Author: Helmy
Maternal grandfather. Died around 2002, at around the age of 100. Long life, healthy. Disciplined.
Do not go to the kitchen to snack. Meal times are fixed, and he sticks to it. In Ramadan, the pre-dawn meal is always rice, milk/ coconut milk, banana and a bit of gulamelaka, throughout the 30 days, nothing else. He reads a particular chapter of the Quran every Thursday night -without fail. Read it three times on the occasion of NisfySyaaban annually.
Caring. Stories l heard from mom. Took his two nieces in when marriage didn’t work out,till he found them a second husband. Took in his older brother who had mental health issues when his (the older brother’s) children couldn’t take care of him. Cared for his older daughter who was bedridden, when her grown-up children and husband couldn’t care for her.
Healthy. Never admitted to hospital, except for one traffic accident. Towards the end of his life, had dementia.
Tough times. He hallucinates and gets violent at times. Had to lock the gates and hide the knives and sharp objects.
He had a good end. Many relatives and friends attended the funeral rites.
