When two old friends with same name met...

Mom, Hajah Zainab Haji Hassan, 79, cherishing moment with her long lost friend, Hajah Zainab Wan Ibrahim,77 (on wheel chair)

My mom was reading a Malay newspaper when she saw a photo of a familiar face in one of the pages. Yes, it was her long lost friend. I got back from work that day and my wife pointed me towards my mom who was still staring at the photo of her friend. My mom looked so mournful and sorrow. I asked her who is the person in the photo..she slowly replied that was her long lost friend when both used to live in the same small town. I offer her to pay a visit to her friend who was said to be living in an Old Folks home in Kuala Kubu Bharu.

She was so excited about the visit which we did in the next day. She was really looking forward to the visit and expecting her friend is being taken good care of looking from the photo seen in yesterday newspaper. She told us that the friend was a great grandchild of Johore 9th Mentri Besar Dato' Wan Idris and was well to do. The father, Wan Ibrahim loved her very much and that she was so cute and pretty. Both her and my mom, were also very closed to sisters Rahah and Suhaila who then married the then  Dato' Abd Razak Hussein and Dato' Hussin Onn respectively when both were living in that same small town. Hajah Zainab used to work for Jabatan Telekom Malaysia (Malaysian Telecom Department and then Telekom Malaysia.

The trip was not so nice as the location was actually quite far and remote. My mom and us were thinking the place should not be like a normal old folks home considering her background. This was actually me and my wife's first visit to an old folks home but at least we could imagine how it looks like based on what shown in the local TV programs.

When we reach the place, we were told to go Dorm D as she is located there. We then discover that Dorm D  is actually meant for more critical case. The Zainab(s) then folded into each other arms and started chatting about old memories while exchanging photo.

Mom and Hajah Zainab seen exchanging photos

Her life there was not exactly as what we expected. She only enjoy RM250 from her pensions. Not having any children makes life so lonely as nobody visited her other that her late sister's son. He lives in Section 3 Shah Alam bringing some food once in a while.

Not all living there are old folks, some are mentally not stable patience, some others are individuals who no longer needed by their family and relatives as they were considered burden even at young age - as young as 45. One of them is a smart educated Indian lady who were left there by her relatives as the husband deserted her due to her ilness caused by tumor. She who is now paralyzed was not visited by anybody for quite a while according to her chat with my wife. This english speaking lady said that they were not really treated that well here eventhough there was no serious abuse by the workers.

The mix with mental illness people has caused the workers treating all the same way. As a result both the unfortunate unwanted individuals and the old folks were emotionally stress. She said, only her and Hajah Zainab are in better mental stage as they have very strong faith in God. The Indian Christian lady also admitted she respected Hajah Zainab's endurance in facing her faith.

Hajah Zainab gathering strength in showing her
hospitality in waving good bye to her visitor. A
sorrow moment indeed.

Hajah Zainab was however lucky as her nephew once in a while would take her out for several night to stay over at their home especially during Ramadhan and Hari Raya. While we were there, she keeps on finding things to offer me and my kids. She asked us to eat kuih bahulu (Malay cakes) which I don't really like but still took them as not to hurt her pure feelings. I admire her as she still have hospitality in entertaining her visitors at that condition.

I retract my memory about the writing of the same yesterday newspaper mentioning that a mother can take care of 12 children but 12 children may not be able to do the same old mother. I pray hard to Allah that me and my 11 siblings will not be the 12 children mentioned in the newspaper.

Leaving Hajah Zainab Wan Ibrahim behind indeed was a very sorrow moment in my life, looking at the old lady waving her hand towards us and I am very sure her hope is for us to come back to pay another visit. Oh Allah! Pardon them of all their wrongdoings and let them be in peace.