DAN AKU . . . (ABDUL KAHAR)

episode sepuluh | bahagian dua

FAKHRI POV
Unbeknownst to me, we arrived at the hospital. Mr Sin rushed out to help Kahar and me bring in my sister and brother. I didn't realize that I had been crying and yelling for my brother and sister to wake up, and the man next to me was also ignored by me.

Seeing the doctor and nurse put my sister and brother on the hospital bed, I rushed after them, crying, "Kakak! Abang! KAKAK! ABANG!" I cried and screamed, with all the wrong feelings. I heard footsteps coming towards me. I turned towards the person who was approaching me, and without warning, my mother slapped me.

My mother's eyes looked very angry before she rushed away from me. I deserved to be slapped by my mother. I am the one who made their lives miserable. I am the one who made my sister run away.

I sat down, crying while holding my slapped cheek. I realized I was a burden. I ruined my father's and brother's lives.  "Kenapa aku tak tinggal je dengan mama? kenapa aku tak biar je papa kerja? Kenapa aku buat abang dan kakak aku tersiksa?" I whispered while crying, not realising that someone had put a hand on my back.

"Bukan salah kau, ini takdir tuhan. Ini takdir engkau, apa yang kau buat ni, ada hikmah." The strong voice made me turn to him; in his eyes, he looked very hurt.

"Kenapa kau kat sini." I ask him, "Aku kan dah rosakkan high council; dah buatkan kau turun dari kapla." I add, "Tapi kenapa kau masih cuba untuk menolong aku?" I cried.

There was silence for a second before a sigh slipped from the other: "Aku mungkin tak suka kau, tapi untuk Laila. Aku sanggup la. Aku sanggup untuk buang semua untuk dengan dia je." Kahar spoke.

When his sentences ended, I couldn't help but sob louder, "aku minta maaf." I apologize, "Aku, aku tak sedar yang perbuatan aku boleh mengakibatkan kemalangan." I cried.

Kahar stays by my side as I cry, comforting me and whispering things to make me feel better. Each word that came from his lips sounded unreal, but Kahar is really by my side.

NARRATOR POV
The two critically ill siblings are still unconscious when Datin and Dato arrive at the hospital in a panic. When they arrived, they spotted the youngest brother and without any hesitation, Datin, Laila's adoptive mother slapped the young man, "Auntie ingat kamu boleh jaga Laila." Spit Datin as she walked away toward the reception, Kahar stood a few distances away as he watch Fakhri break down.

Ida saw the two panicked parents causing Firdaus and her to get on their feet, Datin and Dato gazed at the two parents before the mother's breakdown in tears, "Kenapa korang tak jaga dan didik mereka ke? Kenapa korang nak Laila sakit? Tak cukup ke korang buang Laila, kenapa korang masuk balik dalam hidup Laila?" Cries the mother as she kept on blaming the biological parents, watching Laila grow up under their gaze makes them want to protect Laila.

Laila is the first daughter that actually liked them, the first that actually made them feel like family and now, their daughter is fighting her life through a machine, "Kalau terjadi ape-ape dengan Laila, aku takkan maafkan korang berdua." Said the sad mother as she walked away with her husband from Laila's biological parents.

The tension between the parents filled the waiting hall as the two teachers sat on the other side of a long bench against a wall, while Kahar sat on the couch behind Laila's biological parents and adoptive parents. Fakhri sat in between the two families as they wait silently for the news of the two siblings, everyone was scared; what if they couldn't make it? What if Fakhri ends up killing his two siblings?

All that was gone when the ER door swung open, revealing the doctor. Both the mother stood up from the chair as they approach slowly near the doctor, "Doctor, macam mane anak-anak saya?" Ida question the doctor as everyone stood around waiting for his answer, "Saya nak jumpa anak saya." Datin interrupt as they kept their gaze on the doctor.

