I was just about to have lunch before heading back to KL when the sms came. All the way from Labuan that a dear friend has passed away early that morning in Muar. I barely ate, the small portion of chicken rice seems huge, roast chicken doused in soy sauce left untouched. It all tasted as bland as the slivers of iceberg lettuce that came with it. Inability to digest the news and the anxiety for more explicit details gnaws at my insides. There were so many numbers to reach yet none provided answers.
Arwah Muhammad Yusuf Bin Ibrahim, my best friend whom I love dearly since we first met at the academy. We were a close knit bunch but he was always special. More a brother to me. We shared a lot, we crossed boundaries, we came back. Reminiscing, the first ship that we were both on was the beginning of the end. We drfited apart soon after signing off that Bunga Tanjung some twenty or so years ago. Our lives took different paths. We were ensconced in our own little world. Yet, those that grew up with me were always on my mind especially Usop aka Dolly.
I always thought that one of these days we will meet at our kids wedding or some such. Perhaps even look each other up once we retire, as was oft discussed in the midst of our career. On the rare occasion that we manage to catch up. That was the agenda.
Alas, that was not meant to be. Arwah succumb to sudden heart attack. Innalillah....
Now, on the eve of Aidiladha, the tears are welling up as the takbir is recited. How fickle it all seems, there's only so much time for each of us, my mistake was assuming that it will last forever.
Semoga arwah dicucuri rahmat dan ditempatkan bersama orang yang beriman. Al Fatihah....
