opah

i had written a tribute to opah and a little about what i wanted to remember about her. but i had misplaced the document and eventually lost it. sigh!! well, there is a reason for it all and it gives me great pleasure to write about her again.

we had many neighbours before and after opah moved in and out. but we only remember her. i don't quite know how to begin the story of opah and me, opah and us. but this year her life story came to an abrupt end.

latifah sends me a text message at 5am and tells me opah is no more. it brought tears to my eyes almost immediately. she was a dear dear woman. even though it was already time for her to go, i found it difficult to accept her passing. she is dearly missed.

she gave love a new meaning. when i was away at boarding school, i would write to her, think about her and bring her back gifts...only she was worthy of them. i would have my meals with her at her place, she would send food home when i wasn`t around.

she loved us all especially mum. they had a unique relationship, more than that of a mother and a daughter. even when i took ma to visit the already so frail opah during raya last year, that love between them emerged and was witnessed by all of us, her grandchildren, great grandchildren and us. annually hari raya visit to opah's place became a ritual and we never failed to get opah a sarong or something similar to it. her memory faded but she remembered ma. and she was as beautiful as she has always been to me.

after the morning chores, i went for the doa reading. latifah said i could hold her and kiss her but i couldnt let my tears touch her body. my tears kept flowing and i had no control of them...she meant the world to me when i was young and even though her age meant she had to go, i wasnt ready to let her go. i was supposed to visit her this raya.

finally i got a hold of myself. the tears were controlled and i was able to hold her close to my heart. i had to let her go soon after that as the tears were beginning to flow again.

i cannot describe my relationship with her. it isn`t that of a grandmom and a grandchild. it isn`t that of a friend. its that of souls and it simply cannot be described. i write about her in my blog and my journal because if i do manage to have a long life and if i do lose my memory, i would want to read this and know that there was someone like her in my life and that i was privileged to have had her blessings. she will always be missed.