The doctor sigh before he speak, "Anak Puan da Datin masih dalam keadaan kritikal. Bagi kami sedikit masa." The doctor stated causing everyone to grew concerned, "sekarang ni, Naim dan Laila masih tak sedar diri. Naim mengalami concrusion kecederaan di bahagian kepala manakala, Laila pula kehilangan banyak darah dan ada kecederaan di bahagia kepala jugak." Said the doctor.

The news devastated everyone; mothers immediately began worrying about their children. The door opened as two beds scrolled passed them and into a separate room, Datin and Dato went to their daughter while Ida went to Naim. Fakhri and Kahar stayed all night at the hospital, and Kahar's eyes were clearly nervous and scared the entire time. Mr Sin insisted that Kahar returns to school, but Kahar refused, saying that he must first wait for Laila. There's a lot Fakhri wanna say but he is too scared to face both his siblings, he should've of fight back. He should have just let Naim hit him until he is the one on the bed.

DATIN POV
Upon entering Laila's room, I found my daughter lying on the bed with a breathing mask over her face.  My heart breaks seeing my daughter who is risking her life, "Anak ibu." I let out a soft sob and crept up to the hospital bed to lie next to my daughter, gently stroking her hair. Laila has been through a lot, but she always finds a way to come back, and now I am stuck, terrified that my daughter will not wake up or, even worse, will forget who I am.

I said in a low voice, "Ibu sayang Laila sangat-sangat," "Laila selalu cuba untuk membahagiankan ibu dan ayah, ibu tahu yang ibu dan ayah sangat busy dengan kerja dan ibu tahu yang ibu dan ayah tak selalu borak dengan Laila," "Ibu sayang kakak sangat, tolonglah bangun kakak," I wail. I cried out, "adik-adik, papa, mama, and kawan-kawan tunggu kakak bangun, kakak bangunlah." I was mid-sentence when I felt a hand land on top of mine. When I opened my eyes and looked down at my hand, I saw Laila's hand resting on top of me and her eyes open slightly; I sobbed even harder as I held onto her.

"Mama...?" The voice of Laila beckoned to me.

"Mama kat sini sayang." I replied while restraining myself from crying out loud.

It was silence for a few seconds until I heard Laila laughing, "Mama, kakak ade cerita lawak lagi la." Said Laila. And at that moment, I knew my daughter still remembered me. But is she the Laila everyone knows?

"Laila, mama nak tanya kamu something." the atmosphere between the two of us started to get cold as I spoke.

Laila looked at me with a strange face, "ape yang Laila ingat?" I asked my daughter.

She was about to open her mouth but when her mouth was wide open, no words slipped from her as she had a weird expression, "kenapa ni sayang?" I started to get concerned.

It was silent for a few seconds before she let out a scream of pain, "mama! sakit! sakit!" said Laila as she cried.

Panicked creeps as I pressed on the emergency bell, holding onto my daughter's hand as she gripped my palm tightly; the door opened and a few nurses and a doctor burst into the room. The nurse pulled me away from my daughter as I watched Laila scream in pain before the doctor injected her with tranquilliser. I stare as Laila calms down and soon her eyes close, my breaths hitch as I rush to my daughter to check on her condition, "doctor, kenapa dengan anak saya ni?" I question the doctor with concern in my tone.

"Sepertinya anak Datin mengalami masalah memory, dia macam ingat dengan event yang berlaku tetapi otak dia tidak membenarkan dia untuk mengingati kejadian tersebut." Said the doctor when the door swing opened revealing my husband, Kahar and Laila's biological family.

"Sayang kenapa ni?" Question my husband as he rushed to my side, I couldn't help but let myself fall into my husband's arms.

"I'm sorry Dato, but Laila is suffering from a temporary memory loss." Announces the doctor to the family, everyone gasps in horror.

NARRATOR POV
Ida is scared of losing her daughter, Firdaus scared of not being remembered, Fakhri scared of not being accepted and Kahar, he's scared of losing her after he almost lost her once.