This photo was taken on last EidulAdha. The lady is my old teacher - Tok Guru Ngaji - who taught me to read the Quran when I was 11 years old. Accept for bending back, she looks the same after 38 years. I lost count of how many children she has. Her eldest is five years my junior and her youngest is many years younger than my own.
I left my village at the age of 12. Went to a boarding school in Kuantan, went on into teacher training college in Melaka, posted to schools in Kelantan, Perak and N9. Went on to further my study in England and finally came back home to settle down while getting married and divorced, and raising up two children in between.
It's been seven years since I came home and every year I would meet my old Tok Guru Ngaji who never failed to visit my parents every eid.
I came to know that my Tok Guru Ngaji suffered post natal blues towards her later birth givings. Perhaps the stress of too many children and her late husband, a self employed man who preferred to spend his time with his 'Dikir Barat' group. Because she gave birth almost every year, she seemed to be perpetually in the condition. The villagers came to accept her in her confused state. One of her sons married a teacher and stayed with her. She still goes out to peddle her garden produce and local cakes she made to the estate workers in the neighbourhood.
A dear, kind hearted lady.
My Tok Guru Ngaji.
2 comments:
Cikgu,
Thanks for sharing about this lady with us.
It is amazing how a woman's role in society has changed in the span of 40-50 years. The industrial revolution has changed us humankind a lot hasn't it ? Here I am, not able to find a husband for myself. And this lady during her time could not help getting pregnant year in year out. She must have made the fullest use of her reproductive years.
May Allah accept and reward her amply of all her good deeds.
This post natal blues is it "meroyan" ? Not a very nice word to use. But my mother always caution us about this thing. She said it could happen after giving birth. My maternal grandmother had it. I remember she lived in something like a trance-like state until her death. Kekadang waras kekadang tak. Lucky it did not come down to my younger sis and sis. No sign of it, yet. Alhamdulillah.
Guru ngaji saya dok sebelah rumah je. Arwah suami dia pun dulu guru ngaji saya jugak. Sebelum masuk sekolah mak ngan ayah saya serah saya kat guru ngaji dulu. Siap buat pulut kuning pada hari pertama. Hantar kat kelas ngaji pada hari pertama makan sama-sama dengan bebudak lain he he.. Tapinya, saya banyak guru ngaji. Hari sekolah, pi ngaji kat masjid pula dengan set ustaz dan ustazahnya. Kalau tak pandai jugak tak tau lah ... he he he
Dear Hanez,
I didn't notice you wrote a comment here. Sorry about that.
Yes. Post natal blues is 'meroyan'. The flood of hormonal changes taking place after giving birth coupled with emotional depression is not to be brushed aside. Some even believe that elements of supernatural could take advantage too. Some believe it is genetics. I don't. I believe an emotionally strong person does not succumb to the condition.
Yes. Our society has changed a lot, supposedly for the better. I guess we still have a long way to go before the water could find its own level.
Yes, sticky rice and banana were the essentials for first day of 'ngaji'with first'tok guru'. Those were the days ...
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