Tears and 7 White-robed Men

We are very thankful to Allah for allowing my late brother to be around for his son's Akad Nikah and the wedding reception at the bride's house two weeks later. Sadly today, the day of the reception in his own house, he is not around. It is Allah's will and no power on the face of this earth could change that.

Yesterday I was at his house, for the preparations, up till late at night. It was a tiring day with so much to do. As usual there were many stories told and since it being only a few days after his death, many of the stories would be about him. During a breather, the groom told me how one day he and my late brother were talking about the kenduri and how arwah told him that he will not be around for the kenduri. I could see how he was controlling himself not to give way to his emotions but he couldn't. In between sobs he told me that arwah told him to take care of his brother and sister after he was gone. I could feel how broken-hearted he was while relating to me the story.

In another session near the kitchen I heard something that really tore my heart. It was about my niece and my eldest nephew. My niece is the youngest of arwah's three children and the only girl so it is only natural that she is his 'anak manja'. She was almost always with him when he was sick. She helped her mother care for him both at home and in the hospital. She saw how her father deteriorated. She did once say to my daughter (they were born 22 days apart) that she doesn't mind seeing her father bedridden as long as he is alive. I was happy to see how should took her father's death coz she didn't wail or shout. Yes she cried but they were sobs.

Her eldest brother, is the fighter in the family. I have never seen him cry throughout the whole episode since January. Yes, there were occasions when his eyes were wet but no cries. Last Friday night, my niece was asleep in the sofa while the rest were talking in the dining room they suddenly heard a scream. They rushed to the sofa and my niece was suddenly crying like a baby. She missed her papa. The eldest went to console her. While stroking her head gently he told her not to cry and all of a sudden, he started crying himself. They tried to block their tears when they should let it go.

Many people believe that when someone is dying he would show signs or see signs especially the Malays. A few days before his death, when he was still well enough to sit in his wheel-chair and watch tv, arwah suddenly looked up. My sister in law asked him what he was looking at and after a while he said he saw 7 white-robed men coming to take him away. He told them to please give him time coz his son is about to get married. A few days after that they came again, and he asked his wife to make 7 glasses of drinks. Premonition or delusion? I don't know, coz I am the type who need a lot of convincing to believe in this stories. I am not saying that it did not happen. It could be that he was thinking so much of his impending death that his mind played tricks with him.

Now I am getting ready to go for the kenduri. The last time there was a kenduri at his house was December 2006 and we were all in jolly mood.