Saturday, June 5, 2010
"Papa I want Mummy"
Assalamu ‘Alaikum,
"Papa I want Mummy"
[This story is dedicated to my wife, Anira. Happy Birthday sayang. I.L.Y.V.M.]
Four year old Zahir cried out from the bottom of the stairs as I tried to recover some lost study time due to his stint in the hospital last week. Nothing crystallizes the love of a parent as when a child is ill and hospitalised. You knew the doctor is doing his best but your heart falls every time the nurse read out the hourly temperature reading which is still on the high side. Zahir’s chicken pox somehow changed to pneumonia; the Pediatrician said the temperature is too high when we visited his clinic and recommended we admit him. Mama and I went through five days of constant worry willing our son to recover quickly. Life was topsy turvy, Mama with Zahir in hospital, me and the two girls at home. Fortunately Tokcik volunteered to accompany us at home since ours has always been a maidless life. The daily routine was ensure the two girls get on the school bus for agama school in the morning and prepare lunch when they come back. As soon as they get on the bus again for regular afternoon primary school I would quickly drive to hospital to visit Mama and check on Zahir. Then its back home to fetch the girls in late evening so that they can spend time with Mama and Zahir in hospital. It was Tuesday noon when we admitted Zahir, praise be to Allah on Saturday morning we heard the magic words from the Doctor. Zahir have responded well to the antibiotics and he can be discharged. Just as well, the hospital room is turning into a power rangers workout gym for the now fully recovered boy. Words cannot describe the happiness of a parent when your child recovers from an illness.
And so we headed home to give Mama a well deserved rest at home. Papa was driver, cook and laundryman with some help from the girls, with elderly Tokcik as co-chef, kitchen helper and dishwasher, but Mummy was probably the most tired of all. Sure the nurses take shift but somehow a mum doesn’t want to be asleep when the nurse look in on her child every hour or so in the middle of the night. As the days go by the boy got better, less nightly look ins by the nurses and mum was able to catch much needed forty winks. So it was a tired wake up for Mama on Sunday dawn when Papa informed the slight temperature Adila had the night before had turn into something serious. The Pedi warned that Zahir’s virus can be contagious. With that warning playing in our heads we decided we’d better err on the side of caution and take her to hospital also. That’s was how within 24 hours Mama changed room in the same ward but this time nursing a different kid. A mum’s love is unconditional; as has been proven time immemorial. Papa now have a different combination of kids at home but now well used to the routine. It was not without some paternal pride when Zahir had three helpings of Papa’s chicken soup the other day. Tokcik was her selfless self again extending her stay while still worrying who’s going to feed her cats at home. We solved that by making night visits once every two nights to her house to feed her cats which adventure Zahir and Adlin enjoyed very much. As it turned out Adila did not catch Zahir’s bug but had a viral infection of her own. Some bad times are going through our residential area with the neighbour’s boy down with measles. Papa hears from many that all manner of diseases are plaguing the nation now; it’s probably a wake up call which we must not leave unheeded. Alhamdulillah, praise be to Allah after some persistent nightly temperature Adila also fully recovered, was discharged today, and we are now back home all fit and healthy. It was with some amusement Papa recalled the plea from Zahir when Mum and Adila was in hospital.
Zahir: “Papa, I want mummy”.
Papa: “Mummy is in hospital sayang”
Zahir: “Why?”
Papa: “You remember, Kak Dila is ill”
Zahir : “But I want mummy.”
Papa: “I know sayang”
Zahir: “Papa I want mamee which you bought just now, I’m hungry”
Related the story to Mummy; she could only managed a tired smile.
It has been a tough fortnight for the Zahid family; Our gratitude and syukur to Allah swt for delivering our children safely back to us and our thanks to all for their dua.
Wassalam,
Zahid
Note: Sayang = love = darling
Mamee = A Malaysian kids snack
Syukur = Thankfulness
Dua = Prayers
Tokcik = Grand Aunt
Kak or Kakak = Elder sister
Agama = Religious
"Papa I want Mummy"
[This story is dedicated to my wife, Anira. Happy Birthday sayang. I.L.Y.V.M.]
