku berasa puas kerana telah menyampaikan hasrat suamiku.Ya Allah…..inilah pengorbananku untuk membahagiakan suamiku. Aku lakukan ini hanya semata-mata demi redhaMu.’ Pada mulanya, keluarga Faizah agak keberatan untuk membenarkan Faizah menjadi isteri kedua Abang Harris. Mereka khuatir Faizah akan terabai dan bimbang jika dikata anak gadis mereka merampas suami orang. Namun, aku yakinkan mereka akan kemampuan suamiku. Alhamdulillah, keluarga Faizah juga adalah keluarga yang menitikberatkan ajaran agama. Akhirnya, majlis pertunangan antara suamiku dan Faizah diadakan jua. “Ain…..abang minta maaf sayang,” ujar suamiku pada suatu hari, beberapa minggu sebelum tarikh pernikahannya dengan Faizah. “Kenapa?” “Abang rasa serba salah. Abang tahu abang telah lukakan hati Ain. Tapi….Ain sedikit pun tidak marahkan abang. Ain terima segalanya demi untuk abang. Abang terharu. Abang….malu dengan Ain.” “Abang….syurga seorang isteri itu terletak di bawah tapak kaki suaminya. Redha abang pada Ain Insya Allah, menjanjikan redha Allah pada Ain. Itu yang Ain cari abang. Ain sayangkan abang. Ain mahu abang gembira. Ain anggap ini semua ujian Allah abang. `’ “Ain….Insya Allah abang tak akan sia-siakan pengorbanan Ain ini. Abang bangga sayang. Abang bangga punya isteri seperti Ain. Ain adalah cinta abang selamanya. Abang cintakan Ain.” “Tapi…abang harus ingat. Tanggungjawab abang akan jadi semakin berat. Abang ada dua amanah yang perlu dijaga. Ain harap abang dapat laksanakan tanggungjawab abang sebaik mungkin.” “Insya Allah abang akan cuba berlaku seadilnya.” Dengan lembut dia mengucup dahiku. Masih hangat seperti dulu. Aku tahu kasihnya padaku tidak pernah luntur. Aku terasa air jernih yang hangat mula membasahi pipiku. Cukuplah aku tahu, dia masih sayangkan aku seperti dulu walaupun masanya bersamaku nanti akan terbatas. Pada hari pertama pernikahan mereka, aku menjadi lemah. Tidak bermaya. Aku tiada daya untuk bergembira. Hari itu sememangnya amat perit bagiku walau aku telah bersedia untuk menghadapinya. Malam pertama mereka disahkan sebagai suami isteri adalah malam pertama aku ditinggalkan sendirian menganyam sepi. Aku sungguh sedih. Maha hebat gelora perasaan yang ku alami. Aku tidak mampu lena walau sepicing pun. Hatiku melayang terkenangkan Abang Harris dan Faizah. Pasti mereka berdua bahagia menjadi pengantin baru. Bahagia melayari kehidupan bersama, sedangkan aku ? Berendam air mata mengubat rasa kesepian ini. Alhamdulillah. Aku punya anak-anak. Merekalah teman bermainku. Seminggu selepas itu, barulah Abang Harris pulang ke rumah. Aku memelukknya seakan tidak mahu ku lepaskan. Seminggu berjauhan, terasa seperti setahun. Alangkah rindunya hati ini. Sekali lagi air mata ku rembeskan tanpa dapat ditahan. “Kenapa sayang abang menangis ni? Tak suka abang balik ke?” ujarnya lembut. “Ain rindu abang. Rindu sangat.” Tangisku makin menjadi-jadi. Aku mengeratkan pelukanku. Dan dia juga membalas dengan penuh kehangatan. “Abang pun rindu Ain. Abang rindu senyuman Ain. Boleh Ain senyum pada abang?” Lembut tangannya memegang daguku dan mengangkat wajahku. “Abang ada teman baru. Mungkinkah abang masih rindu pada Ain?” Aku menduga keikhlasan bicaranya. “Teman baru tidak mungkin sama dengan yang lama. Kan abang dah kata, sayang abang pada Ain masih seperti dulu. Tidak pernah berubah, malah semakin sayang. Seminggu abang berjauhan dari Ain, tentulah abang rindu. Rindu pada senyuman Ain, suara Ain, masakan Ain, sentuhan Ain. Semuanya itu tiada di tempat lain, hanya pada Ain saja. Senyumlah sayang, untuk abang.” Aku mengukir senyum penuh ikhlas. Aku yakin dengan kata-katanya. Aku tahu sayangnya masih utuh buatku. Kini, genap sebulan Faizah menjadi maduku. Aku melayannya seperti adik sendiri. Hubungan kami yang dulunya baik bertambah mesra. Apa tidaknya, kami berkongsi sesuatu yang amat dekat di hati. Dan, Faizah, menyedari dirinya adalah orang baru dalam keluarga, sentiasa berlapang dada menerima teguranku. Katanya, aku lebih mengenali Abang Harris dan dia tidak perlu bersusah payah