The Gift II

Salaams and hello to all Polaris Blog readers! Teaching and managing the tutorial center have kept me real busy. Ramadhan is around the corner. InshaAllah, we will all welcome this much awaited month this week. I am editing a short story as well as a workbook for my students. Here I would like to share an excerpt from my second novel - The Gift II a.k.a Timeless Gift

There he was on his bed holding Ashraff’s photo. Their eyes met when she reached his bed.

“Today’s the day, right, Ummi?” Shafikah looked sadly into her son’s eyes. She nodded and whispered, “Yes.”

The day was April 10th 2001. Six years ago, on that day, his father had left them forever.

“You were in my room today, Ummi?” His voice was soft.

Shafikah was there earlier and she was looking at the photo herself, but she forgot to put it back on the night table near Affif’s bed. Instead, she had misplaced it on the bookshelf, next to his father’s beret.

“Do you miss Daddy, Ummi?” Affif inquired when Shafikah didn’t answer his previous question.

Sitting on his bed and facing her son, she replied to him lovingly, “I have you, honey.” Her eyes glistened with tears.

“But do you, Ummi? Do you miss Daddy?” Affif’s face looked sad.

“I do and you know that, sweetie.” Affif placed the photo back on the table and hugged his mother.

Shafikah wiped away a silent tear.

Pulling himself apart from the warmth of her embrace, Affif sat cross-legged on the bed facing his mother and spoke. “Today’s Daddy’s birthday and his death day,” Affif said softly.

He remembered this date very well. As young as he was, he was very attentive to people’s feelings and what happened around him, especially anything having to do with the two of them. They looked into each other’s eyes trying to soothe the sad feeling that suddenly engulfed them.

Noticing the calmness in his mother’s face, Affif said, “We must not be unhappy, right, Ummi? Daddy was a good man and he was lucky because Allah Ta’ala loved him. He chose to meet Daddy before meeting us.”

With a heavy sigh, Shafikah spoke, “Oh…Affif! Allah Ta’ala gave Ummi and Daddy a special gift when He gave us you. Alhamdulillah!” Small beads of tears rolled down her cheeks. Affif wiped away the tears and smiled to cheer her up. Shafikah took his small hands, kissed them and gently placed them on his lap. She held his face in her hands, kissed his forehead and the tip of his nose.

“I love you, Ummi! Dinner’s getting cold now!” Affif told her with a smile and got off the bed. Affif headed for the door.

“I love you too Muhammad Affif bin Muhammad Ashraff.”

Affif turned around and smiled widely. It was Ashraff’s smile on his small face.

The Gift

The Gift is the title of my first novel. God willing, it is due to be published early next year by Muslim Writers Publishing (MWP).

The Gift was a mother’s gift to help her son rebuild his life, the life he so deserved, yet was denying due to an ill-fated event in the past. The Gift was the son’s love for his mother. The Gift was also a young woman’s gift to her own mother whose wish she failed to realize because of her unresolved past. The Gift became the catalyst for the son and the young woman to overcome their pasts while fulfilling a mother’s wish. How will the mother’s gift affect the lives of these young people? How will they get through their pasts after giving their gifts to the mother?

How do you let go?

Delicate as it may sound, in some ways or another, my two novels deal with this issue. How do you let go? Letting go of someone or something very dear to you...no words can describe the feeling...you feel like your heart is broken into pieces...you feel suffocated....your whole body becomes numbed...everything in you is broken...emotionally and physically...BUT STILL...you have to just walk away...close the door...and continue to live your life...as life must go on with or without it, him or her. The first step is hard...so hard that you feel like you have no strength to move on, but it won't get any easier if you don't make an effort to take it... Just remember... every existence in life truly belongs to only Him. Everyone you love...your parents, husband, wife, children, friends...the home you live in...the vehicle you drive...the wealth you own...the air you breathe in...the borrowed time you live on...every single thing you possess is actually borrowed. None is actually your possession to begin with. Some people will say you now live with the memories, but these too you would have to leave behind because eventually you too would return to Him, the Owner of everything in this life and the next... Letting go may seem hard, but knowing and believing that everything has to return to the Owner would help to explain how you could actually let something or someone go. This would be the way to help you gather whatever strength that is left. Your life may not be the same but just go on. Be brave and walk away...learn again if you have to...learn how to live the life you have lived before. And of all, always seek for His help and guidance...for He never leaves you in despair. He is the actual source of strength as you walk away...as you finally learn to let go...

A First for Everything!

There's a first for everything, right? So, here's my first post! Really, blogging is still very new to me. But, then again, I believe there's a beginning to everything we do in life. At Polaris Blog I'd like to share the activities I do with the kids in my English for Young Learner (EYL) classes . Also here, I would like to share my thoughts and views as I go through the ups and downs of writing a novel. Last but not least, why the name Polaris? It's the star that doesn't change position through out the seasons. It's the one star that's always there to help guide the people at sea. It's the one star that can help you if you are lost in the woods. Once you've located Polaris, you'll be able to find your way 'home'. When I think of Polaris, I think of God...Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala. He can reach you wherever you are. So, wherever and whenever I feel 'lost' I have my God...He's the Creator of Polaris and Polaris symbolises Him though He neither resembles Polaris nor any other of His marvelous creations!