I just came back from my Saturday pasar tani routine this morning, sorting out things in the kitchen when I heard the James Bond ring tone from my hand phone. That’s my PLWHA-assigned ring tone. Since Fuzi had been calling me very frequently of late, I thought it was Fuzi again, and my first thought was, “Wonder what problem she has now…”
To my surprise, when I got hold of my phone, I saw Ifa’s name instead. I haven’t been in touch with her for quite some time now.
Remember Ifa? She was one of my clients who did not have enough support from her family, particularly her father. Due to her problematic teenage years, her father lost his trust in her and even said “Biar dia mampus” once when he got fed up paying for Ifa’s medication. Thank God, later the medication was given free.
Ifa had at one time suggested to me that she wanted to stop taking medication so that she’d just die and therefore would not trouble anyone anymore. I told her then that if she didn’t take care of herself, she’d trouble others even more!
Due to the lack of family support, Ifa became such a pessimistic person. During the early months when I got to know her, whenever she called me she’d usually cry because she got so tensed up with her family, particularly her father. Thank God her mother was supportive enough to keep her going. Ifa back then easily fell sick. When I suggested that she should maybe find herself a job to keep her busy so that she wouldn’t worry so much about her HIV, her 2 main excuses were:
- She felt too weak to work
- Her father didn’t trust her enough to let her go out and work.
I remember for our 2006 Family Day in Teluk Batik, I had to personally seek permission from her father to let her come with us. I had to put on my most angelic face then…
Last year for the Family Day at Lost World of Tambun, I simply couldn’t get hold of her. Whenever I called her at home, she was not in and the guy who answered the call sounded as though he wanted to eat me up…
Back to the present… when Ifa called me this morning she asked if I could fetch her as she wanted to come to Ipoh to go to her sister’s house. Since I had not met her for quite some time, I thought it was indeed a good idea for me to fetch her and then send her to her sister’s house. At least I can get some updates on her.
So this afternoon I went to meet up with Ifa. And guess what? The Ifa I met today was a totally different person.
I was happy when Ifa told me she’s now working as a shop assistant at an electrical shop. She is no longer staying with her parents but instead renting a room at the small town where she works. To answer my curiosity, I asked her direct how she got permission from her father, not only to work, but also to stay by herself.
Apparently, too many people, including the doctor, had been asking her when she’d start working. It seems everybody else but her father had suggested that she should find herself a job to keep herself busy. Her mother finally managed to coax her father to let her work.
And the results I must say, is truly amazing. Ifa says she now doesn’t want to even think about her HIV. There are others who are worse off than her, she says. And she doesn’t easily get sick as she used to. Last time all you had to do was to sneeze right in front of her and next thing you knew, she’s down with the flu! But nosirree! Now, she no longer has to worry about that. She’s a much tougher person this time, physically and mentally.
Ahhh… positive thinking… at last! Positive thinking is the best medicine, don’t you think?
What’s that you say? Laughter is the best medicine? Well yeah, maybe, but sometimes if you laugh too much people may think you have gone nuts!
Speaking of going nuts, I think at times people may think I have gone nuts too. With my bluetooth piece worn at my ear hidden underneath my tudung, and my hand phone hidden inside my pocket, sometimes when I answer calls, I may look as though I’m talking to myself. Nobody could see the phone, nobody could see the bluetooth ear piece. All they saw was me talking. Worse, if the caller makes some jokes and I end up laughing myself silly… ALONE!
Aiyohh… what a scene… I must have looked like a makcik-gone-bonkers! Yikes! Look what technology has done to me!!
To my surprise, when I got hold of my phone, I saw Ifa’s name instead. I haven’t been in touch with her for quite some time now.
Remember Ifa? She was one of my clients who did not have enough support from her family, particularly her father. Due to her problematic teenage years, her father lost his trust in her and even said “Biar dia mampus” once when he got fed up paying for Ifa’s medication. Thank God, later the medication was given free.
Ifa had at one time suggested to me that she wanted to stop taking medication so that she’d just die and therefore would not trouble anyone anymore. I told her then that if she didn’t take care of herself, she’d trouble others even more!
Due to the lack of family support, Ifa became such a pessimistic person. During the early months when I got to know her, whenever she called me she’d usually cry because she got so tensed up with her family, particularly her father. Thank God her mother was supportive enough to keep her going. Ifa back then easily fell sick. When I suggested that she should maybe find herself a job to keep her busy so that she wouldn’t worry so much about her HIV, her 2 main excuses were:
- She felt too weak to work
- Her father didn’t trust her enough to let her go out and work.
I remember for our 2006 Family Day in Teluk Batik, I had to personally seek permission from her father to let her come with us. I had to put on my most angelic face then…
Last year for the Family Day at Lost World of Tambun, I simply couldn’t get hold of her. Whenever I called her at home, she was not in and the guy who answered the call sounded as though he wanted to eat me up…
Back to the present… when Ifa called me this morning she asked if I could fetch her as she wanted to come to Ipoh to go to her sister’s house. Since I had not met her for quite some time, I thought it was indeed a good idea for me to fetch her and then send her to her sister’s house. At least I can get some updates on her.
So this afternoon I went to meet up with Ifa. And guess what? The Ifa I met today was a totally different person.
I was happy when Ifa told me she’s now working as a shop assistant at an electrical shop. She is no longer staying with her parents but instead renting a room at the small town where she works. To answer my curiosity, I asked her direct how she got permission from her father, not only to work, but also to stay by herself.
Apparently, too many people, including the doctor, had been asking her when she’d start working. It seems everybody else but her father had suggested that she should find herself a job to keep herself busy. Her mother finally managed to coax her father to let her work.
And the results I must say, is truly amazing. Ifa says she now doesn’t want to even think about her HIV. There are others who are worse off than her, she says. And she doesn’t easily get sick as she used to. Last time all you had to do was to sneeze right in front of her and next thing you knew, she’s down with the flu! But nosirree! Now, she no longer has to worry about that. She’s a much tougher person this time, physically and mentally.
Ahhh… positive thinking… at last! Positive thinking is the best medicine, don’t you think?
What’s that you say? Laughter is the best medicine? Well yeah, maybe, but sometimes if you laugh too much people may think you have gone nuts!
Speaking of going nuts, I think at times people may think I have gone nuts too. With my bluetooth piece worn at my ear hidden underneath my tudung, and my hand phone hidden inside my pocket, sometimes when I answer calls, I may look as though I’m talking to myself. Nobody could see the phone, nobody could see the bluetooth ear piece. All they saw was me talking. Worse, if the caller makes some jokes and I end up laughing myself silly… ALONE!
Aiyohh… what a scene… I must have looked like a makcik-gone-bonkers! Yikes! Look what technology has done to me!!
