Kawan-Kawan,
I just got back from Alamanda shopping center after sending my parents and my siblings off for a good short holiday at Langkawi at LCCT. I wanted to go with them to the nice island of Langkawi, but decided that I could make good use of time being left alone for the weekend. Maybe I'll go there alone, in the near future. Hopefully when I have enough savings of my own ;)
Okay. As I walked inside the only modern shopping center in the Federal Territory of Putrajaya early this evening, I felt really sorry, sad and touched to those unfortunate ones. What I really mean by those unfortunate ones are mentally-challenged children, especially the ones suffering from Down Syndrome disease.
I felt sorry because they, the mentally-challenged kids, have different facial features than us. I felt sad because they were born this way. I felt touched because despite how different they appearance are from another human being, there are still loving parents willing to take them out to see and enjoy the world.
Despite how sorry and sad and touched I felt back then, I still feel it until now. The feeling is continuous.
I wonder if the child can really understand and appreciate the beauty of this world, the modernity of the shopping complex and the joy that this unforgiving world can offer.
My heart is really all out to this unfortunate child. The parents must be really-really patient in attending to the child's need. I can imagine that it is not easy to take care of this child as they can very difficult to be handled.
I don't know. I leave that to the loving parents to deal with.
Everytime I see mentally-challenged child in the shopping center, my heart really feels heavy. My thoughts are with them. I always wonder how they would feel about their surrounding. I always wonder how they would respond to the person talking to them.
My good mentor, Lynn, once told me that I am a sensitive guy. Yes, Ms Lynn, I am a sensitive guy; I have a soft spot for another (dis)abled human beings.
I feel really happy seeing this people smile and laugh at the simplest of staring at a blinking Famous Amos store. I feel happy when I see joy in their face, even if they are not able to fathom the reasoning behind joy.
And what more, I feel happy whenever I see parents walking with this kids with their hands holding to one another, unaffected by the staring of strangers.
Back to the central topic of mentally-challenged kids: I always wonder what their future would be like. I mean, if let's say their parents died before them, who will take care of them?
Who will bring them out to the shopping center and do some window shopping? Who will bring them out to some nice restaurants like Nando's where they can taste the juicy and tender meat of chicken with Peri-Peri sauce?
Who will bring them to Parkson and choose nice clothes for them to wear? Who will ensure that these kids will be equally treated with some other sane kids? Who will take them to the doctor should they feel ill and sick?
Who will entertain them? Who will look after them? Who will be there for them when no one else would? Who? Who?
And the questions keep going on one after the other.
These are the questions playing around my faculty of mind whenever I see these children in the shopping mall.
Though I should not be affected (like, they are not my relatves; so why should I care), but it is the humanity inside me that make me feels like this. Although I am not responsible for these kids, but somehow, I am spiritually connected to them. Funny how humans can have 1,001 emotions about others.
Anyway. Moving on.
You see, the way parents care for their child is very different from the way the eldest child care for their siblings. Their love, affection and patience are just not the same.
Of course I am being emotional; and I am not surprised if others will lavel me as overly emotional to the point of exaggeration. But this is me, myself and I. This is the other side of Sulhi. No, this is the inner side of Sulhi. The silent side of myself which is rarely displayed on the outside.
Sometimes, I really wonder why God created this people? Sorry God, I don't mean to be rude, but I just wonder why?
Maybe it's just me who cannot accept it, for now. Maybe I needed to be educated about embracing differences in this world. Maybe I needed to be taught a good lesson that these people are loved more by God, of all the people who can think and form judgments.
If you have the answer to this really burning question as to why God created these lovely soul, please do not hesitate to explain it to me via email at msulhi@gmail.com.
You know what, maybe you and I can have this conversation over some nicely brewed coffee. But don't bring these mentally-challenged along for tears may come running down my cheek without me knowing it. And of course, I cannot be seen as emotional in the public as men are expected to be strong and not supposed to let tears to easily burst without acceptable reasons.
Dear Allah, the God that I believe in; as for now, I will accept whatever it is that you have created. Please guide me so that I do not go astray, and please take care of the mentally-challenged children.
I am thankful, O Allah the merciful Lord, that you have bestowed upon me the nikmat (gift) of the ability to think, the ability to feel, the ability to see and above all, the ability to appreciate what you have created.
Forgive all my sins, and take care of all the mentally-challenged children in this world.
Good night, kawan-kawan!
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