Loneliness- It's All About The Mind ;-))

Noor left for Africa last week. It was a hectic month preparing for his departure. His DM just called one day i.e. a month ago and told him to be prepared to leave for SIngapore a few days later for a briefing from their franchising office there. It was going to be a day trip. Since it was a Friday, I tagged along and sent him off to the KLIA2. Later that evening, I went back to KLIA2 to pick him up and proceeded to Melaka to send Ikram back to his campus. After that, it was a nerve-wrecking experience of looking for the yellow fever vaccine as it was one of the conditions for the visa to be approved. After asking the doctors here, we contacted WIsma Putra who helped us with information on the availability of the vaccine. The vaccine was not given easily. Hospital Pantai KL was the only one who had the vaccine in its stock. Other Government hospitals that kept it were only for Government personnels departing for Africa or South America. The hospital required Noor's appointment letter before releasing the vaccine. It cost RM422 just for one shot. :-}} He wanted me to go with him everywhere he went even to his office.  :-))  As Syafiq's favourite life principle - "Sharing is Caring"  ha...ha...ha.... :-D 

That left the shop's daily administration. I told him that would not be a problem since he had one reliable staff. Syafiq would be on semester break for a month in October. Akmal volunteered to take leave for two weeks in November. In between that, I was sure the staff and I could cope somehow. I had never been involved in the running of the shop .... :-)) Thus, it was arranged that he did not take anybody to monitor the shop. The boys were trained to help out at the shop since their teens. So, it was not a problem for them.

So, finally after receiving the travelling itinerary, he was really going. Noor was actually excited, nervous, afraid and a mixed feeling of leaving. I had done my best as a wife, partner and friend. Besides giving him support, encouragement and accompanying him almost everywhere to settle his leaving .... I expected nothing from him. He had never been out of the country for a long stretch of time either for leisure or professional reasons. We could keep in touch via messenger or e-mail.
I had done and given my best. My prayers go to him daily for his well-being and being in Allah's grace.

And the person to be alone with is ... ME !!!! :-))

"Everybody needs a little time away ..."

What A Break !!!!

Last September mid-term break I decided to give myself a much deserved treat. I wanted to give time to ME. I wanted to be selfish for myself. I refused to do anything. Any house chores. Any school work. It was only a week's break anyway. The week before I was busy following Noor to KL and back to send him off to SIngapore for his briefing and sending Ikram back to his campus. Thus, without any feelings of guilt, I declared myself on holiday!! Ha..Ha..Ha.. :-))  Anyway, there was only the two of us.

I told Noor I am not going to do any cooking. Or marketing. I would meet him at the shop about 6pm and we would go and have an early dinner. Sometimes, I am amazed with this man. He agreed and let me do what I wanted. I made caramel pudding without eggs. I made almond rocher. I fried keropok. I bought fruits. These were the snacks that I had during my self-declared stayed home holiday. 

I chose some of the books I had bought but had no time to read. I woke up for early dawn prayers and went back to sleep. I woke up late and went out with Noor for brunch. Then, I went home, snuggled on the couch with a book and read until I slumbered off dreaming of whatever I was reading. I woke up and had a snack of whatever was in the fridge. It was raining practically every evening that I took myself out to the porch and sat there with a cup of steaming hot tea and the container of keropok. I breathed in the cool, refreshing air, munched the keropok and continued with my reading. I read a heavy novel "A Thousand Splendid Suns" by Khaled Hoessini. I managed to read a light story "If only Airports Could Talk". After night prayers, I usually curled up in my bed with another book and turned on "Lite FM". I was on my own. Alone most of the time as Noor only came home after 11pm. Yet, I always had company in the books, the music, my prayers, my Quran ... 

I was alone but never lonely. It was only a 5 day break as we had to go to KL again to settle his vaccination and application for visa. Yet .... it was the ideal holiday that I had always wanted. Nevertheless, it would be much pleasurable if it was a beach resort, somebody to feed me .... hmmm...too good to be true. Maybe one day .... anyway, it was a blissful holiday !!!!