Things I am Grateful : 1) Emak
Emak merupakan anugerah yang paling terhebat yang pernah hadir di dalam hidup aku. Beliau merupakan seorang wanita besi bagi keluarga kami. Selain sentiasa bekerja untuk menampung perbelanjaan keluarga, emak begitu mahir dalam hal-hal kerja rumah dari memasak, mengemas sehingga menjahit. Yang paling menarik, beliau tidak pernah menghadiri mana-mana kelas. Semuanya hasil ‘self-taught’. It was not fancy, but it was unique; one of a kind. The kind that I love the most.
She used to sew a pajama, baju melayu, bedsheet, and curtains. She had the existing items as examples and copy them. And I love them all. In fact, there are some things that I still use. I am forever grateful.
Apart from that, emak also taught us siblings to be independence. Since she had to work everyday, there were no one to take care of us. I was sent to a nanny only up until I was 6 years old. By 7 years old, I learned to iron my own uniforms, get ready for morning school and religious classes on the afternoon. Dad would come back in the afternoon, bought lunch (if Emak had not cook the night before), took a nap and went back to work. It was a routine (which sometimes I broke by skipping religious classes). On the weekend, Emak would do all the house chores; cleaning, washing, dusting etc. I did not offer to help of course, I was forced to. But by 7 years old, I was able to do most thing myself.