Accident!

Look at the picture and you know that this is going to be a shite story.

I'm still really pissed about this so I need to take some time to write this in a comprehensive manner so that I won't end up typing swear words all the way.

Let me start from the beginning.

My friend who belanja us the other day was coming for dinner last night and since he's on a strict diet to maintain his so very slim body (he was quite plump before), I decided to just keep it simple and made some chapatti doughs and some Chicken Karhai for dinner.

After feeding the boys and helping them put on their pajamas after their shower, I started on a bedtime story for them, keeping an ear out for a knock on the door as my friend said he was coming at around 7 o'clock.

And then there was a loud knock on the door.

As usual, I checked at the front window first and to my surprise, it wasn't my friend at all, but my next door neighbour. And I was even more shocked to see our Honda, which was parked right in front of the house, looking like it has just been rammed into! And what's more, the car that had done the job was still there, an old violet/purple BMW, not in a particularly good condition itself as its bumper had come off and the front of it was pretty done in. Some cars were moving slowly on the road, looking at the scene and there were few people hovering nearby.

I rushed out of the house and the few people there including my neighbour told me what had happened. The BMW was driving at top speed in the small residential and narrow road in front of our house and when another car came from the opposite direction - the BMW swerved to the side and rammed into my car which was innocently parked there - just a few hours after I parked it there after picking up my son from school!!!

In a panic, the driver and two other passengers, all young men or probably still mere boys got the car keys and simply took off and left their car there half blocking the road in front of my house!!

I called Mr S straightaway - he was at a client's office in the City but he was already getting ready to go home - Mr S told me to take some pictures to show the police or insurance people and he told me to use our digital camera (he told me where the camera was) to do it but I was too shocked and distraught to register where he said it was and so I just used my hp to get some pics of the scene. Someone in the crowd told me that they've called the police and feeling helpless and a little dazed, I also joined the rest of the people there hovering by the accident site.

My friend arrived at the time (he's Chinese by the way, not that it's relevant to the story, of course) - thank god he was there coz he helped me with the boys who came down from their room all excited because their mama opened the front door and they could hear loud voices of people talking all the way upstairs. My friend pointed out that "Ni mesti org negara P ni sebab ada bendera kecik negara tu tergantung depan kereta tu - to which I just sighed.

We waited outside for around 15 minutes and then I decided to call the police again - and report the incident myself - that was when a small Nissan Micra drove along our road slowly, and I saw that the driver and passengers of the car, all looked Indian or Pakistani descent, were looking at the accident most interestedly. The car then sped away but suddenly turned back and stopped right at the accident scene. In true Bollywood style they created havoc there swearing and yelling at each other and shouted curses at some three other young men who suddenly walked from the direction that one witness told me where the three culprits had ran to just a few minutes ago. These errant men were probably the ones who drove the wrecked BMW.

There were eight of them in all.

And there was one of me.

Lots of people were hovering around and looking through their windows but nobody assisted nor supported me.

I was still talking to the police on my hp at the time and he told me to just leave the phone on and let him hear what was going on whilst I should try to ask the men nicely, the name and address of the driver of that BMW.

"Who's the owner of this car?," one of the men asked, pointing to our car.
" I am." I said with not a particularly pleased expression on my face. I saw a brief look of regret on his face when he realised that 'the victim' appeared to be a small Muslim lady who looked like she wouldn't hurt a fly but then again it could have been relief for all I know - because the victim wasn't a huge and seething black man or something similarly intimidating.

One man denied that they know who the driver is. Another man said okay he'll give me the name and address of the fellow. But nobody admitted that the driver was one of them - which I suspected was probably the case.

And then they took out ropes and started to pull the car. Somebody tried to start the engine and somebody else started the engine of the Nissan Micra and slowly moved forward to push the wrecked BMW in front of it.

And suddenly they were moving away!

I yelled, "Excuse me! Your name and address please!"

But of course, I was just wasting my voice and air liur because that was their chance to get away and they just left without being responsible for what they had done and the fool that I was, I really thought that they wanted to give me their name and address, which was why I didn't really, really insist for their details at the time they were trying to start the car.

When they were gone, suddenly all the neighbours were at the scene. One said, " That was them! They were the one who drove the BMW just now!" And another one kepochi makcik hitam said, "I would never have let them go just like that! I would have gotten their name and address!"