untuk cuba mengorek sendiri apa yang disukai dan apa yang tidak disukai oleh Abang Harris. Aku, sebagai kakak, juga sentiasa berpesan kepada Faizah supaya sentiasa menghormati dan menjaga hati Abang Harris. Aku bersyukur, Faizah tidak pernah mengongkong suamiku. Giliran kami dihormatinya. Walaupun kini masa untuk aku bersama dengan suamiku terbatas, tetapi aku dapat merasakan kebahagiaan yang semakin bertambah apabila kami bersama. Benarlah, perpisahan sementara menjadikan kami semakin rindu. Waktu bersama, kami manfaatkan sebaiknya. Alhamdulillah, suamiku tidak pernah mengabaikan aku dan Faizah. Aku tidak merasa kurang daripada kasih sayangnya malah aku merasakan sayangnya padaku bertambah. Kepulangannya kini sentiasa bersama sekurang-kurangnya sekuntum mawar merah. Dia menjadi semakin penyayang, semakin romantik. Aku rasa aku harus berterima kasih pada Faizah kerana kata suamiku, Faizahlah yang selalu mengingatkannya supaya jangan mensia-akan kasih sayangku padanya. Memang aku tidak dapat menafikan, adakalanya aku digigit rindu apabila dia pulang untuk bersama-sama dengan Faizah. Rindu itu, aku ubati dengan zikrullah. Aku gunakan kesempatan ketiadaannya di rumah dengan menghabiskan masa bersama Kekasih Yang Agung. Aku habiskan masaku dengan mengalunkan ayat-ayatNya sebanyak mungkin. Sedikit demi sedikit kesedihan yang ku alami mula pudar. Ia diganti dengan rasa ketenangan. Aku tenang beribadat kepadaNya. Terasa diriku ini lebih hampir dengan Maha Pencipta. Soal anak-anak, aku tidak mempunyai masalah kerana sememangnya aku mempunyai pembantu rumah setelah aku melahirkan anak kedua. Cuma, sewaktu mula-mula dulu, mereka kerap juga bertanya kemana abah mereka pergi, tak pulang ke rumah. Aku terangkan secara baik dengan mereka. Mereka punyai ibu baru. Makcik Faizah. Abah perlu temankan Makcik Faizah seperti abah temankan mama. Anak-anakku suka bila mengetahui Faizah juga menjadi ‘ibu’ mereka. Kata mereka, Makcik Izah baik. Mereka suka ada dua ibu. Lebih dari orang lain. Ahhh…anak-anak kecil. Apa yang kita terapkan itulah yang mereka terima. Aku tidak pernah menunjukkan riak kesedihan bila mereka bertanya tentang Faizah. Bagiku Faizah seperti adikku sendiri. Kadang-kadang, bila memikirkan suamiku menyayangi seorang perempuan lain selain aku, memang aku rasa cemburu, rasa terluka. Aku cemburu mengingatkan belaian kasihnya itu dilimpahkan kepada orang lain. Aku terluka kerana di hatinya ada orang lain yang menjadi penghuni. Aisyah, isteri Rasulullah jua cemburukan Khadijah, insan yang telah tiada. Inikan pula aku, manusia biasa. Tapi….. ku kikis segala perasaan itu. Cemburu itukan fitrah wanita, tanda sayangkan suami. Tetapi cemburu itu tidak harus dilayan. Kelak hati sendiri yang merana. Bagiku, kasih dan redha suami padaku itu yang penting, bukan kasihnya pada orang lain. Selagi aku tahu, kasihnya masih utuh buatku, aku sudah cukup bahagia. Dan aku yakin, ketaatan, kesetiaan dan kasih sayang yang tidak berbelah bahagi kepadanya itulah kunci kasihnya kepadaku. Aku ingin nafasku terhenti dalam keadaan redhanya padaku, supaya nanti Allah jua meredhai aku. Kerana sabda Rasulullah s.a.w “Mana-mana wanita (isteri) yang meninggal dunia dalam keadaan suaminya meredhainya, maka ia akan masuk ke dalam syurga.” (Riwayat-Tirmizi, al-Hakim dan Ibnu Majah). Sungguh bukan mudah aku melalui semuanya itu. Saban hari aku berperang dengan perasaan. Perasaan sayang, luka, marah, geram, cemburu semuanya bercampur aduk. Jiwaku sentiasa berperang antara kewarasan akal dan emosi. Pedih hatiku hanya Tuhan yang tahu. KepadaNyalah aku pohon kekuatan untuk menempuhi segala kepedihan itu. KepadaNyalah aku pinta kerahmatan dan kasih sayang, semoga keresahan hati ini kan berkurangan. Namun, jika aku punya pilihan, pastinya aku tidak mahu bermadu. Kerana ia sesungguhnya memeritkan. Perlukan ketabahan dan kesabaran. Walau bagaimanapun, aku amat bersyukur kerana suamiku tidak pernah mengabaikan tanggungjawabnya. Dan aku juga bersyukur kerana menjadi intan terpilih untuk menerima ujian ini.

