Sedar tak sedar sudah setahun lebih primadona kegemaran ramai, Allahyarham Azean Irdawaty meninggalkan kita.

Allahyarhamah yang ketika itu berusia 63 tahun disahkan meninggal dunia sekitar jam 8.30 malam (17 Disember) di Pusat Perubatan Universiti Malaya (PPUM).

Namun, apa yang menyentuh hati kami apabila anak perempuan Allahyarham telah berkongsi isi kandungan diari kehidupan ibunya ketika itu.

I Cried – for missing her

I found this book last year, kept among Mama’s treasured jewellery. Naturally, after reading what I saw, I cried – for missing her, and for being thankful for what she went through for me. But it also made me glad that it was Mama’s habit to jot things down and keep everything in record. And what more, for having kept the book through out all these years, despite having moved house so many times. Who knew I’d one day find this book. But I’m glad I did.

This was her account book

I had been keeping the book with me ever since I found it. And today, I find it fitting to share with everyone what Mama wrote, in conjunction with Mother’s Day.  This was the countdown to my birth, written by Mama, on a green buku 555 (everyone had one of those), in green ink (I wonder if that’s secretly why green is my favourite colour). This was her accounts book.

On a page dated 20th June 1990, exactly 13 days before I was born, Mama recorded the spendings and balance for that day. Among other things, was written “Inessa’s things: spent RM 87.70, balance RM 784.30.” She was already expecting me any day by then, perhaps, and decided to prepare the things she’ll need for me.

Chronology of her counting down to delivering me

And evidently, before I was born, she hadn’t planned on calling me Ines for short, just yet. But it’s nice to see my name in writing before I’m even born. And on the back page of the book, was the detailed and almost minute-by-minute update/chronology of her counting down to delivering me:
– Uterine contractions started at around 5:00 pm
– 6:30, fertilized green plants & watered indoor plants.
– 7:00 – contractions every 10 minutes.
Benjy helped to pack.
– 8:00 – felt a burst.
– 8:04 – waterbag burst.
– 8:20 – Mat & Ja fetched to send to Pantai – admitted.
– 9:25 Karl appeared.
– 10:00 – Labour started.
– 10:20 – Energised.
– 11:05 – Delivered.

Thank you, Ma

Thank you, Ma, for the precise and beautiful story of my birth.  She was 39 years old when she found out that she was pregnant with me. I was a surprise baby, and she wanted to keep me despite warnings by her gynae. Mainly because she had waited 9 years for my sister, she decided she wasn’t about to let me go.

My dad Khairil Anwar Rashidi was at work then, playing music at a hotel, which was why she called her brother Omar Khayam and sister Nor Aliza Abdul Samad to fetch her to hospital. Thank you, Om and Umi.

She was 40 by the time I was born, but she had made extra effort to be sure she kept herself extra healthy for her pregnancy and delivery, which was why she was still able to do gardening just hours before delivery. That was also probably why her labour was so short.

And apparently, my delivery was the easiest, despite at that age, what more with no epidural and no Caesarean. Thank God she kept me, and thank God it was easy. But honestly, thank God for you, Ma. I love you always. Happy Mother’s Day.

Sumber: Inessa Irdawaty Facebook