To which I replied, " They were EIGHT of them and only ONE of me - I asked them and they didn't want to give me, so.." I just shrugged and added softly, Nobody offered to help me!

The police officer still listening on the phone asked me whether I took the pictures of the men and when I replied that I didn't, said that "I should have."

What the??!! I didn't want to stand there clearly snapping the picture of those men for 'proof' at the risk of them grabbing my phone or coming back later to attack me at my house - obviously they know where I live!

Sigh.

One hour after the accident, a police car came by and took statements and made a report to which they said they will probably try to track the car but what we should do is contact our insurance agencies. At this point Mr S arrived and I just let him talk to the two policemen - one of which had an accent that I DID NOT understand at all - for all I know he was speaking in a Martian language to me!

Mr S then had to sit for a long time with his hp to his ear talking to the insurance company while I sat with my friend while he ate his chapatti. The children were excited about the whole thing but I firmly sent them to bed anyway because I had too much on my plate at that moment to add any unnecessary tension with the boys.

Mr S came to the kitchen later to tell my friend and I that the BMW had no insurance so that makes it a little complicated for us to claim and will definitely prolong the claiming and repair/ compensation process....sigh.

So, no more trips to the parks with the kids' bikes. No more picnics. No more trips to the big stores at Beckton for groceries or books...

Sigh.

I would like to thank my friend who helped me through that whole thing while Mr S was not around - he was looking after the kids and cautioning me not to scream to those men and cause more problems. And he was also the one who saw that my face was pale and my lips were white - from shock, I guess - and asked me to sit and have a drink first while waiting for the police to arrive.

Indeed Mr S and I were sighing quite a few times last night (not from any pleasure, I assure you!) as we contemplated the problems and hassle that the accident will cause us but we are thankful anyway that no one was hurt. Alhamdulillah!

Sigh.

One nice thing though. Mr S told me that I did very well and that he was proud of me - the way I handled everything without him around - how I called the police, took pictures, tried to talk to those men and he said I was right (and my friend was right to caution me) not to push them for their names etc. for that may have caused some other trouble.

Always trying to cheer me up, Mr S also said something else. He said, "Takpe mama, at least there's something you can do after this.."

"What?" I asked curiously.

"You can blog about all this.." he said with a grin.

To which I rolled my eyes and...sighed.

Good Weekend

Just some updates.

It was Mr S's birthday yesterday (Saturday).


My sons and I made him a birthday card because I'm not feeling too well yet and wasn't in the mood to drive and spend time finding a ready-made card in the shops. Although it was a simple card - we had a lot of fun making it.



My eldest did all the writing, prompted by myself. And my youngest, not to be left out, wanted to draw a picture at the side, with his favourite colour tip pen - the usual picture of himself of course, holding a gun to shoot any available T-Rex on sight.

Other than that, I tried baking a cheesecake for Mr S's birthday which is still in the fridge today, uncut and uneaten, because Mr S has been busy with his studies and doing his mock exams on that day and so, we decided to cut the cake when he is freer, hopefully today.

But we had a sort of celebration anyway. A good friend of mine is here in London on a business trip and he wanted to belanja us makan at the Tokyo Diner in Leicester Square so we went today (coincidentally it is also Father's Day today) and I got to satisfy my eternal craving for sushi and Japanese food - it has been a long two years since I had them last! Then we moved to a coffee shop (no pics though) nearby to have some cakes and coffee - just so that we could sit down and talk some more...

Been a long time since I had such a pleasant and relaxing time talking with an old friend.

In Sickness, In Health

When one is the sole carer cum maid cum cook cum cleaner cum story teller cum entertainer cum ustazah ajar mengaji cum driver and lots of other 'cums' in one's house, one should not be surprised if everything 'cums' to a standstill when one is sick.

I have been feeling sick these last few days - my right tonsil as of this moment is still swollen and it's hard for me to even bend my head to help my son put on his shoes, what more to swallow food!

At the peak of it, my body muscles felt like I have been running in the London Marathon and I was feeling cold even when I was sweating. And of course, the 'package' would not be complete without the high temperature and splitting headache.

I was, indeed, feeling as sick as a dog.

Today, however, I am feeling a little better alhamdulliah, even with the swollen tonsil, because perhaps a couple of paracetamols has help me to ease the pain a bit.

And thus, this entry.

Mr S has been very kind to me.

