Sunday, November 7, 2010
MARRIAGE
When I got home that night as my wife served dinner, I held her hand and said, I've got something to tell you. She sat down and ate quietly. Again I observed the hurt in her eyes.
Suddenly I didn't know how to open my mouth. But I had to let her know what I was thinking. I want a divorce. I raised the topic calmly.
She didn't seem to be annoyed by my words, instead she asked me softly, why?
I avoided her question. This made her angry. She threw away the chopsticks and shouted at me, you are not a man! That night, we didn't talk to each other. She was weeping. I knew she wanted to find out what had happened to our marriage. But I could hardly give her a satisfactory answer; she had lost my heart to Jane. I didn't love her anymore. I just pitied her!
With a deep sense of guilt, I drafted a divorce agreement which stated that she could own our house, our car, and 30% stake of my company.
She glanced at it and then tore it into pieces. The woman who had spent ten years of her life with me had become a stranger. I felt sorry for her wasted time, resources and energy but I could not take back what I had said for I loved Jane so dearly. Finally she cried loudly in front of me, which was what I had expected to see. To me her cry was actually a kind of release. The idea of divorce which had obsessed me for several weeks seemed to be firmer and clearer now.
The next day, I came back home very late and found her writing something at the table. I didn't have supper but went straight to sleep and fell asleep very fast because I was tired after an eventful day with Jane.
When I woke up, she was still there at the table writing. I just did not care so I turned over and was asleep again.
In the morning she presented her divorce conditions: she didn't want anything from me, but needed a month's notice before the divorce. She requested that in that one month we both struggle to live as normal a life as possible. Her reasons were simple: our son had his exams in a month's time and she didn't want to disrupt him with our broken marriage.
This was agreeable to me. But she had something more, she asked me to recall how I had carried her into out bridal room on our wedding day.
She requested that every day for the month's duration I carry her out of our bedroom to the front door every morning. I thought she was going crazy. Just to make our last days together bearable I accepted her odd request.
I told Jane about my wife's divorce conditions. . She laughed loudly and thought it was absurd. No matter what tricks she applies, she has to face the divorce, she said scornfully.
My wife and I hadn't had anybody contact since my divorce intention was explicitly expressed. So when I carried her out on the first day, we both appeared clumsy. Our son clapped behind us, daddy is holding mommy in his arms. His words brought me a sense of pain. From the bedroom to the sitting room, then to the door, I walked over ten meters with her in my arms. She closed her eyes and said softly; don't tell our son about the divorce. In odded, feeling somewhat upset. I put her down outside the door. She went to wait for the bus to work. I drove alone to the office.
On the second day, both of us acted much more easily. She leaned on my chest. I could smell the fragrance of her blouse. I realized that I hadn't looked at this woman carefully for a long time. I realized she was not young any more. There were fine wrinkles on her face, her hair was graying! Our marriage had taken its toll on her. For a minute I wondered what I had done to her.
On the fourth day, when I lifted her up, I felt a sense of intimacy returning. This was the woman who had given ten years of her life to me.
On the fifth and sixth day, I realized that our sense of intimacy was growing again. I didn't tell Jane about this. It became easier to carry her as the month slipped by. Perhaps the everyday workout made me stronger.
She was choosing what to wear one morning. She tried on quite a few dresses but could not find a suitable one. Then she sighed, all my dresses have grown bigger. I suddenly realized that she had grown so thin, that was the reason why I could carry her more easily.
Suddenly it hit me... she had buried so much pain and bitterness in her heart. Subconsciously I reached out and touched her head.
Our son came in at the moment and said, Dad, it's time to carry mom out. To him, seeing his father carrying his mother out had become an essential part of his life. My wife gestured to our son to come closer and hugged him tightly. I turned my face away because I was afraid I might change my mind at this last minute. I then held her in my arms, walking from the bedroom, through the sitting room, to the hallway. Her hand surrounded my neck softly and naturally. I held her body tightly; it was just like our wedding day.
But her much lighter weight made me sad. On the last day, when I held her in my arms I could hardly move a step. Our son had gone to school. I held her tightly and said, I hadn't noticed that our life lacked intimacy.
I drove to the office.... jumped out of the car swiftly without locking the door. I was afraid any delay would make me change my mind...I walked upstairs. Jane opened the door and I said to her, Sorry, Jane, I do not want the divorce anymore.
