I love you Kak Adek

Note: This blog was written on the 19th of March but completed and posted today (24th April).

By now most of you would have heard of Kak Adek's freak accident. But here's a summary of what actually happened, from what I've gathered.

It was 6.30 am on Wednesday morning, and Kak Adek had to give training to OCBC. She was wearing a red top and white pants, carrying her Bally handbag. She decided to leave earlier to stop by the kedai rambut that we both frequent near Lebuh Ampang.

She had to step down a step to get to her car. She was looking up at the moon as this was happening. At the same time she was thinking of what was discussed on Oprah the night before about rigorous exercise/movement. Then it happened, it happened so fast before she knew it she was face down on the tar. Nothing broke her fall, not even her hands.

Abang Talib was in the kitchen drinking and he heard sobbing sounds. He wondered, "Budak mana yang menangis ni?". Then he heard someone meraung, and recognized the voice, it was the same sounds that he heard when Kak Adek fell in the toilet. He went down and found her face down, face and baju drenched in blood (okay this blood part could be me overdramatizing it). A neighbour who also heard her (Pakcik Daud, according to Imran, I think), also came to the rescue. Both of them helped pick Kak Adek up, and they went back to their condo. Kak Adek tukar baju (sempat lagi) and Abang Talib took her to Gleneagles.

I don't know what happened in between, until I received a call from Kak Ana. I was just about to start a meeting then. She told me that both Nani and Kak Adek are in hospital. As I was conducting the meeting, Abang Talib called. I excused myself and picked it up, usually I would not have done so, its a good thing that Kak Ana got to me prior to the meeting. Abang Talib told me that 1 gigi tercabut, and 2 lagi patah. He aslo told me that Kak Adek will undergo surgery at 5 pm.

I quickly concluded the meeting, and passed over all the paper work to our Tender Coordinator (who by the way is very efficient and without her we would all be running around like a headless chicken). Called Kak Idah on my way there and she told me that they would all wait for me for lunch (makan still important). I got a message from Kak Idah at the car park..."We are at Dome" (makan is obviously very important). So off to Dome I went. Baby held back her tears when we hugged each other, and Baby is one of the strongest person I have ever known. Sean shared some enlightening stories about Baby's plastic surgery (he spent 12K on Baby, for those yang tak tahu :-)) I ate my salad and went up to meet Kak Adek.

Most of you know that I am a cry baby. I cry very easily. But I learnt from Papa's cancer episode and Kak Adek's ordeal that I have this amazing strength to hold back when I'm faced with the victim. Kak Adek cried when she saw me. I tried my very best not to. I was not prepared for what I saw. I cringed each time I imagine what she went through. It must have been very, very, very painful.

Kak Adek was wheeled into surgery at about 3 pm. Fortunately, Kak Idah was around. We are so blessed to have a sister who made it through Medical school and is a radiologist to boot. I had to go back to the office. Kak Adek was back in her room by 5 pm. I went back to the hospital and was so amazed at the strength that Kak Adek demonstrated. She ate and drank and did everything that Kak Idah asked her to do. It looked very, very painful. The bad news is, the skin between her upper lip and nose was totally scraped off and they couldn't stitch it. They have to do skin grafting, and cut of a piece of skin from behind her ear and stitch it there when the swelling has gone down a bit, probably next week.