Monday, June 25, 2007

Long Lost Mum To Come Home After 61 years

I cannot remember if there was any story like this one -- of 86 year-old Mariam Sahari who left Malaya for Korea 61 years ago without ever being able to contact her family and, is now finally returning home to her three children in Johor.
Circumstances prevented her from returning home.
Her children -- Ramlah, Jailani and Jamnah -- now in their 60s and 70s, thought that she had died in the war as there was no news from her.
They could hardly believe the news that their mother is still alive and is coming home.
Mariam never forgot her children those lonely years away from home. Neither did her children forget her.
Who would have thought that after all these years, mother and children would be reunited?

Their wish to be together has now come true.

Read the story here.

19 comments:

Rockybru said...

Wow. Too good to be true. So many Malaysians have gone to Korea and come back all these years. Our leaders have been to Korea for visits, meetings, and holidays. We have students and even bloggers who are based there. It's amazing that after 61 years, they are going to be re-united. Most people don't live to see 61.

Unknown said...

My heart goes out to Mariam when I read about her story...and now, after reading that her children are still alive and can be found, I feel that Mariam's chance of coming back and be re-united with them will materialise...

I wonder, the ordeals that she had endured living in Korea...

I pary that this reunion will bind the long lost family bonding, kak. God Willing...

Salam and take care.

Hi&Lo said...

Miracles do happen.

Pi Bani said...

I echo Rocky's wow. One of the most unbelievable "jejak kasih". Hopefully they will be reunited soon, insyaAllah.

Anonymous said...

I still remember when I was a small kid staying in Teluk Intan. The 30 minutes mak was away to buy groceries at the shop rasa macam lama sangat. And when I moved to KL to study and work, satu bulan tak jumpa Mak rasa macam rindu yang amat menggila. Ini kan pula 61 tahun ...

NURAINA A SAMAD said...

ahirudin (rocky): ramlah, jailaini and jamnah probably never thought that they would live to see the day they'd be reunited with their mother.
they had given up hope of ever seeing her. they thought she must have died.
all this by the grace and will of God.
I am so happy for them.

NURAINA A SAMAD said...

raden galoh:
yes, dalilah... her life in korea is a story in itself. she is old... really old. i think thoughts of seeing her children and her determination to return home must have kept her going and going... probably that was what kept her alive.
i feel so humbled by her experience and that of her children.

NURAINA A SAMAD said...

hi&lo: what else can we call this, but a miracle.
can't help saying this, ya --- miracles do happen.yes. repeating it. miracles do happen.

NURAINA A SAMAD said...

so happy for them.... but imagine how many years they have lost...
i am sure there is a reason for all this..
so happy, but so so sad in so many ways.

NURAINA A SAMAD said...

anak bapak: i know the feeling, although it had never happened to me.
but i really know the feeling of not having your beloved mother around.
sigh... to have just one more day...

Anonymous said...

Makcik Mariam reminds me of my late grandmother, my beloved mak...she was 84 when she passed away.
looking at elderly women like her, especially knowing about the hardship that she had to endure, makes my heart bleeds..
hope she gets to come home in due time and receives warm hugs from her children.

NURAINA A SAMAD said...

nefertiti,
i know....

J.T. said...

A rare case, indeed. So glad that they are going to be reunited.

Elly said...

hi nuraina,

i love it when u say miracles do happen:-) and i sincerely hope that Puan Mariam will be reunited with her family as soon as possible! 61 years are just too long...

NURAINA A SAMAD said...

JT: isn't it (rare) just?
a feel-good story, yet so much sadness had passed through all their lives.

Elly: I sure hope so...

Anonymous said...

This story is surreal, out of this world. Incredible. I just wept. This one is for Hollywood.

NURAINA A SAMAD said...

nstman : surreal.. yes, kind of. but i don't know about it being for Hollywood, though.

Unknown said...

Kak Ena,

I've tagged you! Let's make this meme a noble effort to assist others. Pls visit my blog to find out about it ya...

Love and salaam...

Anonymous said...

Kak Aina, saya teringat nenek saya, yang juga saya panggil mak. dah tua begini, anak2nya ramai yang tak nak jaga. ada yang kata menyusahkan mereka, sebab tak boleh nak ke sana ke mari sebab nenek ada dan kena bela nenek.

sekarang nenek tinggal dengan my parents di Jitra, rasanya puaslah hati masing-masing. tapi yang bengangnya, mereka buat nenek seperti bola, janji nak bela, tapi bila orang tua tu ke rumah mereka, tidak dilayan sebaiknya.

I think she's better off with my parents. at least she have her own room. And she have the space she needed. Plus our family have been taking care of her since more than 10 years ago.

I wanted so much to take he to live with me, but I can't afford a house yet. Hopefully soon.