She looked at me, astonished, and then touched my forehead. Do you have a fever? She said.
I moved her hand off my head. Sorry, Jane, I said, I won't divorce. My marriage life was boring probably because she and I didn't value the details of our lives, not because we didn't love each other anymore. Now I realize that since I carried her into my home on our wedding day I am supposed to hold her until death do us apart.
Jane seemed to suddenly wake up. She gave me a loud slap and then slammed the door and burst into tears. I walked downstairs and drove away.
At the floral shop on the way, I ordered a bouquet of flowers for my wife. The salesgirl asked me what to write on the card. I smiled and wrote, I'll carry you out every morning until death do us apart.
That evening I arrived home, flowers in my hands, a smile on my face, I run up stairs, only to find my wife in the bed - dead. My wife had been fighting CANCER for months and I was so busy with Jane to even notice. She knew that she would die soon and she wanted to save me from the whatever negative reaction from our son, in case we push thru with the divorce.-- At least, in the eyes of our son--- I'm a loving husband....
The small details of your lives are what really matter in a relationship. It is not the mansion, the car, property, the money in the bank. These create an environment conducive for happiness but cannot give happiness in themselves. So find time to be your spouse's friend and do those little things for each other that build intimacy. Do have a real happy marriage!
Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.
By Stephanie Halmilton
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It is a wonderful, beautiful feeling to nurture love and enjoy the flowers and fruits that grows... the "climax" of a relationship is not at the beginning of the honeymoon or dating period... it's reaching one climax after another... and another... and another...
By sharing this... you just might just make a difference in someone's marriage or a relationship.
Feel free to forward this to someone you love... wherever they are in their relationship right now, as you have chosen each other and to begin the next phase of your journey together... it's a great reminder to consistently reach an even deeper connection with the one you love, grow the love with each moment that passes by and sharing the gifts of your love with the world.
Love & Light,
Jacy Wee
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
cerita sedih seorang suami
Aku dah kawin skarang. Bini aku memang baik sangat2. Tapi dia x seperti yang aku expect masa kami belom kawin dulu. Masa belom kawin, aku tengok dia memang sorang yang pendiam je, jarang gile cakap ngan laki. Member2 mmg puji la cara dia. So memang susah jugak aku nak cuba tegur dia masa tu.. segan dowh. Memang obvious lah kalau aku tegur. Tapi aku suka dia macam tu, so xde la cemburu sangat sebab dia jarang borak2 ngan laki..
Cantik? Memang la, kalu x aku comfirm x sangkut punyer. Haha. Cantik pada mata aku la. Member2 pon ade yang cube usha. Sori le dia nak layan. Haha. Memang market. Last2 aku yang dapat, memang rasa bangga giler. hehe..
Eh, dok ngumpat2 pasal dia, lupa lak nak kasi tau nama. Nama panggilan dia Ara. Nama betol dirahsiakan. Hoho..
Aku usha cara yang leklok la, gi jumpa bapak dia dluu. gentlemen beb! Slow talk ngan bapak dia. Err, bapak dia nama Marzuki.. Bapak dia ni jenis sound direct rupenyer.. Pergh, mmg kena kutuk kaw2 la gua. Sebabnya, bila dia tanya kenal x anak dia? Gua cakap x sgt. Bapak dia tanya lagi, nape nak kawin ngan anak dia? Gua cakap sebab minat. Minat sebab ape? Gua cakap x tau.. Habis kalu x dapat anak dia? Gua cakap nak jugak! Bapak dia sound la, “ko ni, cane ko nak kawin ngan org yang ko x kenal? Gua jawab, lepas kawin la saya kenal dia pakcik.. pastu sengih2.. pastu bapak dia diam.
Masa tu rasa down gile. Bapak dia cam tolak mentah-mentah je proposal aku.. Ke dia saja nak uji kehebatan cinta aku?? Huhu.. Time tu aku dh terpikir nak usha calon lain je. Aku memang ade lagi sorang yang aku suke. Haa yang ni gua memang kamceng giler. Yang ni pulak nama dia Ika. Gua memang selasi lah ngan minah ni. Haha.. Tapi last2 orang lain gak yang gua pinang.