John Denver - Leaving on a Jet Plane… another fav song..

Thu, 11 Aug 2011 23:26:46 +0800

John Denver - Leaving on a Jet Plane…

another fav song..

Chris Medina - What Are Words I just love this song.....

Thu, 11 Aug 2011 23:24:00 +0800

Chris Medina - What Are Words

I just love this song.. don’t know why..

Dear Guilty Human Being,Thank you for getting in touch, and we commend you for stepping...

Thu, 11 Aug 2011 15:55:08 +0800

Dear Guilty Human Being,

Thank you for getting in touch, and we commend you for stepping forward
bravely and admitting your guilt.

We have been looking for that missing mug for many years now, and we are
glad to have found it.

You may have held the mug for years now, but its purpose could never be
fulfilled, without the ice-cold root beer it was always meant for. We’re
not only letting you keep the mug, but we’re asking you to drop by your
nearest A&W outlet soon and buy a mini-mug for only RM7.90 (it would be
great to add to your collection, this time legitimately). Do so as early
as you can, for you will enjoy FREE refills for the rest of the day.

Enjoy your Root Beer,

The A&W Promos Team

This is BUSINESS..

Wed, 10 Aug 2011 13:09:24 +0800

Dad: I want u 2 marry a girl of my choice.
Son: No
Dad: The girl is Bill Gates’ daughter.
Son: Then OK
Dad goes 2 Bill Gates
Dad: I want Ur daughter 2 marry my son.
Bill Gates: No
Dad: My son is d CEO of the World Bank.
Bill Gates: Then OK
Dad goes 2 the President of the World Bank..
Dad: Appoint my son as the CEO of your bank.
President:No!
Dad: He is the son-in-law of Bill Gates.
President:Then OK!

Star-Crossed

Fri, 29 Jul 2011 18:54:07 +0800

She waits for Him everyday.

Sometimes He’s late but He comes eventually. Still, She waits. She gazes at Him as He takes His meals. You’ll look at Me today, Her eyes plead. He remains oblivious to the adoration directed at Him with laser-beam intensity.

I’m a witness to Her unrequited love for Him. Everyday, I hope He’ll look and see Her. Her love shining for Him. But, I suspect these are Star-Crossed Lovers. Romeo and Juliet had it easy.

“Tompok, look there, the Goldfish is looking at You lah!” I shouted at My cat.

The end.

Romantic SMS

Wed, 27 Jul 2011 08:10:48 +0800

She sent the following message while waiting for her train:

My love
If you are sleeping, send me your dreams
If you are smiling, send me your smile
If you are crying, send me your tears
I love you

He replied:
I’m in the toilet. What do I send?

