Thursday, July 20, 2006

Bionic Woman

I have been meaning to share this with everyone. Especially those who sedekah-ed prayers for us when they were most needed.

Some weeks ago my mother came down for her prosthetics. It was at some small shop in some abandoned shopping complex somewhere in Cheras. They took 3 units of the warong-sized shops and turned one unit into office, one unit for waiting/fitting room and one for production.

And mak’s new leg was waiting for her in the fitting room when we arrived. What can I say? I think it was beautiful and looked amazingly bionic. The calf was still devoid of ‘flesh’ and so we could see the blue ‘bone’. Titanium, they said, so supposed to be light. In fact lighter than a flesh-blood leg would weigh. But how to know the weight of your limbs? We never feel heavy carrying our hands or legs or head. I know I have never sat down and wondered how much my right arm weighed as opposed to say my larger than life thighs. I don’t even care to know. My guess is, my backside weighs more than my head and that is the one data that is not going to help me get a promotion or a raise!

Three guys came and assisted mak. I noticed one of them dragged his leg around. It must be prosthetics too. And then I was told that all of them were using prosthetics! You wouldn’t be able to guess! Because they were all so fluid in their movements!

And then, one of them showed mak a whole album of their customers. The Before and After pictures. And I am glad they did. I hope it hit mak that she was not the only one and she was no way the worst of them. There were older makciks than her, there were those who were without both legs and amputated higher up etc etc. And they were little babies too. Come what may, qada’ and qadar, syukur should be in order.

Mak tried the leg on. Tried walking a bit and then they added rubber flesh onto the leg and then it was really ready. You know we forgot to bring mak’s right shoe! So Yamtuan ran to a nearby shop and bought her a new pair. Walla-walley-walley! mak looked like she was before! My Bionic Mak! Wooohooooo!

I am thankful for a lot of things. Most things are private between me and my Creator. But these I must say to you, I am thankful for all your doas and kind wishes, for all the support and kind words, for all the advise and the suggestions. Who would have thought that here, I found support and friends? Thank you.