My best friends Shazmi and Amelia took me out to lunch yesterday. I love you guys for the support you have given me.

It was a good thing that I went out with them because Amelia told me something that made me feel okay. Even though I am still very much sad because I can’t see my sister anymore, but I feel lega that things are going good for her.

Amelia told me that Shera is so very lucky to have died when the people that love her are still around. Parental love cannot match any other love and Amelia said sampai ke akhir hayat, Shera’s parents will pray for her. She also said since all her friends and siblings are still able and young, we will be continuing the effort to keep up the Fatihahs and Yassins for her. She is indeed lucky.

And I take that to heart Amelia. I cannot be selfish to wanting to keep her here when she is getting so much help for her life in eternity.

What she said is true, really. Actually this is the second tragedy like this that had befallen my family. In 1989, my baby brother Ijat was about 5-6 months old when a phone call came in the middle of the night to inform of the passing of my father’s sister Aunty Nun, her husband Uncle Amin, her son Ayie, her daughter Kak Dedek and Kak Dedek’s husband Abang Zab. 5 of them at once. All in all I think there were 13 deaths in that accident, one of the most horrific the country have ever seen. Only my abang Jimmy is left from that branch of the family.

My Aunty Nun was everybody’s favourite. Like Shera she was the star of the family, the glue that kept us all together, the one that everybody turned to when there is trouble. She was such a superstar. I can still see her toothy smile, her beaming face as everything about her exudes kindness and motherly love. Maybe I am over glamorizing her but you can ask my mother, their relationship was just like what we girls had with our Shera. She was truly a gem.

I was 13 when it happened and Amelia and Ela were the ones consoling me for the loss of a favorite aunt. Anyway, ever since she died, and that was a good 19 years ago, she at least had me to sedekahkan Fatihah to her and her family (and a horde of other relatives and loved ones – including P.Ramlee tu…) every Isyak prayers. So now I have added my kakak to the list. Takpelah. We had always known that this life is only temporary and eternity comes after Judgement Day.

Al-Fatihah.