to do, or not to do...

to do, or not to do...

it is the first day of spm. the students shiver just thinking about it. that's normal. first day fright.
many of the teachers are away invigilating the spm at other schools. the leftover teachers are asked to oversee the school's exam which starts today. i am not spared. the second period appears and i have to be at 4 melati. after it's over, i get back to my room. on the screen of my phone, the miscall and message icons appear. i check the number. it is unfamiliar. the message comes from the same number. it is janah, ridhuan's daughter.
" sir. ni janah. anak cikgu ridhuan. abah da meninggal "
i am taken aback with the news. i regret for not visiting him before.
ridhuan, my old friend.10 years my senior. my kaum lepak @ jammin'. seribu kali sayang and kisah seorang biduan were the songs he would sing then when he was teaching at my school. he had a good voice. he had a temper like no one else. finally, he succumbed to the complication initiated by his diabetes.
i call everyone that i can. and i drive to cenderong balai with major rahman to give him our final respect. we arrive in the nick of time, minutes before the congregates take him away to the mosque for the final rites.his face looks so calm, as if he is in a deep slumber, which he is in actually.
after the prayer, i make my move to go home since i have to worry about the form five students, who expect me to have a session with them later. by 4 pm, i am typing away the eleventh hour session notes, hoping that they will do the students some good for tomorrow's english language exam.
maghrib, i am at school again. about 70+- students turn up. we perform maghrib prayer together and have a session lasting for an hour. in between the session, i share anecdotes and jokes to liven up the moment. though initially i feel a bit reluctant to come,  i thank God for giving me the spirit to be there and to share pointers which may be beneficial  for the students.
by half past nine, i am back home.
thankful that i do what i should do: giving ridhuan the final respect and having a session with the form fives. alhamdulillah.