Publicly Unveiled ... Thoughts in writing
Type: Directed Writing
Scarifices
The monstrous wave crashed onto the shore of Kemaman, Terengganu. Drizzling rain fell upon the earth. The monsoon had come again and fishes were scarce. Fishermen could not go out to the sea, making them live on the verge of destitution. The family of eleven, headed by Hassan, the sole breadwinner of the family was not excluded. They felt the pressure to the point that eventually, they decided to give away their dearest son, Abdullah.
Hassan loved Abdullah very much. He reminded him of his younger self. That was why he decided to give his youngest away to his long time friend, Siva. Siva was his school friend up until he was twelve. Upon the death of his father, he had to quit schooling and become a full-time fisherman to support his family. His wife, Ah Moi was wedded to him despite strong objections from her family. The marriage produced nine children, the oldest being a fourteen-year-old son. His youngest, Abdullah at the age of seven had grown up with a disorder, dyslexia.
Having Siva as a close friend helped him through many difficulties and now, he was asking for the biggest favour. Siva would take his youngest and raise him as his own. Besides, Siva’s wife, Mrs. Siva could not have any children because of certain circumstances. It would give them some light in their otherwise monotonous lives. The Indian couple was wealthy with steady jobs. Mr. Siva is an engineer working for a big firm while Mrs. Siva is a doctor. Their situation in life would help Abdullah, his youngest to gain treatment that would otherwise be impossible to attain and later on, lead an almost normal life.
At first, there were strong objections, mainly his mother-in-law, Granny Moi and his wife, Ah Moi. However, their strong love overcame it all, as they wanted what was best for him. Sending him away is the hardest decision Hassan has made in his life. As for Abdullah, he did not understand what was happening. All he knew was that he would be separated from his family.
During his stay with the Siva family, his personality changed for the worse. He was no longer the boy who was active, loving the outdoors and cheerful. Now, her was extremely quiet, constantly crying because he missed his family. Then one day, he became sick and his adopted parents, Siva and his wife took care of him, making him feel loved and safe. From then on, he learnt to live with two families, constantly keeping in touch with his blood relation, maintaining a close relationship.
Siva and his wife poured their love onto their only adopted child, Abdullah and cared for him in many ways. He was sent to the best school for special needs. The Siva family lived in town, so almost every possible need that Abdullah required could be catered. Every once in a while, they would bring Abdullah to see his family, especially on special occasions. The new life he had was giving a positive impact. Gradually, he overcame his disorder and even managed to make new friends.
The life he led exposed him to different cultures, having lived in a multi-racial environment. As he grew up, his foster mother, Mrs. Siva became an inspiration for him to pursue a career as a doctor. He studied overseas armed with good SPM results. He learnt to become a useful person and decided to work beyond borders with the funding from the United Nations after obtaining a Masters degree in Medicine. The place he went to was Africa where he met a beautiful girl named Siti. By the time he was thirty-eight, they were already married with two children.
One fateful morning, Abdullah received a long-distance phone call from Mr. Siva. He bore the news of his childhood friend’s demise and that the funeral would be held at the village where he was born. According to him, his father, Mr. Hassan had said that his friend had died of cancer. Thus, he cancelled all his appointments and came back to his homeland after being urged by his wife, who is also a doctor.
Upon arrival, he went back to the village and attended the funeral. It was then that he realized the reason he loved the village during his childhood. The memories seeped into his veins. Finally, he decided to stay in the village and contribute by serving the poor in the village. His decision made both of his families happy, even his own children and his wife.
To this day, he is still working in the village, tending to the needy and poor. He is happy with what he is doing now and plans to continue to the end of his life.
