The Handmaiden of God

Who helped you to hush down those bad semester results? Who becomes a mediator when u had a terrible argument with dad?

Mother. They are our lifeline. The mediator when our badly failed mid-term exams demand a big serious explanation. The one that made it possible for candy snack grabs during petrol stops on long journeys and balik kampongs . The one who whispered the right thing to do when ayah gets really mad. The one who gave advice to us which girlfriend that really fit and good which would eventually carry her genes down the line.

My dad used (and still) to be a strict person that forbids me from eating inside the vehicle during long journeys. It was a painful struggle to do so when it involves such long journeys from Bandar Sri Damansara to Pekan Changlun. An almost 5-hour journey without snacks felt like a cat with its neck tied on a leash. Gazing upon a fresh fat fish which is so close yet impossible to reach. Occasional petrol stop made me crave for some of those colourful candies which would enlighten the day and gave the tongue an extra jolt of sweetness.

Mama went inside the petrol mart since ayah has wanted to read the newspaper of the day. I was told to stay inside the vehicle, and as a good boy I did. Looking through the window, I noticed that mama went out the mart only with the newspaper clutched under her armpit. No signs of carbonated water, candy packets, choki-choki or some tid-bits like asamboi. Darn! I cursed myself.

As ayah still busy filling up fuel and summoning the petrol pump workers to soak and clean the windshield with the miraculous squeegee (I thought it was a miraculous invention at that age), slowly, mama took out a packet of candy out of her handbag. I was surprised and excited, smiled from ear to ear. Oh! How nice and wonderful the world is, those were the things that you needed very very much! Plus, its my favorite brand with my favourite variant!

“ Pandai pandai sorok tau “ my mom reminded me. And I shall devour those candies when dad was on the reclined front passenger seat to pick some rest.

10years sure have passed quickly. It was some of my memoirs which I surely cannot forget. One of my ex-girlfriend still described the look of me seeing happy things as; she elaborately described; “a little boy who got his ice-cream”. In spirits of high and lows, mothers are purely reliable life supporters; they gave hope in ways where we should have run out of viable ways to settle problems. I am very ashamed that I can fail them in many ways. More ashamed, as I realized but changes were not as humanely swift as other kids had possibly done to their parents.

Besides mom, I have met plenty of aspiring and exciting women in my life. Women in Islam are regarded as The Handmaiden of god; their roles are not restricted to baby nursing, household cleaning and meal preparation. They are among the single strongest instrument of believers purveyor. They were given lots of advantage and rights including rights of education, keeping their earned money and dedicated verse in the holy Koran. They are even promised a position in paradise if their struggle to deliver babies ended in departure. Women in Islam are not restricted from liberties, if they love pretty and attractive clothes go ahead and wear it. All is fine as long as the clothes worn are not provocative. Mostly, there is no need to embrace the Western feminism.

The liberties of women in Islam can be simply proven through the equality of sexes which the God has shown. There were no such things as virgin robe, in which women can lead a healthy sexual life (provided done with legit husband) while showing as much divinity towards God. Their basic rights and purpose to function as a human (performing the hajj, doing prayers,having sex) were never taken away without questions of religion impurity.

Western obsession of expressionism/exhibitionism is a bit weird. They love show to the public in frank openness such as wearing lingerie outside just to bring out the vibe of feminism. While ethics rich cultures of hiding/covering a women body were regarded as our stigma seeing women body parts as something shameful. So here we are; like monkey trying to emulate how a donkey walks when we tirelessly tried to embrace western expressionism of publicizing life goings-on and problems, as if life is a one-hour prime-time television drama ala-One Three Hill. The eastern values have taught us the importance of keeping the vibe behind the walls of homes, within the vicinity of family members. And architecturally we see westerners had an affinity of creating big public spaces which contrary to the east side, particularly, the Chinese and Japanese, the importance of integrating gardens or open space within the enclave/enclosure of homes.