23 May 2011

End of the tunnel (Pt 12) – The path less travelled by



Today it all looks nice and rosy, a young bride with her own loving parents and now a love of her own. What, then, is so different about Zira?

Very few know the tumultuous family life she went through at the first crucial stage of her education, the year she sat for her PMR exam. No one would want to go through what she did. The subsequent painful years brought her closer to us.

After her SPM she failed to get an offer to do a medical-related course. “ I like to work in a hospital,” she lamented. She was obsessed with a job in hospital.

Knowing that she could not have everything, she accepted to do a three-year course in mechanical engineering, a far cry from her aspiration. Nonetheless, she accepted, worked on it, succeeded, and saw herself as a technical instructor at a factory within a cycling distance from her house. Most would be satisfied but not this girl. She worked for nearly two years, all the while harbouring her a dream. She kept her applications going.

Then one day she turned up at Nuri all excited. She had received an offer to do a course in pharmacy – orang mengantuk disorongkan bantal! ( a sleepy one being offered a pillow ).

Pakcik, what do you think? Do you think I can do it?” She poured out her questions at Pakcik. I knew this girl too well. Over the years she never failed to call on us, to keep us in the picture on how she was faring in her job and otherwise.

She simply wanted a ‘yes’ answer. I knew it and she got it. Almost six years after leaving SPM she was about to begin again. Had she not forgotten her biology and chemistry? I was somewhat concerned. Many would tell her to forget it. After she hah had a good job close to her family.

This gutsy girl worked for her dream, and today, she is attached to a hospital – never mind the distance being a good 500 km away from home. She has got her dream:

Zira took a path
less traveled by; and that has made all the diffeence’, a girl who can offer us a lesson in life.






and finally she is alone no more






And today, she has her own man as well, with blessings from both parents. She deserves what she owns today. Today, too, she can look back - and cry.






Al Quran - Surah Al-Njm - Ayat 35






"Dan bahawa manusia tidaklah akan memperoleh, melainkan sekadar usahanya." – Dr Hamka



Berkhidmat kerana Tuhan untuk kemanusiaan


P/s,





Syaharahan Dr Hamka dalam Tafsir Al-Azhar:

“ ….. Inilah yan pernah saya sya’irkan waktu permulaan Revolusi Indonesia:

Insan medapat kadar usaha,
Tidah lebih tidaklah kurang;
Ajuk hati, tanyai jiwa,
Jangan menyesal kepada orang.

Hasil dari pekerjaan kita , kita dapati sekadar usaha yang telah kita lakukan. Apabila kita malas, akan mendapat sedikit, atau tidak mendapat sama sekali, tidaklah boleh kita menyalahkan orang lain, mengapa sedikit kita dapat …..”

22 comments:

Anonymous said...

sometimes we are given a 'chance' that we do not need without realising that the 'chance' was the way for us to gain enough experience before the time of our 'real chance' come, we can accept it confidently.


M.A.A

Wan Sharif said...

Argh.. one of those road travelled or less travelled, taken or not taken story.. :)).
Some might thought it is a tad too late to pursue those unfulfilled dream harboured in the little recess of the mind.. others may have the courage and strength to launch another try.. me? I am too timid to pursue such a huge endeavour ;)).

Al-Manar said...

MAA,

That is how 'fate' works. Kadang kadang kita ada lebih dari satu pilihan. Itulah masanya kita gunakan istikharah untuk menolong beri petunjuk.

Al-Manar said...

Ayah Wang,

Saya tak percaya Ayah Wang penakut.Berjaya atau tidak lainh kira.

Wan Sharif said...

Segala usaha yang murni + tawakkal .. sekiranya tidak di restui Allah... mungkin kejayaan usaha itu kurang baik untuk kita... Husnudzan..
Berjaya atau tidak tak jadi soal .. minta kita semuga Allah menerima usaha sebagai amalan kita dalam mencari redha Nya..
Mintak mintak berjaya lah dok gittu?

kaykuala said...

Dear Pak Cik,
A treasure trove of real life episodes and dramas that went through Al-Manar should rightly be eye-openers to those still harbouring Mat Rempet(now Mat Sikal)tendencies.

It is no mean feat to burn the midnight oil again a second time to fulfil her heart's desire and true calling. I salute her tenacity and determination.

Al-Manar said...

Ayah Wang,

Ayah Wang pun tahu. Barul lah tu.

Al-Manar said...

Dear Hank,

There are many small events in life which, when seen under microscope, can lend us lessons in life - not so much for us but the likes of Mat Sikal you mentioned.

Temuk said...

Assalamu'alaikum AL-MANAR
Untung & bahagianya insan yang Allah beri kekuatan jiwa dan kejayaan atas segala usahanya. Kisah anak kental ini memang satu teladan yang jitu bagi mereka yang berjiwa hamba, berjiwa kambing, berjiwa kecil.

Ummie said...

Yes,
that road less travelled,
I threaded too.
But under different circumstances,
& different environment.
Now, the picture is totally
ONLY HE who knows best.

Al-Manar said...

Temuk,

Geli hati membaca kata kata sdr '...berjiwa hamba, berjiwa kambing berjiwa kecil'. Tak terfikir saya hendak gunakan bahasa sebegitu. Bikan alang alang bekas pengajar.

Al-Manar said...

Ummie,

It makes us wonder how naive we were thinking we could choose whichever road we decided. HE knows best.

norzah said...

Nothing is impossible nowadays, Pakcik Al-Manar , as long as it's on the strsight path. Deviate and you'l fall into the hands of syaitan with perhaps faster achievement but bringing one closer to hell. It's never too late to learn nowadays for a second or third degree. Why, you can even earn a degree through a stay in prison! My best wishes to Zira.

sintaicharles said...

I admire her steely determination.

Al-Manar said...

Norzah,

I think, to-day, there are greater number of roads onee can choose from. Tepuk dada tanya selera.

Al-Manar said...

sintaicharles,

I am sure, from time to time, you find some of those with 'steely determination' among your rural children. I love to know how your school performs in the past main exams. If you have time email me some of these statistics for me to see how children of our two localities differ.

sintaicharles said...

Thanks for responding to my comment, Pakcik.

I will try to get the information from the Setiausaha Peperiksaaan in my school.By the way, I have posted the writing about myself.

Unknown said...

She set an example of life-long learning. Going through the process at her own pace.

Al-Manar said...

Sintaicharles,

I do not need the complete and detailed results. I just need the number sitting for the main, number of children scring A's/B's in core subjects and the number scoring D's/E's - approx numbers will do fine. It should give me some form of profile that I can coompare with schools around me.

I am yet to receive the mail. May take a few days. Thank you. You could just email instead of posting hard copies.

Al-Manar said...

Wan,

I am glad to see you here. Incidentally, Sintaicharles above is a teacher and is in Sarawak, too.

Aishah said...

Assalamualaikum Pakcik, I had been away, and therefore I had plenty to catch up for I do enjoy your reminisce. Looking back at my life almost every step I took had been the path less traveled. But then I could also say Allah yang menentukan semuanya because I did not really plan for it to be that way. All I can say is whatever our life has taken us or will lead us, it is all designed and fixed by Allah and everything is Alhamdulillah, MasyaaAllah, InsyaaAllah.

Al-Manar said...

Aishah.
Waalaikum slm, dear Aishah. Indeed, we truly have no real control over our paths in life. What we have is the effort we put into what ever we desire, but the result is not ours to decide. It is a sobering thought. I hope in a small way what I have put together recently helps to give you greater strength. Where we are today is His gift though we may not see and appreciate it, unless we sit back and evaluate pros and cons.