Heartfelt sympathy...

Dear Laila and Zul,

When I received the sms earlier today, I was perplexed. The message was short “Aisyah meninggal” but it made me wondered a hundred questions. Which Aisyah? Why? When?

So I called Laila up to ask for clarification. What I got was a heartbreaking answer in a broken voice – “Baby aku, Aisyah, meninggal. Ni aku nak pegi Hospital. Petang ni atau Maghrib nanti nak solat jenazah.”

I was speechless.

I’ve known how you have waited for a princess in the family. After a succession of three boisterous boys, Aisyah finally made a grand entrance in your life a few months back. I remember how happy you looked, Laila, cuddling a precious little sweet girl in your arms. You were delighted when I visited you not long after Aisyah’s birth and presented you with a pink towel. Yes, towels have became my trademark gift for your newborns, unlike others who often receive baby clothes from me.

I did not have the heart to ask you why Laila – it was shattering enough to listen to your voice quivering with pain and dismay as you told me that you were going to the hospital to get some things cleared up. So I only uttered the next cliché that came to my mind – be patient. Be strong. And quietly I added – my thoughts and prayers are with you and your family always.

Aisyah, being your first girl, was unique, special and irreplaceable. I know children are not interchangeable and the fact that you can have other children does not lessen the grief of losing her. I know that there is nothing to compare with the loss of an innocent child, and only those who have known such a tragedy can truly understand your sorrow. The pain that you are going through right now is beyond my comprehension. Though words may be meaningless right now, I hope and I pray that both of you will find some comfort in the love of family, the warmth of friends and the sympathy of all who care for you.

And may it be a source of inner strength to know that Allah, Most Loving, Most Merciful, is watching over you and your daughter and that throughout it all, as you keep on being patient, He’ll stay close by your side.

Dearest Laila, I'm here. You can call me any time of the day or night. I'll cry with you, I'll listen to you and I'll always have tissues.

Al-Fatihah…