The Spoon Theory

Mon, 25 Jul 2011 23:47:04 +0800

My best friend and I were in the diner, talking. As usual, it was very late and we were eating French fries with gravy. Like normal girls our age, we spent a lot of time in the diner while in college, and most of the time we spent talking about boys, music or trivial things, that seemed very important at the time. We never got serious about anything in particular and spent most of our time laughing.

As I went to take some of my medicine with a snack as I usually did, she watched me with an awkward kind of stare, instead of continuing the conversation. She then asked me out of the blue what it felt like to have Lupus and be sick. I was shocked not only because she asked the random question, but also because I assumed she knew all there was to know about Lupus. She came to doctors with me, she saw me walk with a cane, and throw up in the bathroom. She had seen me cry in pain, what else was there to know?

I started to ramble on about pills, and aches and pains, but she kept pursuing, and didn’t seem satisfied with my answers. I was a little surprised as being my roommate in college and friend for years; I thought she already knew the medical definition of Lupus. Then she looked at me with a face every sick person knows well, the face of pure curiosity about something no one healthy can truly understand. She asked what it felt like, not physically, but what it felt like to be me, to be sick.

As I tried to gain my composure, I glanced around the table for help or guidance, or at least stall for time to think. I was trying to find the right words. How do I answer a question I never was able to answer for myself? How do I explain every detail of every day being effected, and give the emotions a sick person goes through with clarity. I could have given up, cracked a joke like I usually do, and changed the subject, but I remember thinking if I don’t try to explain this, how could I ever expect her to understand. If I can’t explain this to my best friend, how could I explain my world to anyone else? I had to at least try.

At that moment, the spoon theory was born. I quickly grabbed every spoon on the table; hell I grabbed spoons off of the other tables. I looked at her in the eyes and said “Here you go, you have Lupus”. She looked at me slightly confused, as anyone would when they are being handed a bouquet of spoons. The cold metal spoons clanked in my hands, as I grouped them together and shoved them into her hands.

I explained that the difference in being sick and being healthy is having to make choices or to consciously think about things when the rest of the world doesn’t have to. The healthy have the luxury of a life without choices, a gift most people take for granted.

Most people start the day with unlimited amount of possibilities, and energy to do whatever they desire, especially young people. For the most part, they do not need to worry about the effects of their actions. So for my explanation, I used spoons to convey this point. I wanted something for her to actually hold, for me to then take away, since most people who get sick feel a “loss” of a life they once knew. If I was in control of taking away the spoons, then she would know what it feels like to have someone or something else, in this case Lupus, being in control.

She grabbed the spoons with excitement. She didn’t understand what I was doing, but she is always up for a good time, so I guess she thought I was cracking a joke of some kind like I usually do when talking about touchy topics. Little did she know how serious I would become?

I asked her to count her spoons. She asked why, and I explained that when you are healthy you expect to have a never-ending supply of “spoons”. But when you have to now plan your day, you need to know exactly how many “spoons” you are starting with. It doesn’t guarantee that you might not lose some along the way, but at least it helps to know where you are starting. She counted out 12 spoons. She laughed and said she wanted more. I said no, and I knew right away that this little game would work, when she looked disappointed, and we hadn’t even started yet. I’ve wanted more “spoons” for years and haven’t found a way yet to get more, why should she? I also told her to always be conscious of how many she had, and not to drop them because she can never forget she has Lupus.

I asked her to list off the tasks of her day, including the most simple. As, she rattled off daily chores, or just fun things to do; I explained how each one would cost her a spoon. When she jumped right into getting ready for work as her first task of the morning, I cut her off and took away a spoon. I practically jumped down her throat. I said ” No! You don’t just get up. You have to crack open your eyes, and then realize you are late. You didn’t sleep well the night before. You have to crawl out of bed, and then you have to make your self something to eat before you can do anything else, because if you don’t, you can’t take your medicine, and if you don’t take your medicine you might as well give up all your spoons for today and tomorrow too.” I quickly took away a spoon and she realized she hasn’t even gotten dressed yet. Showering cost her spoon, just for washing her hair and shaving her legs. Reaching high and low that early in the morning could actually cost more than one spoon, but I figured I would give her a break; I didn’t want to scare her right away. Getting dressed was worth another spoon. I stopped her and broke down every task to show her how every little detail needs to be thought about. You cannot simply just throw clothes on when you are sick. I explained that I have to see what clothes I can physically put on, if my hands hurt that day buttons are out of the question. If I have bruises that day, I need to wear long sleeves, and if I have a fever I need a sweater to stay warm and so on. If my hair is falling out I need to spend more time to look presentable, and then you need to factor in another 5 minutes for feeling badly that it took you 2 hours to do all this.

