AMALINA - "harapan kami"

6.6.2008.

When our daughter was born in Assunta Hospital, 10.7.1984, I searched for a nice simple name that would start with an "A". All her three brothers were given names starting with an "A". The boys were all born 5 years apart. Amalina, the name I chose, meaning "our hope", was only 2 years younger than No. 3 Son. In a way that was also planned, too, because, having decided to perform my Hajj before the age of 40, I prayed in front of the Ka'ba that Allah grant us a good, filial first daughter. I returned from Jeddah and reached home on 1.10.1983. She was born nine-and-a-half months after my return.   We all call her Dek Na, Adik Amalina, soon shortened to Dekna.

Today, a good Friday 6th. June, 2008, or 2nd. of Jamadilakhir 1429, I wish to record a small milestone in our little family, and I thank Allah for His Blessings. I received news this afternoon that our little "Hope", Dekna, has finally succeeded in getting her very first university degree from UiTM Shah Alam. I might add, with understandable pride, she did it in an excellent manner, obtaining 3.93 for her final semester, and a CGPA of 3.59 for a First Class Honours Bachelor of Legal Studies. On July 2nd. she will register for 2 semesters of Ll.B.(Hon), also at the same university. God willing, if she succeeds it will mean a double degree in Law for our daughter.

Her pre-school and first three years of primary school were in Petaling Jaya. She was transferred to Seremban for her next three years of primary school when we moved there. Because she did well enough in her Standard 6 exams, she was offered a place at the Tunku Kurshiah College, where my younger sister and two neices also studied. TKC is rated probably the best girls' college in the country. 

After SPM she was offered matriculation for pre-medical studies, but  although she was in the science stream, she had already decided to study law. On my suggestion, she chose to go to UiTM for a Diploma of Public Administration, as a precursor to a law degree. The campus was in Alor Gajah, Melaka. She did very well and obtained her  DPA with the Vice Chancellor's Citation, the best student in her class. 

She then moved to the Shah Alam UiTM campus after being admitted into the Law Faculty to do a Bachelor of Law Studies (Hon) degree. This is where we were just now. 

Being an only daughter, we treated her a little differently from the three boys, though all were given due attention and TLC. The age difference and the fact that she went to boarding school from age 12 meant that initially, as the children grew up, there was some distance between them, except for No. 3 Son. This was probably because the age difference was only two years.  He, too, went to a good boarding school for his 4th. and 5th. forms,  the MRSM at Jasin, also in Melaka. He did very well there, too, obtaining an aggreagate 10 for SPM, considered very good at the time.

In later years, especially after the first two boys got married, I see that they have, happily, become close. Still she seems closest with her third bachelor brother. 

At TKC Dekna was quite active, although by nature she is rather quiet. She was in the College Band which won the State School Bands Championship and once was third at the National Championship. She played the clarinet, and we saw her perform at Dataran Merdeka. We also saw her in the English play at one of the College's concerts. She also took part in the usual school extracurricular activities. We usually visited on Sundays, usually to fetch dirty laundry, but more importantly so that we won't miss her growing up. I told my wife that we have to take every opportunity to be with her, because after school she'd go to university, then work, get married and before you know it she's gone from our house. Even as I write this, alone in the house, I'm feeling a tinge of sadness, that this piece of happy news today marks yet another progression of time for our daughter to leave for the wide world, for our little bird to leave the nest.

My wife has gone to my cousin's house in Kuala Pilah, and will stay the night. Tomorrow is the engagement of Erin, our niece. I called her just now to convey the good news for which we're both very happy. Perhaps my wife, too, will feel what I'm feeling, perhaps more poignantly, because this morning before Dekna left for Shah Alam they were in a little teary argument about boyfriends and stuff. I went to her room and consoled Dekna,  and said just listen to your mother and don't answer back and make it worse. Just concentrate on finishing your LlB ( at this time we still didn't know her results mentioned above ). When it comes to marriage later, it's you getting married, not your mother. I'm on your side, that I promise. Then the tears stopped. But when she took leave from her mother later, my wife was cold. She must have regrets now. But this mother-daughter things happen and they will pass.

Dekna's  successes usually cost me money. Not the school fees and the rest. I'm lucky she received scholarships for her studies. When she was sitting for her DPA finals I promised her a car if she got the VC's Prize. She did, and I was 35 K poorer. Then this year I promised her an upgrade for her car if she obtains a First Class Honours. Just now on the phone she didn't forget and reminded me about it. I'll have to turn to the brothers. I'm strictly surviving on my small pension right now. Otherwise I'll have to think of some way out of the "upgrade" and hope that she won't pull the Law on me.

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