Four year old Zahir cried out from the bottom of the stairs as I tried to recover some lost study time due to his stint in the hospital last week. Nothing crystallizes the love of a parent as when a child is ill and hospitalised. You knew the doctor is doing his best but your heart falls every time the nurse read out the hourly temperature reading which is still on the high side. Zahir’s chicken pox somehow changed to pneumonia; the Pediatrician said the temperature is too high when we visited his clinic and recommended we admit him. Mama and I went through five days of constant worry willing our son to recover quickly. Life was topsy turvy, Mama with Zahir in hospital, me and the two girls at home. Fortunately Tokcik volunteered to accompany us at home since ours has always been a maidless life. The daily routine was ensure the two girls get on the school bus for agama school in the morning and prepare lunch when they come back. As soon as they get on the bus again for regular afternoon primary school I would quickly drive to hospital to visit Mama and check on Zahir. Then its back home to fetch the girls in late evening so that they can spend time with Mama and Zahir in hospital. It was Tuesday noon when we admitted Zahir, praise be to Allah on Saturday morning we heard the magic words from the Doctor. Zahir have responded well to the antibiotics and he can be discharged. Just as well, the hospital room is turning into a power rangers workout gym for the now fully recovered boy. Words cannot describe the happiness of a parent when your child recovers from an illness.
And so we headed home to give Mama a well deserved rest at home. Papa was driver, cook and laundryman with some help from the girls, with elderly Tokcik as co-chef, kitchen helper and dishwasher, but Mummy was probably the most tired of all. Sure the nurses take shift but somehow a mum doesn’t want to be asleep when the nurse look in on her child every hour or so in the middle of the night. As the days go by the boy got better, less nightly look ins by the nurses and mum was able to catch much needed forty winks. So it was a tired wake up for Mama on Sunday dawn when Papa informed the slight temperature Adila had the night before had turn into something serious. The Pedi warned that Zahir’s virus can be contagious. With that warning playing in our heads we decided we’d better err on the side of caution and take her to hospital also. That’s was how within 24 hours Mama changed room in the same ward but this time nursing a different kid. A mum’s love is unconditional; as has been proven time immemorial. Papa now have a different combination of kids at home but now well used to the routine. It was not without some paternal pride when Zahir had three helpings of Papa’s chicken soup the other day. Tokcik was her selfless self again extending her stay while still worrying who’s going to feed her cats at home. We solved that by making night visits once every two nights to her house to feed her cats which adventure Zahir and Adlin enjoyed very much. As it turned out Adila did not catch Zahir’s bug but had a viral infection of her own. Some bad times are going through our residential area with the neighbour’s boy down with measles. Papa hears from many that all manner of diseases are plaguing the nation now; it’s probably a wake up call which we must not leave unheeded. Alhamdulillah, praise be to Allah after some persistent nightly temperature Adila also fully recovered, was discharged today, and we are now back home all fit and healthy. It was with some amusement Papa recalled the plea from Zahir when Mum and Adila was in hospital.
Zahir: “Papa, I want mummy”.
Papa: “Mummy is in hospital sayang”
Zahir: “Why?”
Papa: “You remember, Kak Dila is ill”
Zahir : “But I want mummy.”
Papa: “I know sayang”
Zahir: “Papa I want mamee which you bought just now, I’m hungry”
Related the story to Mummy; she could only managed a tired smile.
It has been a tough fortnight for the Zahid family; Our gratitude and syukur to Allah swt for delivering our children safely back to us and our thanks to all for their dua.
Wassalam,
Zahid
Note: Sayang = love = darling
Mamee = A Malaysian kids snack
Syukur = Thankfulness
Dua = Prayers
Tokcik = Grand Aunt
Kak or Kakak = Elder sister
Agama = Religious
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