I think she was starting to understand when she theoretically didn’t even get to work, and she was left with 6 spoons. I then explained to her that she needed to choose the rest of her day wisely, since when your “spoons” are gone, they are gone. Sometimes you can borrow against tomorrow’s “spoons”, but just think how hard tomorrow will be with less “spoons”. I also needed to explain that a person who is sick always lives with the looming thought that tomorrow may be the day that a cold comes, or an infection, or any number of things that could be very dangerous. So you do not want to run low on “spoons”, because you never know when you truly will need them. I didn’t want to depress her, but I needed to be realistic, and unfortunately being prepared for the worst is part of a real day for me.

We went through the rest of the day, and she slowly learned that skipping lunch would cost her a spoon, as well as standing on a train, or even typing at her computer too long. She was forced to make choices and think about things differently. Hypothetically, she had to choose not to run errands, so that she could eat dinner that night.

When we got to the end of her pretend day, she said she was hungry. I summarized that she had to eat dinner but she only had one spoon left. If she cooked, she wouldn’t have enough energy to clean the pots. If she went out for dinner, she might be too tired to drive home safely. Then I also explained, that I didn’t even bother to add into this game, that she was so nauseous, that cooking was probably out of the question anyway. So she decided to make soup, it was easy. I then said it is only 7pm, you have the rest of the night but maybe end up with one spoon, so you can do something fun, or clean your apartment, or do chores, but you can’t do it all.

I rarely see her emotional, so when I saw her upset I knew maybe I was getting through to her. I didn’t want my friend to be upset, but at the same time I was happy to think finally maybe someone understood me a little bit. She had tears in her eyes and asked quietly “Christine, How do you do it? Do you really do this everyday?” I explained that some days were worse then others; some days I have more spoons then most. But I can never make it go away and I can’t forget about it, I always have to think about it. I handed her a spoon I had been holding in reserve. I said simply, “I have learned to live life with an extra spoon in my pocket, in reserve. You need to always be prepared”

Its hard, the hardest thing I ever had to learn is to slow down, and not do everything. I fight this to this day. I hate feeling left out, having to choose to stay home, or to not get things done that I want to. I wanted her to feel that frustration. I wanted her to understand, that everything everyone else does comes so easy, but for me it is one hundred little jobs in one. I need to think about the weather, my temperature that day, and the whole day’s plans before I can attack any one given thing. When other people can simply do things, I have to attack it and make a plan like I am strategizing a war. It is in that lifestyle, the difference between being sick and healthy. It is the beautiful ability to not think and just do. I miss that freedom. I miss never having to count “spoons”.

After we were emotional and talked about this for a little while longer, I sensed she was sad. Maybe she finally understood. Maybe she realized that she never could truly and honestly say she understands. But at least now she might not complain so much when I can’t go out for dinner some nights, or when I never seem to make it to her house and she always has to drive to mine. I gave her a hug when we walked out of the diner. I had the one spoon in my hand and I said “Don’t worry. I see this as a blessing. I have been forced to think about everything I do. Do you know how many spoons people waste everyday? I don’t have room for wasted time, or wasted “spoons” and I chose to spend this time with you.”

Ever since this night, I have used the spoon theory to explain my life to many people. In fact, my family and friends refer to spoons all the time. It has been a code word for what I can and cannot do. Once people understand the spoon theory they seem to understand me better, but I also think they live their life a little differently too. I think it isn’t just good for understanding Lupus, but anyone dealing with any disability or illness. Hopefully, they don’t take so much for granted or their life in general. I give a piece of myself, in every sense of the word when I do anything. It has become an inside joke. I have become famous for saying to people jokingly that they should feel special when I spend time with them, because they have one of my “spoons”.