The Passing of Aunty Gayah

Three years after the first diagnosis of ovarian cancer, Aunty Gayah succumbed to her illness today at 7:05pm.  She was 75 years old.  The cancer had spread to her lungs and even before we went to Hong Kong, almost 60% of her lungs had already collapsed.  Aunty Gayah was a feisty one, I recall during a visit after returning from Hong Kong.  Despite the vomiting after a drink that she so wanted, she was still talking about the goings-on in Seremban 2 and Rasah Kemayan.  Who is doing what.  When visiting her prior to leaving for HK, she told MrM that if I can get my hands on the car keys, even at that state, she would be driving around.  Even when I wanted to use the toilet in Sharrie's house, Aunty Gayah had warned me that the toilet is dirty.   That is just the way Aunty Gayah was.

Aunty Gayah is Fuad's mother, and Fuad is married to Sharrie (Shahariah), someone I frequently bumped into around the Seremban 2 area and became a friend when she asked me to get Munirah to join her son this tuition that she had arranged with Cikgu Harun and Cikgu Liza that year both of them sat for UPSR, the same husband-wife teachers that taught Zarif last year.

To those who maybe familiar with the kuih lapis suji that usually is served at my house during Raya, Aunty Gayah was the baker behind the delicious kuih lapis suji.  The cancer diagnosis did not deter Aunty Gayah from baking and baking, layer by layer, catering to the usual Hari Raya orders, sending Aina Maisara to school and picking her up, finding materials at Casa Moda to re-upholster the chair in her room, decorating Fuad and Sharrie's home with her choice of flower arrangements, and ultimately recommending me to have my flower arrangements made by her good friend Aunty Zai.  The stuff that life is all about.  Presumably, the activities that made her happy.

I felt sad upon getting the text message from Sharrie last night.  Death is imminent for all of us but I still feel sad for the loss and the suffering she had to endure.  She was still vomiting blood as she drew her last breath. 

I pray for Allah to forgive her and ditempatkan bersama golongan orang2 yang beriman.