It was early morning Friday last week 19 February when the call came in on my wife's mobile. I was outside in our small garden, just about to connect the hose to water my plants. From the opening greetings that I overheard my wife say on her phone, I knew that it was her younger brother on the other end.
The initial greetings then changed to serious tones and my wife started crying. My brother-in-law had called to inform us that one of our nephews has been invited by the Almighty. I could guess which nephew he meant. I had seen a Facebook post from this nephew's wife the day before about him being warded at the ICU in a hospital in Muar.
Ahmad Rifaiee Zaid was the eldest son of one of the elder brothers on my better half's side. His father, Hj Zaid Md Amin, had passed away two years earlier. At that time, we had the opportunity to visit the father when he was in a hospital in Kluang. This time, the Covid-19 restrictions did not allow us to visit the son before he left us.
After my wife had calmed down a bit, she obtained some information with regards to the burial process. The deceased was still at Muar hospital where the cleansing and shrouding process would be carried out before sending to his home in Tangkak. My wife then made a few phone calls to her other siblings to ensure that all close relatives are informed. We then made preparations to travel to Tangkak, roughly a two-hour drive away. But before we could start our journey, a police permit is required for inter-district travel.
Modern-day technology has allowed the death certificate to be quickly shared via whatsapp. I printed a copy of the certificate and together with copies of our identity cards, applied for the travel permit at our local police station. After answering a few basic questions, the approval was stamped on our application form. It was almost 11am when we entered the N-S highway and headed north. My wife was told that the burial would be held after Jumu'ah prayers. I was fairly confident we would reach Tangkak in time.
We exited the highway at the Bukit Gambir interchange. There was a police roadblock just after the toll plaza. The police officer on duty had a look at our travel permit and let us pass without question. When we arrived at our nephew's home, the deceased was already there and I was just in time to join the solat jenazah. Understandably, the mood was sad and sombre. There were tears and embraces even though the latter is highly discouraged under the SOP social-distancing guidelines. How can I not hug my other nephews (siblings of the deceased) who have just lost their eldest brother? The departure of Ahmad Rifaiee was quite unexpected although he had a history of hospital treatments. His previous admissions were due to gastrointestinal complications but he had always recovered. He had always been in cheerful mood and made light of his illness.
I got along very well with Ahmad Rifaiee. He had a joyful demeanour and a healthy dose of humour. He was a foodie like I am. We would regularly exchange information on where the best eating spots are. I miss him already.
The official COD mentioned on the certificate is Acute Coronary Syndrome. I assume that his heart did not obtain the required amount of blood due to internal bleeding caused by the gastrointestinal disorders.
Ahmad Rifaiee Zaid was 41-years old. He leaves behind a wife and five children. His eldest, Nurul Syuhada is presently taking the long-delayed SPM 2020 examinations. I could not imagine how the stress and sadness are affecting her right now.
Innalilahi wainna ilaihi roji'un. May Allah swt bless your soul and place you among the soliheen.
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| Our nephew on the right. Pic taken last year when he treated us to mee bandung at a local stall in Tangkak |
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Alfatihah
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