Would you set free a tikus kesturi?

2 Ramadan 1430H



She set free a tikus kesturi, instead of kill-baking it under the tropical sun. Her heart had the capacity to pity the rodent. I wonder what trait my late maternal grandmother had altered to be the gentle human being she was. Even Dad saluted her great nature.

Grandma was a great cook who spent endless hours preparing food in the kitchen. She only started learning how to cook after marrying, yet she mastered the art well. With what little spare time, she managed to make room for knitting, sewing, gardening, and reading.

To the day she passed away, Grandma’s mind was as sharp as I remembered her in my childhood memories. Senility was out of place to describe her. Four years after her passing, the little room with red cement-floor changed too little.

My paternal grandfather is a great person too. He kept by his wife’s side when she was warded for diabetes. Leave it to him to demonstrate what unconditional love is.

What life-learning lessons made these elders to be such wonderful souls?



Search what tikus kesturi means here, Pusat Rujukan Persuratan Melayu.