Mother's Day ... But Do You Still Remember Me?

12 May 2013  -  This year's Mother's Day is both meaningful and special, deepest thanks to a good friend who invited us to share this day with her and her special guests for a Hi-Tea Buffet at Palm Garden Hotel Putrajaya.  Her guests turned out to be 6 lovely elderly ladies from Rumah Jagaan dan Rawatan Orang-orang Tua and their Caretaker, Puan Hjh Muji.  In loving memory and honour of her late mother, Dr Azma decided to bring these ladies out for a rare treat - ladies who are also mothers, but now left forgotten at the Home.  

We arrived early and waited at the Lobby, and soon Puan Muji arrived in her car with 4 of the elderly ladies.  Following behind were Puan Azma and her BFF, Puan Norhayati..., with the rest of the group.  Most of them used walking aid and needed assistance in getting out of the car and walking up the stairs to the Lobby area.  After a brief introduction, the elderly ladies faced another challenge in ascending the stairs to the Buffet Venue.  

Norhayati assisting Makcik Miskiah

Baik-baik ya, Makcik Rokiah

Makcik Cinderella Embun dropped her glass slipper
in her haste to alight from the coach

Our wonderful Hostess, Dr Azma

Resting at the Lobby after the short workout up the
up the stairs to the Lobby area

Salam Nenek...

Being introduced to Puan Muji

The flight of stairs leading to Palms Terrace proved to be
more challenging than the earlier one

Escorting the Ladies to their seats

The curious ladies were then given a tour of the buffet line, where they ooh-ed and ahh-ed over the wide spread of food, beautifully decorated and arranged for their pick.  After making their choice, they were escorted back to their tables and wasting no time in tucking heartily into their food.  Lack of full set of teeth did not deter them from enjoying their meal as they chew and gnawed as best as they could.  The only assistance they seek was in cutting up the beef, chicken and vegetable into smaller bite-size portion. Shelling the prawns were another difficult task for their less-agile fingers. Thanks to dear Hubby's thoughtfulness, a big plate of shelled prawns soon appeared on the table for their enjoyment.  Little Joshua, eager to help as usual, took up the lighter task and handed out spoons and filling up their plates with second helpings and desserts. Watching these ladies enjoy their meal is priceless...

Inspecting the food

Chow-time

Ong cutting up the chicken into bite-sizes

Little Joshua handing out the spoons

Little Joshua delivering Makcik Mami's request for
more prawns

Plates of food, fruits, desserts and cakes were continuously brought to their tables and with little coaxing, the ladies finished it up amidst the chatting and jokes.  The air of gaiety at our table attracted curious looks from other diners and a few even walked up to say hello.  One of them happened to be Ong's ex-colleague who is now the OCPD of Puchong.  

Puan Muji - taking a break from the cooking duties
in the Home today

Makcik Zuraidah

One of the younger member of the Group

Makcik Embun - love that smile

Makcik Rokiah

Makcik Miskiah

Makcik Mami

Makcik Midah 

There was a Cake-Decorating contest and yours truly was called up to participate despite having NO experience in this before.  The result? A messy-looking cake colourfully decorated with chocolate and multi coloured-rice, laced with peaches and almond flakes, and the best part was we get to take our "handiwork" home. Hopefully everyone at the Home enjoyed the cake despite the unprofessional handiwork.

Well, I put in my best effort ...

Before departing for Home, little Joshua presented each Makcik with a gift-bag containing a piece of sarong and a packet of cookies.  Prior to that, we had given them another surprise; an individual photo, which was taken by our Photographer Gary earlier and printed out on our portable printer.  The way they held the photos as if it were some treasured possession shows how much a simple act like that meant to them.

Joshua presenting the Gift Bag

Puan Muji gets her share too

Posing together for Group Photo for remembrance ended this wonderful outing.  We were pleasantly surprised by the Puchong OCPD's  request to take one with them too.  

One with the OCPD

One of my priceless photos

We decided to tag along with Puan Azma to send the ladies home and stopped by for an impromptu visit.  The eye and heart-opening visit was another experience altogether...

The Home

Rumah Jagaan dan Rawatan Orang-orang Tua Al-Ikhlas is housed in an old surau in Kampung Pulau Meranti Puchong.  Founded and run by Puan Muji, its residents comprises of 35 elderly women and 25 elderly men, more than half of them bed-ridden and needs constant care and attention.  With only 4 volunteers, working on shifts, this is no easy task.  The warm condition is expected in such cramped premise, where beds are placed side by side due to limited space.  The men's quarters is much airier as they have less residents and more opening.  

Some are able to sit up and greet us  ...

While some just lain there, lost in their own world  ...

Norhayati has endeared herself to this Makcik

Ong chatting with one of the residents

However, the one thing which both the women's and men's quarters share is, the loneliness and forlorn sadness etched on their faces.  Their eager acceptance of our hands as we go round greeting them and the lighting up of their wrinkled faces as we made small talk with them, all shows how much these elderly folks long for company and attention.  A Chinese Uncle in particular, literally broke down and cry so hard when Puan Muji brought me to his bed.  It turned out that Uncle Chan has been in the Home for 9 years, each day longing and waiting for his daughter to drop by for the visit that never happened.  Coincidentally, he is of Hakka origin, which is my dialect too and he broke down further upon hearing me talk to him in his native dialect.  After spending some time calming him down and settling him down to rest, I moved on to other beds, to other lonely beings, all hungering for the same - someone to talk to.  Another Uncle at the end of the room just moved in a month ago and he told me he won't be staying for long cause his Anak will come to take him home soon ... the question which pops up on my head, will they really come for him if they haven't even visited since they left him there?  Wonder which is more cruel, to leave him there or to leave him with false hopes?  However I remain firm in my belief never to judge when one does not have the full story...

Uncle Chan - sad that my presence evoked such
painful memories in him

Not all the elderly folks ended up here as a result of being abandoned by their children.  Some of them are left here because their children genuinely could not care for them, either physically or financially and some ended up here cause they have no family or place to go to.  Cases referred to this Home by the Government Hospitals usually belong to the latter category.  

No matter how sad their circumstances is, they still have a reason to rejoice for having a roof over their head and food for their stomach, all thanks to the kind mercy of Puan Muji - the Lady with the Golden Heart.