Up In Flames

Mohd Kalam figuring out how they tried to fight the fire located on the twentieth floor of the building and every window had grills.

My cousin Norliah whose spirit is as large as she is and her patience and perseverence in facing the hard facts of her life has my utmost respect.

My cousin Norliah Yahaya ansd we call her Non is a single mother whose husband passed away sometime ago when her three kids were still ni primary schools. Now the kids all three have found jobs all over KL and Non lives in a low cost housing somewhere in Melawati area in KL. Two months ago she quit her job at a factory and decided to take it easy after havinf worked all these years raising her three kids on her own. Almost two months after, her rented apartment on the twentieth floor of a lowcost housing went up in smokes and almost 95 percent of her belongings with it. Fortunately no one was home and thus no casualties however the fire was caused by faulty switch board and the fire department took its time getting there and those that got there were from fire departmentslocated further away from the site than the one that was located closest to it. Investigations should be carried out on this incident as to why this occured by the KL Fire Department Fire chief if it meant any thing to him other tyhan bragging about getting new equipments and bonusses and raised standard of operations for the department as appeared in the Media not too long ago. But HEY! Malaysia Boleh!!
I was there with my cousin on the second day and visited the site taking as many pictures as i could not for anything in particular but just as a record for my blog, something to fall on to if there were enquiries made into how much damage was incurred. It was heart warming to see how the other friends, fellow office workers and relatives raly to the rescue of this surogate mother and her unfortunate younf children as most donated sums of money to make sure that the family does not recoil into despair over the tragedy. I could only offer words of positive support like, Allah this and Allah that, over the whole incident like they dont already know and I am some kind of imam, but I was there wholeheartedly in mind body and spirit. If I had money that would be the first thing that I would hand out but thank God I did not have a penny to my name and was awakened to the reality of life yet again over the fact that life is not all about money but about Love and Compassion too and these are gifts that are given in silence and with no fanfare.
It also taught me that alot worse can happen in my life than just being strapped financially, my health for one thing has been by Allah's Grace, in good shape although I am beginning to feel telltale signs of pains here and there that could mean something else much more serious building up for the grand finale. I am not going to worry too much over it and keep on my daily meditation and Yoga exercises and watch my diet a little more closely on top of slowing down or even quit smoking totally. I still have my children to be proud of especially the pilot who has been concientious in keeping tabs over what is going on with his dad the best he could. My two sisters are no strangers when it comes to lending a hand when I desperately needs it and so by and large i have alot to be thankful for.
After two days in KL I drove my sister who had just returned from Kuwait back to Manjung, Perak in her daughter's car. Her daughter and husband had been relocated to Kuwait due to work and had left the car and their house in Manjung in my sister's care. My sister saw it wise to have me accompany her as she is all alone in a big house and I am without a home! Allah works in mysterious ways?
Stayed in Manjung for two days and later left for Taiping where we atayed at on of my sister's old friends a Matron and her husband who was a close friend of mine in our younger days in Kuala Brang, Ulu Terengganu. Jamal was and is still a very active man in sports and living in general. Very highly disciplined by the looks at how he had kept himself and his home after all these years. Never misses to ride his mountain bike every morning as an exersise and cooks and takes care of the house like a five star homestay hotel, he is over seventy.
We left for Penang the next morning and arrived at Sungai Pinang for lunch. I started my chore of moving out of where I was living and my son Karim helped having returned from KL after spending two months there getting to know the adult world and himself in relation to it. He had returned with my cousin Mohd Kalam with whom I had gone to KL in the first place.