Remembering Nenek Piah (Hajah Safiah Binte Taib) 1942

Hi all!

Left: The last photo taken together in Dec '19. Right: Photo by Jeffrey Cheng

It's been a while since I wrote a post on my actual blog - been spending most of my time making quick posts on Facebook and Instagram instead. However, I feel that this post deserves to be written in as full a content as possible here.

Just a few hours after midnight into August 31st, 2020, it was with a heavy heart for me to have received the news from Khairudin that his mom, Nenek Piah - who is also Pak Ahmad's wife - has passed away in the late hours the previous evening. As with other news of peoples' passing, it was one that was greeted with much sorrow and your mind can't help but redirect yourself to the most recent memories or encounters that you had with the dearly departed.

My last encounter with Nenek Piah was on May 28th, 2020. It was also the 5th day of Syawal, 1441H so we were still in the early stages of celebrating Hari Raya Aidilfitri; virtually as we were still in Circuit Breaker at the time. I decided to give the current and former Malay residents a video call on Whatsapp, and I still recalled calling Khairudin on his phone and exchanging our Eid wishes with one another before he passed his phone around to his parents - whom Khairudin had brought back from Ubin to stay with him in his flat on the mainland.

Nenek Piah was first, but I was greeted to her laying down on the bed; feeling tired and weak. I came to learn that she had not been in the pinkest of health even from as far back as that time, but nonetheless, I remembered the strength she mustered just to smile when she saw who was at the other end of the line. Just like any other Eid greeting, I sought for her forgiveness - to forgive me for all of my sinsand wrongdoings that I might have towards her. She forgave me by saying that I never would have wronged her, that she had already treated me like family. I was sincerely touched, just seeing how pure her heart and soul was. Little did I know, that that would have been our very last social interaction.

When Circuit Breaker ended, I did realise that Pak Ahmad had returned to look after his home but Nenek Piah had not been around. I did suspect that Nenek Piah might not have been feeling well, as Pak Ahmad too did not stay on the island on weekdays as he normally would. Sometimes when I came to visit Ubin on the weekends, Pak Ahmad also wouldn't be home - which was a very rare sight.

It was saddening to know that Nenek Piah would never return to her kampung house again since Circuit Breaker; the place where she shared with me that brought her ease, peace and tranquillity. Just like Pak Ahmad, she did not fancy city living - even with all the conveniences that it had to offer. She had always been a kampung girl, living a simple yet meaningful life on Pulau Ubin for so many decades.

I have shared in my Facebook post that Pulau Ubin had lost a precious gem on that day, and I stand true to my words. Nenek Piah was an extremely kind and gentle soul, always so tender and caring to everyone that she meets, and even to every plant that she comes across.

Although a little vague, I could still recall my earliest memories of meeting Nenek Piah when I was just a small child. Pak Ahmad's kampung courtyards did not look the same as it is today. In the past, there would have been rows upon rows of flowers in the courtyard, all taken care of by Nenek Piah. She was a very skilled gardener, and many would remember her for having a liking towards yellow flowers. In fact, she even gave me tips on how to garden, too. However, as years went by, age and illnesses caught up with her. She was not as strong as before, and slowly her strength left her body. It became an extreme chore and hassle for her to take care of her plants. Over the years, a lot of her flowers died. The beautiful lush garden that she so proudly owned - that would greet every single resident and visitor travelling along Jalan Ubin - was no more.

Nenek Piah was also an amazing cook. I remembered her sharing with me that she used to also cook a mean dish of Nasi Lemak for breakfast, and at that time in the past, she would also sell them as an accompaniment to the drinks that were sold by her husband at his drink stall. Her cooking was so renowned that she also once got featured on a cooking show with Malaysian celebrity chef, Chef Wan, who came all the way down to Pulau Ubin and shot an episode outside of her home - with her yellow flowers glowing in the background. I'm afraid it's a real shame that I never got to taste her cooking even once over the past two years, but I know deep down in my heart that if she still had the strength, she would and she would also have cooked from the heart - like the tender woman she was.

Another story that Nenek Piah shared with me was about how she was actually separated from her siblings and family. If I am not mistaken, this took place some time post-Japanese occupation, where the people were still reeling in from the devastation of war. She was still extremely young, but the visions of seeing her being given away still haunted her mind. She always wondered what happened to them - if they were alright, or if they were still alive. Deep down in my heart when she first told me this tragic story, I knew I wanted to help. But I feel that it would have already been too late. Yet despite such a challenging beginning, she still managed to live such a graceful life.

Pak Ahmad and Nenek Piah. Photo by Jeffrey Cheng

She found the love of her life in Pak Ahmad, moved in with him in their first house together in Kampung Surau, before moving over to Kampung Sungei Durian where she stayed till the final months of her life. She even managed to make her Hajj pilgrimage, earning herself the honorary status of Hajah.

After visiting her for almost every other weekend over the past two years, prior to COVID-19, the bonding we made was absolutely strong. She was a grandmotherly figure to me, and on the day the news broke out that she was no longer around, it felt as though I had lost my own grandmother.

Her passing on August 30th, 2020 would be marked as an end of a chapter in the history of Pulau Ubin. She shall always be remembered for her unwavering kindness, and I will also forever value and cherish the prayers and blessings that she had given me in my efforts to help the people of Ubin feel remembered, loved and looked out for.

WUJ Kampung Clean-Up Jul '19 group photo with Pak Ahmad and Nenek Piah. Photo by Majulah Community

May Allah SWT grant her the highest level of Paradise in the Hereafter and grant Pak Ahmad and his children, Khairudin, Mawar and Melati - strength and patience during this extremely difficult time over the loss of such a precious gem. May we meet again in Jannah, Nenek Piah - God Willing.