Come to think of it, I think that we (mere mortals) are just assets. We are just tools for the higher beings. Playing infinitesimal roles in a much bigger settings and for a very much grandeur purposes.
My personal experiences amply testify to the above. Here are but just glimpses of the many anecdotes throughout my simple life.
As a mere driver:
It has been weeks that I haven’t got in touch with my elder sister (now in Makkah, performing Hajj) a divorcee, who is not only lovely but had many trials and tribulations in her life. Suddenly out of nothing I had this urge to call her. Called her I did, and then went straight to where she was, to find out that she was in trouble as she had no transport to bring her home. She was surprised to see me. She told me that she wished that the Almighty could help her as she was clearly in distress. And walla, her little brother came to her rescue.
Ringgit in thy wallet:
It was a Friday noon. I was at the mosque nearby to my office. Before taking the wudhu, I normally eat a banana from the bunch given as sedekah. Then I saw a man. He was an elderly man. He wore a ragged baju Melayu, albeit a clean one. There were some patches on the baju. But then I remembered, our dear Prophet s.a.w. also had those. Anyway, then there was this urge, came to me at that instant, as if telling me to give fifty ringgit to him. Checking my wallet, I realised that I have only sixty bucks, and I haven’t had my lunch yet. Not to mention that there will be toll to pay on my way back home after office. Ahh, I think maybe this feeling, whatever it was, will soon be over after taking the wudhu. Served me right, leaving the ablution room, I saw again this man. Then suddenly there’s the first azan. The urge was getting stronger, and I had to submit to it. Just after the azan and before the solat sunat, I quickly took the fifty ringgit note and went to him and put in his palm, and quickly went away and joined the rest as the jamaah readied for the sunat prayer. I thought I saw him raising his hand praising the Almighty for whatever need that has been fulfilled.
After the Jumaat prayer, a friend of mine offered to treat me for lunch.
Famous Amos for the anonymous:
Every week or so, without fail, I will buy Famous Amos cookies for my kids. All of them, especially Ayra loved the ‘no nut’ cookies. Normally, I bought about 200 or 300 grams after my meetings at KLCC or the nearby KL Sentral and then took the Putra LRT and stopped at Taman Jaya where I normally parked my car. That day, not only I bought the ‘no nut’ cookies for the kids, but two deliciously-looking big soft cookies for their mom (my dearest Jay).
From KLCC the train was quite full as it was about 5 pm. Being typical me, I don’t give a damn about the people on the train, as you could find many sorts of people riding the train. But then, there was one particular man. Short but stocky. Looked tired. And I don’t really care. He looked foreign. Maybe he was from the Philippines. Again I don’t care. But, as if I was forced to listen to a conversation between him and another person. From the bits and pieces, I knew that this guy is a Sabahan from Bajau ethnic and came to KL looking for job last week, which until now hadn’t had the luck yet. He was on his way to Kelana Jaya, where there was an opportunity for work. Then my mobile started to ring and there was a call from one of my customers now in Turkmenistan. I was in deep conversation together with the noise in the train and that Taman Jaya station was the next stop. Then this urge came again. The urge to give the Famous Amos cookies to this fella. What the ...?
Then again, I thought, my kids can do without cookies this time, and maybe tomorrow I’ll buy for them. But this man who travelled from his faraway home in this concrete jungle would definitely deserve the cookies more than my kids (and my wifey). Without second thought, when the train stopped at Taman Jaya, after the doors were opened for alight, I passed him the cookies. It really caught him by surprise, but he smiled and thanked me.
I would have replied, “Hey, it wasn’t me.”
A handsome guy with a sport hybrid:
The other day, I was on my way back from my office which almost 70 km away from my house. It's been a kind of mundane ritual that everyday I would stop over either in Tesco or Aeon in Puchong to purchase 'something' (pizza, McD, KFC etc.) for my kids or buying some groceries when I received 'orders' from either the wife or kids via WhatApps.
Anyway, one fine day I think I was a wee bit stylish in my attire. I was wearing a Zara navy blue blazer along with my Levi's button-fly 501, complete with brown leather Clarks Chelsea boots. I remember buying this nice pair of boots in Bicester Village near Oxford last summer. I then parked my car at the sideway parking in front of Tesco and ready to alight from the car. Not before looking at the rear-view mirror to make sure that I looked great, and glancing the time at my Omega Seamaster Professional (the one that James Bond wore in Goldeneye), slightly adjusting the Tiffany & Co. sterling silver ring on my finger, while taking a grip at my iPhone ...
While I was completely and almost totally immersed by my ownself, I heard a knock on the car window. An elderly petite Indian lady keep on knocking and started mumbling in an incomprehensible words and she was very animated and using a lot of hand gestures. I then switch off the BFM radio station and turn off the ignition key and got out from the car.
I went straight to the lady and wanted to find out what was that all about.
"Ada apa ni aci?" I said to her calmly. Then I put my arm onto her shoulders, patting her very gently.
"Boleh cerita semula tak?"
She then narrated that, her scooter was broken down and had to get it fixed and it costs her some RM32, and she's now kinda late for an interview as a nurse in the nearby Columbia Asia Hospital and bla bla bla .... maybe if I could assist her by lending her that amount of money.
"Ohhh ...." I just smiled.
"Itu small problem aci," I keep on putting my smile and gave her RM50, and nodded to say goodbye.
"Terima kasih Encik."
I turned around and wanting to say this to her, "It's not a problem, it's my pleasure to assist a fellow human being ... and I know I'm currently being used again. Of which I don't mind at all."
An Aerospace Engineer Aspirant
It has been almost six months, I was in my new role as the Industry Expert in a big GLC. I'm very grateful to be doing what I think I'm good at, i.e. back to the Oil & Gas industry. Whereas, in the last three years, I was in the Aviation Industry, dealing with aircrafts and what not, which are my interests and hobby.
Ok, aircrafts, aerospace and aviation are my extreme passions, well, since I watched Top Gun, starring Tom Cruise. Which sane 18 year old boy wouldn't want to fly the supersonic fighter aircraft, donning leather jackets, riding superbike, wearing Ray Ban sunglasses, with gorgeous girlfriend, and what not, while thinking that he's also a not bad looking guy ?
Since my eyesight was poor, so the nearest to Top Gun was doing Aeronautical Engineering at Glasgow University. With some struggles (with my puppy-love life tragedy, the Scottish harsh weather and the difficult engineering courses, though not necessary in that order), I managed to graduate in the Summer of 1991.
The other day, while getting ready to go the office, my wife said that her auntie just passed away.
"Innalillahiwainnalillahirajiun. We should ziarah and go to her funeral", I said.
"You can pick me up later at the office."
At noon, my wife dropped by at my office and we drove to Tanjong Karang. When we arrived, the funeral was already over, but we spend some time with the families and cousins of my wife. One cousin sister of hers together with her two children then accompanied us to visit the graveyard.
The sun was at its peak, and the day was very hot. So I put on my Texas cap, which I bought recently on my way to the NASA Johnson Space Centre in Houston, which I kept in my car.
After some doas and supplications to the roh of the arwah at the graveyard, we made our way back to our cars. I fondly hugged my wife's cousin's son and chatted with him. The thirteen year old boy said that he has the ambition to become an Aerospace Engineer.
"Really son ?"
"Uncle ni sebenarnya seorang Aerospace Engineer," and told him to study hard, and be good in Maths and Science, and one fine day, God Willing, your dream will be come true.
And I gave him my Texas cap.