Even when he has a lot of work piling at the office and gets a lot of stress from his silly clients on top of the fact that he needs to study for his exams, he managed to send my eldest to school and then take a half day leave to pick him up and after that bring the boys to the pool for my eldest' swimming lesson and then went shopping to buy some groceries and some 'treats' for the 'infirm' and also went to buy some dinner for the kids.

Not to mention the fact that he woke up earlier than usual to make breakfast for the kids and prepared my eldest's packed lunch and his own, washing all the milk bottles and dirty plates before leaving the house in the morning.

It was just for that one day when I was really indisposed but still, I know that he can be even more efficient than me when he needs to be, although he has proclaimed time and time again that his most favourite thing in the world is to 'peleso' i.e. to lie down and watch TV or to lie down and just think of...nothing...

I caught Mr S lying on the sejadah after maghrib prayers last night, just staring at the ceiling.
I asked him what was wrong and he proceeded to tell me about his work problems and his worries about his exams. I just listened and made some supportive comments - hoping that I am helping him to 'release'.

From experience, I know when Mr S starts to act silly and crazy i.e. dancing like a mad man in the room (more than the usual, that is) and making silly faces as a response to all my comments, I know that he's under stress. He has been doing these recently and now there is also the staring at the ceiling routine - which means he's really putting a brave face about everything. Poor, poor Mr S!

There's just one more hurdle, my love. Please, please be strong! I am here and the children too, right behind you, supporting you. Hang on there!

God gives us all our own set of 'tests' in this world. At this moment, mine is this demam and Mr S's is his work and studies - no one's test is 'better' or 'worse' than the other. All we need to do is support one another and inshaAllah we will survive the storm..amin!
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I am also very, very thankful for my close friend, F who was so crossed with me when she found out that I was sick and didn't inform her and even called me to tell me off about it!

"Oh..so we're all living in London and should mind our own business issit?" she asked me.

She made my eyes water because we're not even from the same country and yet...

I felt like crying because somebody 'cares enough to be upset' when I did not inform them of my ill health - just when I thought that I was all alone here, except for Mr S, of course, who has so much already on his shoulders!

How lovely it is to have such a friend.

And so the next day, when I met F at my son's school after swallowing a couple of paracetamols and willing myself to dress up and step out the front door to send my son to school - I even drove to the school which is just 5 minutes walking distance - I was not surprised when she was already waiting for me with some food containers.

"I made these for you - so all you have to do is boil rice, ok?" she said. I wanted to hug her but I didn't want to appear too emotional and anyway, I might start to cry..

Thank you, F - for being my friend. (I love you too, you know!)
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When one is living so far away from one's family, one just has to depend on one self and if one is lucky there are other people to look to like one's partner and good friends. But even when I am so very lucky to have these, I wish for that one person whenever I am sick. Even at my age, whenever I am feeling low and out of sorts, it is my mother that I want..

My mother is no 'angelic figure' and no mother Theresa, indeed she was a fierce and feared head-teacher, although, she has toned down to a certain degree now! But with a little rub on my back and 'a touch' on my forehead and a cup of hot water mixed with her herbal/traditional medicines - something that she really believes in - I always feel that I'm already on my way to perfect health.

So I wasn't at all surprised when that Hilton girl called for her mum when she was 'ushered' by the police after the recent sentencing..

I wish my mum is here.

But I settled for sending her an sms and asking her to pray for my health. She replied with some advice and I followed them. And the next day she sent another text message informing me that a parcel is already on its way to me, with some medicine she got from the pharmacy.

Thank you mak. Your loving gesture, although it is just in the form of a small parcel with some medicine that I can really just buy here, is much, much appreciated.

I love you and inshaAllah with your prayers, I am on my way to perfect health already.
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I know this entry is a little bit chaotic with no real point whatsoever, but my throat is throbbing and my mind is not thinking clearly and I really have to lie down...

A Holiday Project

My children likes to ask me to do a variety of art projects with them as if I am the commissioned artist for the family.

It's always "Mama, let's do some painting!" or "Mum, can you draw a crane for me so that I can colour it?" or "Mama, let's make a house with 'this'!" I will always indulge them whenever I can and help them with their drawings and whatnots and during the recent school holidays (2 weeks ago) I helped them with the above.

We are quite proud of this little piece of art. It is a picture of a rocket on a planet in space, made with colourful tissue papers.

I'm 'saving' it in this blog just in case we lose this piece of artwork in the future or just in case something happens to it - you know, the normal spilled water, tearing and scribbling 'accident' or whatever that usually occurs when my children are around...

