Mom's The Word.

My aunt passed away a few months ago. She was my mom's younger sister. Now my cousins have lost both of their parents.

There has been a couple of deaths in our families and us cousins are like prepared for what to do or are ready for what the outcome would be if any of the elders were brought to the hospital.

I love my relatives and as we grow up (note that I'm not using the phrase grow older), we began to understand each other's character and behaviour. Excuses for the lacking of understanding of an act or behaviour are easily given in such great details by those who really have observed us.

I was surprised that an in-law of my cousin whom I was a classmate in our religious studies, was able to understand my character. How did he see it through the wall that the others (my friends) say surrounds me?

There IS no wall. In fact, I am the most approachable individual that I know of. The wall exists to those who think there is a wall.

Amongst cousins, we communicate freely. We send text messages and even emails. We even look into each of our Facebook accounts!

It was around last month when I received an email from my cousin with an attachment. It shows a family picture of our moms with our grandpa. An old black and white picture in the 40s. A group portrait of my granddad with his children. I do not see my grandma. Probably she was the one taking this photograph!

Hahaha ... There was no such thing as an autofocus digital camera at that time and cameras really look like those movie cameras that they use to shoot films. I cannot imagine my grandma to be able to shoot this shot hahaha.

From what I recall of what my mom had told us, this picture was taken in Singapore and I do not know why the ladies were wearing sarees.

This picture might be taken during a celebration, maybe the Eid and since my great great grandmother was from Kabul, Afghanistan, my grandma would have dressed her daughters in sarees.

My mom was the one in white. My youngest uncle was not born yet when this picture was taken. He is still alive and doing well, alhamdulillah.

Unfortunately, everyone in this picture had passed on except that youngest and smallest child you see in this picture. He is now a retired school teacher.

I missed my mom, my aunts and my uncle. This picture that my cousin sent us reminded me of our upbringing. We are a poor family. My uncles, aunties and mom suffered much.

My mom sacrificed a lot to bring up her children. I remembered her waiting outside the principal's office of my school to collect our bursary money and then she would straight away rush to buy groceries.

I remembered her asking me what I had done with the money that she gave me. I was a kid. Did I spend it on sweets and candies? I cannot recall now but what I can remember was that I got 25 cents each day and it took me 2 weeks to repay the 5 cents that I borrowed from a friend.

Nothing can repay what our moms had done!

In memory of my mom I play this song from her favourite singer and may Allah place her in the company of saints.

Al-Fatiha. Ameen.