i remember
Today is arwah yayi's death anniversary. Yayi is Javanese for grandfather. Cik Ati reminded me about the date when i visited her and nyai today.
It has been 15 years exactly. 15 years may be a long time but your passing still seemed like yesterday. I remembered that us kids were playing at the void deck. Unknown to us, you breathed your last breath. I remembered that there was a exceptionally strong wind on the minute of your passing. The adults told me that when a special prayer was incantated, and all the angels of God would come in full force to guide the departed to the next realm. The strong winds being the presence of the millions of angels making their way to earth. I remembered you lying there serene. You looked as if you were asleep. I remembered kissing your cheeks. I was 10 at that time. It was my first encounter with death.
I remember.
Al-Fatihah.