Ke Makam Bonda : Noriza (1957–2003)

there is a tanah perkuburan near our home in ipoh.

the cemetary is at the area at the back of our home, so we hardly drove by that road. usually we just go from the big main road up front.

however, for some unexplained reason, weeks before mak passed away, we drove along that road that led up to the cemetery. then mak casually said, “oh, ade kubur ke kat belakang ni. senang lah ye..”

we thought nothing of it at the time. little did we know it was meant for her.

i went to visit mak’s grave at the cemetery with my younger sisters syida and azi. we asked faiz, azi’s other half to follow, because we need another hand at cleaning up the wild sprouts around mak’s grave, and having a guy around will avoid any unwanted incident.

(once, i went to the cemetary once with JUST my sister syima, and the caretaker of the cemetery warned us against drug-abusers who sometimes hid at the cemetery – so he advised us to come in big groups or with men.)

nampak tak faiz si baju biru? tu lah kubur mak. senang kan nak cari?

the cemetery is just a fairly small piece of land, but it looks spacious, calm and clean. the caretaker did his job well. there were no messy bushes, overgrown grass or uprooted tree.

mak’s grave was very easy to locate. just look for a narrow path in between the graves, and hers is just right at the end. you can see it as you walk along that path.

my heart sank with so much rindu in my heart, and yet so calm and peaceful to visit her grave at last. i tried hard not to cry.

i thank faiz naquiddin for bringing all the tools to cut and scrape and pull all the dry grass and wild sprouts on and all around mak’s grave with us. berpeluh-peluh dia. we read Yaasin, placed pandan leaves as we read Al-Fatihah, and pour water on the soil.

i touched mak’s gravestone and stared one last time before leaving, as i know that it would be quite awhile before i ever get to visit the grave again.

it’s so hard to continue writing as i think i will break down once again. dear friends, please sedekahkan Al-Fatihah for my mak, noriza mohd. anuar. only Allah will repay your kind thoughts and prayers.

* * *

click here to read about the first time i took mr. khairul to visit mak’s grave as husband and wife.

Ke Makam Bonda

Kami mengunjungi pusara bonda
Sunyi pagi disinari suria
Wangi berseri puspa kemboja
Menyambut kami mewakili bonda

Tegak kami di makam sepi
Lalang-lalang tinggi berdiri
Dua nisan terkapar mati
Hanya papan dimakan bumi

Dalam kenangan kami melihat
Mesra kasih bonda menatap
Sedang lena dalam rahap
Dua tangan kaku berdakap

Bibir bonda bersih lesu
Pernah dulu mengucupi dahiku
Kini kurasakan kasihnya lagi
Meski jauh dibatasi bumi

Nisan batu kami tegakkan
Tiada lagi lalang memanjang
Ada doa kami pohonkan
Air mawar kami siramkan

Senyum kemboja mengantar kami
Meninggalkan makam sepi sendiri
Damailah bonda dalam pengabadian
Insan kerdil mengadap Tuhan

Begitu bakti kami berikan
Tiada sama bonda melahirkan
Kasih bonda tiada sempadan
Kemuncak murni kemuliaan insan

~Usman Awang