Hari keputusan proposal aku akhirnya tiba. Kputusannya.. jeng3.. x spt yang aku jangka. Haha. Aku ingat kena reject, satgi family diorang terima. Warghh happy giler. Alhamdulillah. So, memang sah la takde jodoh aku ngan Ika. Time aku bgtau Ika aku nak kawin, dia accept je. Kejam gile aku. Dia kata semoga aku bahagia.. lepas tu kami dah x jumpa.
Lepas akad nikah, kompemlah aku sebagai laki Ara. Happynye aku Tuhan je tau.. kat rumah.. dia macam biasa, cool je.. Tapi cool semacam la pulak. Sepatah aku tanya, setengah patah dia jawab. Kalu aku x buka mulut, memang x berbunyilah rumah kitorang.
Ara taklah ‘bisu’ sangat. Kadang2 dia bersuara gak.. Tapi bagi aku yang jenis suka cakap banyak ni, Ara bukan jenis yang boleh bawak borak sangat. Bila aku cakap pasal something, dia macam blur... Macam x supportive sangat. Last2 aku dah malas nak borak.. oh boringnye.. Yang dia tahu cuma tunjuk baris gigi dia ja.. sengih. Cam yg aku buat kt bapak dia dulu. Psycho seyh..
Nak jadik lagi tensen, aku ni jenis perokok sederhana tegar gak la. Tapi bini aku pulak mmg cam fobia giler ngan asap rokok. Bau nafas aku yg bersisa rokok pon, dia mesti batok.. x bau rokok pon dia dah selalu batok. Uhuk3 gitu.. Sebab sayang bini, makin lama makin kurang aku merokok.. kalu gian sangat pon aku merokok time kat ofis je.
Bini aku keje hospital, bahagian obat-obatan.. Aku lak xleh bau ubat, mesti pening kelapa.. Hari2 aku yang hantar, ambik dia gi spital. Time ambik dia balik, mmg hari2 lah baju dia bau obat dalam kete. So aku akan slalu bukak tingkap, nyaman sket..
Ada satu hari tu, masa hujan lebat. Xleh bukak tingkap kete, aku dah mmg pening-pening lalat dah.. Bau ubat.. Dengan poor visibility lg, kami accident! Langgar bontot kete orang depan. Kat spital, doktor kata bini aku keguguran akibat kemalangan tu. Hah??
Rupanya dia mengandung dua bulan.. Ara sendiri pon x tahu.. Ya Allah!!
Lepas kejadian tu aku terus suruh Ara benti keje. Dok rumah je.. Aku dah korbankan rokok aku, so dia kena korbankan keje dia. Aku dah x tahan bau ubat!! Aku sorang keje dah cukup sara idup kami!
Dekat setahun kami kawin, Ika tiba2 datang, dia kata masih sayang kat aku, nak aku ambik dia jadik bini no. 2.. Dia sanggup..
Alamak ni dah angau betol.. Padahal aku baru je kawin. Mungkin Ika yakin yang kami sangat serasi dan saling memahami, so dia berani propose kat aku. Then aku teros terang je la, aku cakap kat dia, yes aku memang x kamceng mane ngan bini aku skarang.. And banyak benda yang kami xde persamaan. Ara memang x banyak bercakap. Kalu aku cube buat lawak, dia macam x tangkap je. Sedih tol.. X pandai nak borak. Kalu jumpa member2 aku lagi le dia sunyi sepi. Dah le hari-hari dia suka masak benda yang sama.. Jarang la dapat makan yang lain sket. Kcuali makan luar. Itu pun dia akan order benda sama je.. Haha macam tu la bini aku.. Lucu lak..
Tapi kami masih cuba memahami hati budi masing2.. Aku cuba biasakan diri ngan bau ubat2 kat baju2 Ara dulu, cuba brenti merokok waktu awal2 kawin dulu.. Ara plak dh x keje, dah cuba belajar masak benda2 lain (jarang la menjadi).. Aku bagitau Ika, rumah tangga kami bahagia. Aku xleh menduakan dia.. Aku memang sayangkan dia. Ika terpaksa terima hakikat tu. Itu mmg last kami jumpa.
Kini, kami dapat rezeki sorang anak, dah besau, dekat 4 tahon la.. tp dah pandai mengaji sket2. Semua berkat kerajinan bini aku. Bab2 agama, mengaji sume dia mmg bagus. Anak aku Hafiz, memang dia train elok2 ngaji alQuran.. Alhamdulillah, semoga esok2 dia jadik anak yang soleh. Bagi aku itu la investment yang sangat2 menguntungkan!
