*in memoriam of eyang mardiyati busono and eyang busono

2 weeks ago, at 13072008 to be exact, my lil' grandmother (younger sister of my grandmother) passed away. years before she was diagnosed with metastasized breast cancer and had radical mastectomy and a series of chemotherapy. my grandmother also had metastasized breast cancer, in fact that was the et causa of her death. my mom said that unlike my lil' grandmother, she had unilateral mastectomy, but at that time the tumor had already spread to lungs and vertebrae.

my lil' grandfather was famously known as a caring man and love her wife in an extraordinary way--one of a real gentlemen in the whole family--with his one unique habit of kissing his wife 50 times before and after sleep. after she underwent the radical mastectomy, she never want to see her post-op scar, since for her it was too scary. and it was his husband, for every night and day, applying the oinment medications to her scar, and still kiss her 50 times before and after sleep. there are no single women and girls in the whole family not envy her for having such a gentleman as her husband, including me.

fortunately, 2 weeks before my lil' grandmother passed away, me, my brother, and my cousin went to her house in bulaksumur after we received message from my mom which told us that from the last medical control found the tumor had metastasized to the femur and around pelvic bone so that she's no longer able to even stand and walk like usual, and spend the rest of her time lying in bed. when we met her that day, she greets us with her lovely smile and chat with us happily, asking about our parents and our study... and telling us story that makes me surprise: for the last 1 month, when she was no longer able to stand and need to stay in bed, it was her husband--my lil' grandfather--doing all the things for her! feed her, preparing her drugs, help her to bath, changing clothes, wearing adult pad, even he do the toilet himself... and he still kiss her 50 times before and sleep! when we asked him why he didn't call a nurse to take care of her, he replied, "it's to take care of her, i life in this world. as long as i could done it, i'll do it myself. if i'm not, then my life become useless."

....................
*speechless for a moment*

at the day she passed away, his old and wrinkled face couldn't hide his sadness, his cloudy eyes stare straight, and looked empty. we all know how he loves his wife so much, that they're both needed each other, that he always protective to her, how he cares about her... and now that he lost his half part, i couldn't imagine how sad he is...

2 weeks later after her death, at 27072008 to be exact, my lil' grandfather passed away, went after his beloved wife. heart-attack, most probably. it is said that he was founded smile, more beautiful than his wife's when she passed away. i was sooo sad i couldn't help myself from a silent cry... for i clearly remember the last words he said when i came to his house 4 weeks ago.

you went after her, i know... you're both my real forever-and-after-not-even-death-will-do-us-apart couple, you've showed me the true meaning of love til the end...

...and i've lost one of the most gentlemen i've ever met.

there she goes...

...and he went after her




Leave a Reply.