Behind their smiles (C)
Been awhile since I have written in this column. This time, is a story that have touched me greatly and it came very, very unexpectedly from the people we see everyday. Bismillah, here goes....
It so happens that on this particular day, I was tired to go to school to study during the holidays which was an hour journey for the upcoming June Common Tests this year. So, I decided to go to MJC which was a 5 mins walk away by wearing my brother's T-shirt and shorts seeing that he didn't have any other long pants. So, I went in and headed to the library only to realize that the library was off-limits to short-wearers. Hence, I headed to the 2nd floor to study in the empty benches. Halfway, a chinese cleaner came. She was around early forties, quite young and spoke a little Malay too. Seeing that I was having a short water break, she started a conversation.
"Haven't seen you around before", she asked. Smiling politely, I told her (truthfully) I rarely come to the school to study. She asked about my studies and how I was and she was very warm and kind, even offered some snacks she packed from home. In return, I asked her, "So, how about you aunty? How's your family?"
She took a moment and dreamily, she told a story so common that we take it for granted all the time. She graduated with a degree less than a decade back and her future prospect had been very bright. She worked as a technician initially before being promoted to supervisor. She said life had been relatively easier than before. She didn't marry but she had to take care of a disabled brother back home and she unashamedly said she was raking in over 9k a month at her prime. Definitely enough to feed her needs. And then tragedy struck, she had strained one of her limb muscles and had to take a short leave. Initially, it was fine, she saw the doctor and returned to work but the pain got worsened and eventually, due to her frequent absence in her high-flying job, she was retrenched in one of the 'bad' years.
Jobless, she had to find work quick but in her condition, it was tough. Her savings trickled down slowly and then finally, after a few months, she had no choice but to join a cleaning agency. Not surprisingly, with the high demand for these cleaners, she was hired and ended up working pitiful hours at the school. At least, she said, she could rest anytime she wants as long as the job of handling the second floor toilets and corridor was well-kept. Before she left to mop one of the toilets, she gave a parting advice which sounded something like, "Cherish all the time you have now because one day, God can take it all away".
Never crossed my mind to remember this story but the past few days... well, I find myself as one of the most luckiest person in the world, blessed with so many things. And I fear so much that Allah SWT may just take them all away and hence, I realised that I have grown too attached to this temporary earthly blessings. Astaghfirullah.
It so happens that on this particular day, I was tired to go to school to study during the holidays which was an hour journey for the upcoming June Common Tests this year. So, I decided to go to MJC which was a 5 mins walk away by wearing my brother's T-shirt and shorts seeing that he didn't have any other long pants. So, I went in and headed to the library only to realize that the library was off-limits to short-wearers. Hence, I headed to the 2nd floor to study in the empty benches. Halfway, a chinese cleaner came. She was around early forties, quite young and spoke a little Malay too. Seeing that I was having a short water break, she started a conversation.
"Haven't seen you around before", she asked. Smiling politely, I told her (truthfully) I rarely come to the school to study. She asked about my studies and how I was and she was very warm and kind, even offered some snacks she packed from home. In return, I asked her, "So, how about you aunty? How's your family?"
She took a moment and dreamily, she told a story so common that we take it for granted all the time. She graduated with a degree less than a decade back and her future prospect had been very bright. She worked as a technician initially before being promoted to supervisor. She said life had been relatively easier than before. She didn't marry but she had to take care of a disabled brother back home and she unashamedly said she was raking in over 9k a month at her prime. Definitely enough to feed her needs. And then tragedy struck, she had strained one of her limb muscles and had to take a short leave. Initially, it was fine, she saw the doctor and returned to work but the pain got worsened and eventually, due to her frequent absence in her high-flying job, she was retrenched in one of the 'bad' years.
Jobless, she had to find work quick but in her condition, it was tough. Her savings trickled down slowly and then finally, after a few months, she had no choice but to join a cleaning agency. Not surprisingly, with the high demand for these cleaners, she was hired and ended up working pitiful hours at the school. At least, she said, she could rest anytime she wants as long as the job of handling the second floor toilets and corridor was well-kept. Before she left to mop one of the toilets, she gave a parting advice which sounded something like, "Cherish all the time you have now because one day, God can take it all away".
Never crossed my mind to remember this story but the past few days... well, I find myself as one of the most luckiest person in the world, blessed with so many things. And I fear so much that Allah SWT may just take them all away and hence, I realised that I have grown too attached to this temporary earthly blessings. Astaghfirullah.
Comments
Post a Comment