Holiday Thoughts: #1 Maktok and Her Old Friend

I was accompanying maktok to her best friend’s house, Tok Zaharah (TZ). While we were on the way in the car, we had a little conversation;

“Who are we visiting, maktok?”
“A very old friend. Her name is Zaharah. Ahh, I forgot to bring her peanut cookies, I really wanted to give it to her.”
“Oh”
“Nevermind, we’ll buy Makcik Curry puffs along the way.”
“Okay”
“She was my roommate for three years in university.”
“University Malaya?”
“Yes. She took Islamic studies too. She can speak Arab, you know. She’s attending classes in Gombak to learn Arab. I can’t really speak Arab because my vocab is getting weaker day by the day because I haven’t been polishing up my vocab. But I still remember I’rab and grammar (nahu) though.”

Wow.

When our car rolled into the porch, her friend was already by the door, smiling. Tok Zaharah was a petite woman, sweet and fair-skinned. She got tiny eyes just like Maktok. Maktok hasn’t been socialising much with her friends these past years because of taking care of Tokbah. So this kind of trip is a treat. 

They greeted each other warmly. Her house was almost like my dream house; classic, occupied with neat wooden furnitures, clean little garden, and wall of bricks. I couldn’t help staring around.  

“Do you still go to the Arabic classes in UIA Gombak?”, maktok asked her.
“None,” Tok Zaharah said, “my foot hurts nowadays.”
“Alah me too, cik abang needs full attention,” maktok said.

Then, her bibik served us with hot tea and some steamed fruit cake.

MK: “Haa, when you asked me to teach you balaghah, alamak I don’t know much. I never learn balaghah formally, just listening to Ustaz Kariman from Youtube.”
“Oh, it’s okay, but have a look at this. 

Then, Tok Zaharah reached for some papers and book on th wooden coffee table,
TZ: “Pah, Ustaz Kariman mentioned something about the crooked alif. There’s difference between a straight alif and a crooked alif. But, I don’t know what.”
MK: “Oh the crooked alif, … I’m not sure. But I had heard about it, aduh forgot already.” 

They started reading the photocopied notes and tried to figure out the problem. And me, just continued observing and listening to them. They looked so cute and sweet. 

I was quite surprised; a friendship which lasts for more than 50 years? Amazing! How did they do that? One more thing, a grandma going to UIA Gombak to learn Arab? I feel ashamed. I was also amazed by their fiery spirit of learning, although they are already in the age of 70’s. 

         True enough, learning never stop. It is a matter of will, does not matter to the young or old. No  excuses. 

As a reflection for all young people, young age is the golden age; the time when we still have the strength, health and time. It won’t last long. 

islamicinfo7.blogspot.my

As Ustaz Muhammad Haron puts it; “In average, nowadays, people live around the age of Prophet Muhammad; around 60 years old. So if you are now 20, approximately you have finished a one-third of your age. Around two-thirds left; 40 years. Life in Dunya is not as long as you feel.”

Strive for knowledge!