my late grandmother

Nenek is my mums mother. Her name is JAMIA’H BINTI OTHMAN. My grandmother is the most special person in my life. Since I was small, we’ve been really close with each other. She used to take care of us when mum is not around. We always visit her in her flat in bangsar. She was a very lovely woman. She was short, plump, short haired, with cheerful face. She was seriously friendly. She gets friend easily anywhere in a nick of time. She would just hi to people that she doesn’t know. That’s what I’ve been practicing nowadays.
She has always been living with her children from time to time. She never has lived on her own. Usually she could be found at alongs or mak tams. I’ve never been able to see my grandfather. He died long time ago before mom got married. Seems like, nenek has been alone for such a long time too. Only her children and the presence of her grandchild that could cheer her up. I always love it when there is any family gathering. Where everyone will be there with her and celebrate whatever.
She was very funny and always makes up joke that would set us cracking with laughter. She was a great companion too. I still remember the times where she used to live in our house. Too bad that it was a double storey. It hurts me to see her climb that much stairs. She used to sleep on my queen bed beside me. We use to have long grandma-granddaughter conversation. I remember still that she kept on telling me that she always dream of a girl who lives behind the curtains and invite her to live with her. Huhu. How funny is that?
Not long for us to know that she always suffer from body pain. Sometimes she hurts all over her body. Aching and sick. She always tell us that. Almost everytime when we visit her, I’d ask how she is and she’d tell about the pain she’s been having. It hurts me a lot to listen. I have no knowledge of what she told me and I really wish I could do something about it, at least to tell her something. An answer to her pain. But there is nothing that could be done. Days to days, time to time, her sickness became more serious.
She has been treated and attended by doctors and we learn to know that she has diabetes mellitus. Her legs started to break. I still remember during my moments before matriculation college, she got worse. On mothers day, a day before I enroll in matriculation college, we we’re having tea time at d’Palma and after that, we went to watch a movie in metro plaza. Before we get to finish watching, mum receive a message from kak hidah telling that nenek nazak. That night, nenek was sent to hospital. She was infused and we were told that she was low of glucose. I was so scared of not being able to see her again but when I entered her ward, she was cheerful and talked to me. She got confused between me and ecah. But who cares cuz she was conscious and alive.
Mum told me not to be worried. Next day was my enrolling day into matrics. Throughout those times I couldn’t be with her to see her health performance. It upsets me sometimes. Mum refused to worry me by not telling me how nenek was from time to time.
I couldn’t remember what date it was. there I was having semester break. We visited her. I was quite shock to know that she doesn’t recognized me anymore. She hardly recognizes anyone anymore. She could not talk properly. She hardly eat. She mumbled on her own and having tantrums every minute. Mum planned on asking me to take care of nenek while I can during weekend. But I was too late, she died the next day. All I get to do was kiss her on her face as my goodbye to her.
All I can say is that, it is like she was waiting for the right time for me to have chance to see her go .NENEK WAS A STRONG WOMAN AND MOTHER. SHE WAS FIRM AND SHE DID EVERYTHING THAT SHE MUST DO FOR HER CHILDREN AND GRAND CHILDREN HAPPINESS.. I get to learn this from mum… one day when I have my own children, I’d be telling them what a wonderful moyang they had.