So that I can say to my children - Do you remember boys, when we spent one afternoon in Mama's bedroom, on Mama's bed playing with colourful tissue paper and lots and lots of sticky glue and we made a rocket picture..? We had a great time didn't we?

To which they would reply - We certainly did, Mama...we certainly did...

What's In A Name..

(Names have been removed)


Another tag forwarded to me - this one is quite a nice one and frankly, a very do-able one!!

Scroll down please!
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The Tag Details:

• PROPOSITION : What is the meaning of your kid'(s) name(s)?

• REQUIREMENTS : Write about what or how or why you gave the name(s) to your kid(s).

• QUANTITY: 5 people
  

• TAG MODE: Firstly you leave their blog and post link and add to the list below and secondly you let the blogger you want to tag know that he/she has been tagged by commenting in his/her blog or etc

The Tagged Ones so far;

msau the meaning of SQ and Kiki

shopping mum the meaning of Justin and Isabelle

Judy Chow Terry

Shannon Rachel

Samm Gordon and Malcolm

Sasha lil J

Mott 2 Monkeys

Fatty Poh's Fatty Boy

Kd NAMI & MIMI

D Abg Z Abg H Princess & Litle D

DadofFour Siti Khadijah, Muhammad Yusof, Siti Kauthar, Muhammad Ibraheem, Muhammad Umar
AND
Halwafy Big H & Little H

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In deciding the names of our children, Mr S and I have always discussed the options together, and of course, this means that I come up with all the suggestions whereas Mr S vetoes them.

There are some 'rules' that we try to set for ourselves when we name our children - all to which errr..moi have insisted on, of course, as Mr S is not really fussed as long as the names have good associations and meanings.

The rules are;

1. Must start with the name of our prophet Muhammad SAW
2. The names must have some Islamic historical significance, not just a 'good meaning'.

So..

1. The name chosen for my eldest was chosen very early in my pregnancy and we referred to him by his name even before he was born, as soon as we knew that he was going to be a 'he'. This name was suggested by myself and I was quite adamant because I have always liked this name because of the many nice and good people that I know with this name i.e. my grand uncle who loved me and my siblings to bits and was always kind to us, a kind and funny father of a good friend and also the religious advisor for the Istana Negara, brother of Datuk Harun Din. You can probably guess the name already, huh? Yes, it is H****.

So basically, I chose this name because of the people that we know or know of who has this name, not for its meaning.

But it has a good meaning too - it simply means 'good' although it also has another meaning, which is 'handsome'. In this regard, I prefer to also think that the name is a tribute to my mother in law, whose name is the female version (if you like) of this name, which is Hasnah, meaning good and beautiful - and indeed her name fits her perfectly! I hope and pray that my son's name will be considered 'perfect' for him as well in the future!

For the uninitiated, this name is also the name of the Prophet's grandson, from the union of the Prophet's daughter, Fatimah and Ali - the very same Ali who became the last of the four main caliphs after the Prophet's passing.

2. For our second son, the name was chosen because I greatly admire this person who lived in the times of the Prophet. He was the uncle of the prophet, although he was younger than Him and he was also a fierce warrior, so much so that the Prophet dubbed him 'Asadullah' or the 'Lion of God'. Yes, we named our second son Muhammad H*****, in honour of Saidina H***** Abdul Muthallib.

The word actually, does not have a proper meaning. It is really an old Arab name although many books associate this name with 'lion', no doubt due to the moniker bestowed to Saidina H***** by the Prophet. But again, I was determined to have this name for my son and so yet again, we named our son after a great person, not for the meaning of the name.

But it does not end here, I'm afraid!

There is a third name (LOL) for each of my sons! And that name is really how I came about my own blogger name. So you can easily guess the name, of course, just take away the 'H' from my blogger name...

Yes, it is A*****, with an 'i' not a 'y'. This third name basically means 'the trusted one' and this name was chosen by Mr S as he feels very strongly about this particular trait, and I guess, I agreed to it because I just fell in love with the sound of it!

Thank you DadofFour for forwarding this tag to me. For this tag, I would like to pass it on to only three other people, that is:

1. Dillz
2. Nik Farizah
3. Jujuqtpie

You can choose not to do the tag, of course. But I would loove to know about how and why people name their kids their chosen names so please do kindly satisfy my curiosity!