Tapi sebenarnya dalam tempoh tu, kami x seperti pasangan yang lain, kot. Makin hari aku makin bosan ngan rumah tangga kami. Ara memang suka menyepi, jarang borak panjang2. Aku pulak suka keluar lepak ngan kawan2. Makin lama makin jarang aku duduk rumah. Lewat malam baru balik, bini dah tido. Esoknya pagi2 aku dh kena gi keje.. Dalam tempoh tu jugak, aku sebenarnya asyik keluar dengan sorang ofismate aku. Nama dia Lisa. Budak baru kat ofis aku.. Berbekalkan muka yang agak ade market ni, dia macam sangkut lak kat aku. So dialah yang slalu aku ajak kluar malam, teman aku borak2, kadang2 sampai pagi!
Aku sedar aku seolah2 mempergunakan dia untuk hiburkan hati aku.. Teringin nak kawin ngan dia, takot kecik hati si Ara pulak.. Dengan Lisa la tempat aku luahkan perasaan, kadang2 gadoh, kadang dia tercarut2 siap kat aku. Pastu minta maaf, dia kata tersasul.. Tapi aku mmg terhibur bila dok ngan Lisa. Bini aku kat rumah, dengan anak aku jarang sangat aku luangkan masa..
Ara sedar akan perubahan aku dari hari ke hari. Dia mula sedar aku ada pompuan lain. Satu hari dia bagitahu, dia izinkan kalu aku nak kawin lagi, tapi mesti dengan wanita yang elok2, sebab dia tak mahu pelajaran Hafiz terganggu. Aku pelik, apa kaitan??
Dan aku terfikir, Lisa tu wanita yang elok ke? Pakaian hari2 kompem ketat, make up kat muka 2 inci macam xleh kena air, x ambik air semayang ke? X semayang ke? Ke cuti sepanjang tahon?!
So aku postpone dulu hajat nak kawin ngan Lisa. Terfikir lepas kawin boleh nasihat kot sikit2, tapi time bencinta pon asyik lawan ape aku cakap. So sad!..
Ketika perkahwinan aku ngan Ara mencecah 4 tahun dulu, rumahtangga kami ditimpa dugaan yang maha besar. Ara mula jatoh sakit, batuk dia makin teruk, akhirnya masuk hospital. Dan saat itulah baru aku diberitahu, Ara mengidap penyakit barah tekak. Ya Allah!!
Doktor bagitau, Ara dah lama senarnya kena barah tu, penyakit yang akan buat dia slalu batuk, dan trpaksa menahan sakit bila bercakap! Aku rasa bagai kena tusuk dengan anak panah yang tumpul bila dengar benda tu!! Patut la Ara jarang sangat bercakap. Kenapa dia x bagitau aku??
Doc tu cakap lagi, penyakit tu makin lama makin teruk, dan bagi effect kat jantung. Sebab pernafasan dia selalu kurang dari sepatutnya. So jantung jadi lemah.. So itulah yang menyebabkan Ara jatuh sakit. Jantung dia skarang makin rosak akibat barah tu.
Jadi camane dia boleh ajar anak aku mengaji? Doktor tu bagitau, memang ada ubat utk diminum sebagai pelincir dalam tekak. Tapi hanya kurangkan rasa sakit, dan ia bertahan kejap je.. Tapi Ara x boleh selalu minum sebab ubat tu sangat mahal!!
Aku buntu..
Masa tulah baru aku terfikir, kami x penah bertikah lidah, x penah gado.. Mgkin itu hikmah dia.. Tapi aku x sedar selama ni.. Aku asyik tinggalkan dia, bergembira dengan pompuan lain.. Dia pula sanggup tanggung derita setiap kali perlu menjawab pertanyaan aku. Dan x penah luahkan derita kat aku..
Jantung Ara dah lemah sangat, doktor kata mungkin Ara x dapat bertahan lama.. Aku menangis depan doktor tu puas2, wlapun doktor pompuan. Aku dh x kisah. Aku menyesal dgn cara aku layan Ara selama ni.
Dia dah bagi aku macam2, jaga makan minum, pakaian aku, ajar anak kami mengaji, mmg x penah lawan apa aku cakap, apa aku suruh..
