I left my best friend ....

Today we registered Ikram at Uitm Shah Alam. This is his transit campus. His permanent campus will be in Jasin, Melaka. It is still in the finishing stages and should be ready by December 2013. The new Mathematics and Computer campus will be fully operational by January 2014 which means that he will be moving to this new campus for his second semester. He is offered to do Multimedia Computing for 3 years.

Ikram is my youngest son. He is 19 years old this year. Tall, slightly darker than his brothers and handsome. He is a little aloof, serious and quiet which is quite unpredictable since he keeps things inside him. He is rebellious in his own quiet way. (Aren't all SDARians like that - his eldest brother, a SDARian, is also like that. I always call him "a rebel without a cause") He talks about things to me. Even though he can be quite an aloof guy, he does have his quirky sense of humour. He laughs a lot and pull pranks too. But beware - once he speaks his mind, he does not mince his words - which is very rare. He has his share of creating trouble while in school yet he also hangs on the principle of "berani kerana benar". Just like his eldest brother. Maybe I should blame myself for this. Or is it most silat guys hold on to this principle???

Ikram, all smartly dressed in the required white shirt, checking himself before proceeding for registration.

Uitm Shah Alam holds sweet memories for me. Nooraini and Fauziah, two of my closest friends from school, studied here back in early 80's. I went to teaching college in Johor Bahru. So, during one of the holidays, back in 1982, since I had the photos, I went to visit them and spent a couple of nights here at Fauziah's dorm. If I was not mistaken it was Seroja. Hmmm..how quaint that I could still recall it. One of her dorm mates had gone home so she used her friend's student tag for me. I also got to meet up with a foster sister Suriyana, another mixed parentage like me. This incident would never be forgotten because it uplifted my worth as a young lady. :-))  We were standing near the balcony of one of the corridors of her school building. Some guys were walking along the road leading to another school. One of the guys carried a aguitar with him. They called out and I just smiled and waved at them. The guy with the guitar stopped right there and then and serenaded a song while playing his guitar. I could not recall the song but I was honoured and gave him an applause. When Suri came along, she dismissed them and told them not to disturb me. It was so sweet. That was the first and last time I went to Uitm and now my son is here, albeit for a semester.

I guess of the three boys, Ikram, is the closest in terms he is not only my son but he is also my friend, my confidante, my driver, my partner in trying out new restaurants or stalls, my companion for shopping sprees, my assistant in baking cakes and cookies .... he may not be a daughter, but he is more than one. His father does not know how to handle him. He is frustrated and disappointed that Ikram will not join him by helping at the store. Ikram will refuse to be pushed or coerced into doing something he does not like. Usually, I will have to be the peace maker between them before their relationship becomes tense. Ikram is the type of child who needs reasoning. Since he is young, you have to tell him the facts of the whys. His questions demand answers. Maybe that is why even his teachers leave him alone. And that is also why I am glad when they get into boarding schools. I left him at SDAR (Sekolah Dato' Abdul Razak) in Seremban for 5 years and a year at Kolej Matrik Kedah in Changlun. Allah was kind enough to let me had him near for 2 years after SPM. Three months of PLKN at UUM, Sintok and a year at KMK Changlun. At least I had the privilege of visiting every fortnight and he could come home much often. Thank you, Allah, I am blessed and grateful for little things.

I will miss him but he calls often. If he is bored, he will sms and tells me what he is up to. He will listen patiently to his mother's ramblings. He will wisely advise me. He will wait for me and walk beside me making sure I will not falter and fall. I pray he will be in Allah's safekeeping. My daily prayers for my sons no matter where they are - "lindungi dan peliharailah anak-anak ku. Permudahkan hari ini untuk mereka. Murahkan rezeki mereka sepanjang hari ini. Izinkan mereka sentiasa dikasihani oleh hamba-hambaMu yang lain. Izinkan kelapangan ruang dan waktu untuk menunaikan solat mereka seawal waktu dan izinkan mereka ditemukan dengan teman-teman yang membawa mereka kepada Mu." Aamiiin. 

Thus, I leave my best friend, whom I trust and love with all my heart and soul, at Uitm Shah Alam.