Visiting

It's been more than two months since Kak Eda passed away.
Last week, Kak Eda's (and my) very good friend, Roy (Rohaya Ghani), called because she wanted to make another visit to Kak Eda's grave but she did not quite remember the way to the cemetery.
Roy lives with her husband, John Smurthwaite and their youngest (of four) child, Iskandar, in Dalaman Duta in Kuala Lumpur. USJ is not a very familiar area to her.
It isn't to me, either, but I made sure I memorised the route the last time we went.
Roy had also gathered our old friends (from school) -- Aminah Hussein, Diane Lesley Cheah, Angeline Chivapathy, Ku Nur Hanim Ku Bahador and Wan Julia Hood -- for the visit.
The last time we visited her grave was a week after she died. It was Azah who brought us -- Roy, Angeline, Diane, Hanim and I -- there because we did not know the way.
But this time, only Aminah was able to make it. Angeline was in Port Dickson while the rest had other engagements and could only leave their homes after 12 noon.
The plan was to meet at Roy's place at 10am and we'd all go (in my car) to the cemetery. Roy would prepare lunch for us. (Aminah had to leave by 1.30pm to fetch her son in Mantin, Negeri Sembilan).
We could not wait for the rest, so it was Roy, Aminah and I.
Off we went on the NKVE towards Subang Jaya.
The last time we went, it was raining.This morning, it was hot and sunny.
We brought pieces of newspaper, some flowers, a bottle of water, two umbrellas and surat yassin.
Al-Fatihah.

When we got together the first time to visit Kak Eda's grave, it also gave us a wonderful opportunity to meet up and really really catch up with each other.
We have known Roy and Aminah since Form One (Assunta Secondary School), Wan Julia since Form Three (same school) while Angeline, Hanim and Diane -- since primary school (Assunta Primary School).
Kak Eda, Roy, Angeline, Diane, Hanim and I were especially close throughout our school years.
We were in sports and athletics together, in our softball team. In and outside school.
We had a fabulous time growing up.

Roy, Aminah, Wan Julia, Kak Eda and I continued our friendship at UiTM. We still kept in touch with Angeline and Diane.
We never lost touch. None of us ever did.

The last time, after visiting Kak Eda's grave, we drove around State (PJ new town) to the spots where we used to hang out. Of course, so much had changed. So little was familiar.The cinema and bus stop were no more.
We finally decided to lunch at Lotus (the former site of State cinema).
It was a delightful occasion as we reminisced the past, Kak Eda, our teachers, the prefects, boys and, well, life in general back then.

This time, lunch at Roy's, we touched on more or less of the same topics.
Wan Julia, Hanim and Diane joined us later. Still on the same topics.

We plan to visit Kak Eda's grave every month on Saturday that falls closest to the 8th (Kak Eda died on March 8).

What did they say about old friends?

"Make new friends,
Don't forget the old,
For friendship is precious
Like silver and gold".

I wrote this in my friends' autograph books in primary school, and my friends wrote the same thing in mine.

(from bottom - 1: Roy & Aminah at Kak Eda's resting place, 2: Aminah, me, Roy and Wan Ju, 3:
clockwise - Roy, Hanim, Diane and Wan Ju.)