Aku suruh dia benti keje dulu, dia ikut. Walaupon kat rumah dia tetap baca buku pasal ubat-ubatan! Dia minat sangat dengan keje dia.. Maafkan abang Ara..
Bila balik rumah nak mandi kejap, aku sempat tengok balik kenangan2 kami.. Aku belek2, terjumpa kotak hantaran masa kami kawin dulu. Ada satu kotak jam, jam yang aku pakai sekarang.. Aku terkejut bila ada sehelai kertas dalam tu. Mula2 ingat kertas resit, tapi rupanya sepucuk surat!
1 Julai 2007,
Buat suami yang baru kupunya,
Terima kasih kerana menawarkan cintamu,
Yang ku tunggu-tunggu sejak kita mula bertemu dulu,
Ku juga benar-benar cinta padamu,
Dan kumenangis bila dirimu melamarku
Buat suamiku yang baru kupunya,
Luaranku mungkin nampak sempurna,
Luaranku mungkin ramai yang terpesona,
Tapi diriku bukanlah sesempurna abang sangka,
Kerna suaraku bukan kepunyaan kita
Buat suamiku yang baru kupunya,
Andai abang ingin melihat Ara ketawa,
Ara hanya mampu tersenyum pada abang,
Andai abang mahu Ara berjenaka,
Mungkin Ara kan menangis dibahu abang,
Kerana Ara tak mampu berbica,
Seperti orang lain berbicara,
Kerana Ara tak mampu ketawa,
Seperti orang lain ketawa
Jika membaca surat ini akan meleburkan cinta abang,
Ara pasrah dan relakan abang menjauhi,
Jika membaca surat ini Ara tetap dihati abang,
Ara sujud sejuta syukur pada Ilahi..
Yang benar,
Isteri yang menyanjungmu.
*Ara selitkan surat ini dalam kotak jam abang, semoga abang mudah terlihat surat ini..
Berderai lagi airmata jantan aku. Kenapa aku x terbaca surat ni 4 tahun dulu? Kenapa aku x tahu penderitaan Ara awal2 dulu? Kenapa baru sekarang?
4 tahun usia perkahwinan kami, Ara beri aku segala2nya.. dan paling penting dia bagi seorang anak yang comel dan bijak. Tapi apa yang pernah aku beri kat Ara?
Mulai saat tu aku jaga Ara sepenuh hati. Hari-hari memang keje ulang alik hospital. Masuk ofis pon kjap2. Anak aku bagi kakak Ara yang jaga. Masa tu aku dah serabai giler. Sangat x terurus. Baru aku sedar pentingnya Ara dalam hidup aku.
Dalam keadaan Ara yang agak lemah, aku minta kebenaran doktor untuk bawa dia melancong. Aku nak temani dia puas2. Aku nak bahagiakan dia dalam sisa2 hayat dia. Biar dia terlupa akan derita dia. Saat itu dia menangis kat bahu aku. Sejak dia sakit kami hanya berbalas tulisan kat kertas.. dan kertas2 tu aku kan simpan sampai bila2.
Dia tulis dia x menyesal kawin dengan aku. Dia tulis sangat bahagia hidup dengan aku. Siap cuba lukis gambar orang senyum.. haha.. Ya Allah hari2 itu kami sangat bahagia. Namun Ara dah makin lemah. Aku dah x mampu tengok dia derita. Setiap kali dia nak tarik nafas, sangatlah azab pada aku melihatnya.
“Ya Allah, jika Kau masih panjangkan hayat isteriku, Kau berilah aku separuh kesengsaraannya, biar kurang kesensaraannya Ya Allah.. Tapi jika hanya kematian yang dapat mematikan sengsara isteriku, aku redha Ya Allah..”
Aku x tahu apa lagi boleh aku buat.. Aku bacakan Yaasin ditelinganya berulang-ulang, biarkan anak kami dipangkuan memeluk-meluk ibunya..
Akhirnya Tuhan menjemputnya kembali. Aku pasrah. Kesedihanku terubat bila kulihat dia pergi dengan tenang. Sempat kuajarkan Syahadah.. dan dahinya berpeluh jernih. Lalu kukucup buat kali terakhir..
Kini, hmpir 5 tahun prkawinan kami, tinggal aku dengan Hafiz, dengan helaian2 tulisan terakhir Ara..