Mirian cherishes every second spent with mum amidst pandemic
MIRI: Many people regard the travel restriction, implemented as means to flatten the Covid-19 curve, as preventing them from being with their families, but this is not quite the case for Arn Hanafi Abu Bakar.
The 48-year-old sees it as a ‘blessing’, as it has given him the opportunity to spend more time with his mother, Jaliha Buang, aged 70.
His work as a senior business development manager requires Arn to be based in Selangor, and since the pandemic was declared early last year, he had been working from his house in Subang Jaya.
That was until February this year, when he came back here for his sister Hafizah’s wedding.
Since then, Arn has been working from his house in Lutong here – a situation that has ‘blessed’ him with more time spent with his mother.
“Since we’re working from home (in Selangor) anyway, I decided to work from my actual home here (Miri).
“I can always go back to Kuala Lumpur and work from my house in Subang Jaya as usual, but to return to Sarawak would not be easy as there are many procedures that I must follow,” Arn, who is the eldest of six siblings, told thesundaypost here.
On May 5, he and his mother were asked to go for Covid-19 swab-test following the detection of a new cluster at a mosque that he frequently attended.
“My mother was listed as a dependent in my MySejahtera account, so she would also need to come for the swab-test. Now we’re just waiting for the result, and I’m hoping for the best.
“Right now, there are only the two of us at home, where we’re currently undergoing quarantine.
“We expect the swab-test to be out today (Saturday),” he said, adding that the result would determine ‘where’ they would celebrate Mother’s Day.
At the moment, those in Miri who tested positive for Covid19 must undergo isolation at any of the designated Covid19 Quarantine and Low-Risk Treatment Centres (PKRC) here.
Arn said due to work commitments, he was hardly ever around here. He spent two years working in Kuwait (20172018) during which, he only got to come home to Miri once every five or six months.
“I was always homesick. For many years now, I can only wish my mother ‘Happy Mother’s Day’ via video calls, but this year, I’m with her physically and this means a lot to me – not many people get this same opportunity.
“So I look at this positively as this not only gives me the opportunity to personally spend Mother’s Day with my mum, but I also get to spend Ramadan and hopefully, the coming Hari Raya Aidilfitri together.
“I feel blessed to be given these chances,” he added.
In pre-Covid-19 days, Arn said he would normally fly back home one or two days before Hari Raya.
“Had the pandemic not occurred, I would still be in Peninsular Malaysia right now and might only reach home by Hari Raya,” he pointed out.
Nonetheless, Arn said he felt sad sometimes upon seeing other people take their families, especially their parents, for granted, by not visiting them regularly despite their house being just a few minutes away.
His father, Abu Bakar Badol, passed away in 2008.
“We must remember that we all don’t always have the time to spare.
“It’s best that we make do with the time we have to visit our parents while they’re still around.
“Once the time has passed and you missed it, you may never get that opportunity again,” he said further.
For this Mother’s Day, Arn wanted to give his mother a gift that would assure her of him being there for her, always.
“Unlike my younger brothers and sisters, I’m the one who is always away from home.
“So I want to give Mum something that represents me; something that would remind her that I would always be there for her no matter where I am.
“I also want my mother to know that she is always the ‘queen of my heart’, always my number one and the most important person behind all my success. Despite this pandemic, I feel blessed that I can spend more time with her. I will treasure this moment because my mother is the person who has seen me through many things.
“She’s been there for all of my achievements,” said Arn.