40th day after ...

Today is Aba Jang's 40th day after he left us. Yesterday, a few of us went to the Anglican cemetery in Batu Kitang to lit up candles for him. Though it was raining the whole day, we decided to carry on with our plan to go there. We arrived at the cemetery around 3.30pm and there were quite a number of cars parked along the road. Must be a funeral.

It was cold and wet out there, luckily I brought my sweater jacket. We walked from our cars, passing by tombstones after tombstones. Stopping for a few seconds when Mom, Mak Yi and Mak Kok saw familiar ones. We even stop to look at nice tombstones for ideas for Aba Jang's.

A funeral had already ended by the time we reached the graveyard. An Iban family just lost their grandmother / aunty / sister. A 50 year old lady. May God bless her soul. We moved quietly as possible, ignoring them as we searched. It took a while to look for him. "Aba Jang, dini alai dik?", I called out softly. Almost instant, Lila found him..

Mom saw two candles had already been lit. We cleared out old candles and rubbish on top of his grave. Mom took out new ones and placed two big candles on both sides of the cross. I lit them up and we started to lit the other candles. It was difficult to make them stand in this rain.

Suddenly, a family member of the funeral greeted us and told us that she knew Aba Jang. One of her relative was Aba Jang's friend. He was the one who lit the two candles. She even mentioned that the deceased knew him, too. The deceased was also a kidney patient and she received treatment from the Kuching general hospital just like Aba Jang. Also, her illness took her life away.
They moved out to their cars and we were left alone. We finished up lighting the candles and we talked for a while before we left. The rain was getting heavier so we couldn't stay long. Mom, Mak Yi and Mak Kok cried a bit. I knew it was still hard on them to face the fact that their brother died.

We said our goodbyes to him and we made a promise that we will come and visit him again. Our next task is to choose the right design for his tombstone. Mom said to put flower design on his tombstone. We all disagreed with her. I don't think Aba Jang wants that...definitely not.

We will miss you, Aba Jang. Good bye...

@}->--