In Loving Memory of My Mother-In-Law...... Hjh Fatimah Unggut.

 

I'm honoured that my late mother-in-law's  youngest daughter, Meng ( Kee Salmiah) has invited me as an  author, again,  in this FAJ Family Heritage site. Maybe it is not my place to have this post here. But please allow me this chance to dedicate this orbituary  in all my sincerity to a great person I know. She was  my beloved mother-in-law, Hjh Fatimah bt. Unggut. 

The first time I laid my eyes on her was when my husband ( husband-to-be at that time) and I went to receive both his parents at the  Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah International Airport, Subang.

I was kind of nervous to meet them for the first time,  since I had only seen  their photos. 

I still had a vivid memory of  my first meeting with her. She was clad  in a  short, cotton-laced, dark brown kebaya, a batik sarong with a selendang wrapped around her neck and a handbag slinged over her shoulder. Her hair was pure black and she had it done up neatly  into a sanggul. As she walked out towards us, I  noticed what a simple and humble person she was.  I felt greatly honoured that both she and her husband  decided to come all the way from  Tandek ( her kampong ) to be at our wedding.

My presence into the Unggut and Kee family was made official on the 15th day of August, 1982.

The Muslim calender would be 26  Syawal, 1402.

So it was faithed that I became  the granddaughter-in-law of Unggut bin Lindungan from Tandek and Kee Abdullah @Kee Kim Swee from Tawau.

The road  I  travelled to my mother- in - law's  kampong was  like a Camel Adventure. You see I'm not really a kampong girl though my grandfather had bought a land and built a house in a place called Kampong Baru, in  Kuala Lumpur.  Being branded a  KL girl, I was not supposed  to have any inkling  about the domestic front.

Therefore it came as no surprised to me, during my one week stint at my in-laws'  I was put to the test. The next day after I arrived I had to show my culinary skills.  Frankly, I myself was not quite pleased to the outcome of my cooking but neither did my in-laws complained. 

My husband at that time was very supportive too and dare not open his mouth. It  was  crucial that his parents approved of me. It's rather too late, don't you think ? They were stuck with me for the rest of the week whether they liked it or not. Excellent strategy, eh ?  Get married first then show your skills.

Later,  after many  visits to my in-laws, I was exempted from cooking. Really, my cooking must be that bad ..eh ?

As I described earlier, the first impression  I had of my mother-in-law was that she was a simple  and humble person. Later, however,  I learnt that she had  a big heart too.  I was surprised to know that she could talk politics with you till late night. She would relate stories and followed by her laughter.

During my  stays at the kampong, my mother-in law would woke up early in the morning and left the house to attend to her kebun. She would bring something back from the kebun either to have it for lunch or for tea time.  Each time I went back to kampong for Hari Raya, she would packed  something for me to bring back to KL. My favourite would be the pisang Sabah. 

 And if it's the mango season, she'll packed them too.  

I remembered one incident when Rafique ( still a baby that time ),  was  crying in the middle of the night. She and my father-in-law woke up to attend to Rafique. She came up with some old folks' remedy  and managed to put Rafique back to sleep till morning. 

She's a proud person too.  Even though she had children living in the big town ( KK ),  she would never overstayed her presence whenever she needed to go into town on some matters. She would  give excuses  that there's no one  to look after her kebun,  her chickens and ducks. She would give the same excuse whenever she spent her holidays with us.

About a year after my father-in-law passed away, her health was failing on her.  Realising this, my husband  requested her together with his youngest brother to come to KL. We thought that this trip would cheer her up. She had always been a happy person.  But I saw  that her spirits were down. When we send  her off at the airport, it was  for the last time. 

We received news  sometime later that she left all of us, on the 26th day of  September, 1994.

To my beloved mother-in-law...

You are missed dearly but not forgotten.

I would never forget your laugh.

I would never forget how you stood vigil through the night for my son Rafique. 

How you never in any way made me feel a stranger in your own home. 

In every prayer I do,  I remember your name and ask Allah for His forgiveness...

For it was great to have a mother-in-law like you who bore no grudges and ill-feelings.

May your soul rest in peace together with the  para solihin. 

Amin.