REMEMBRANCE SERIES 11: NANA

Four years old Nana

Like mother like daughter. Four years old Nur Aisyah

Nana, a student of Sultanah Asma Secondary School,

Alma mater of her mother and three aunties.

Today is Nana's birthday and we would like to share the fond memories of our Nana.

1. Former Headmistress of SAS, Hajjah Nasriah Maghribi still remembers Nana vividly. For a teacher like Nana, there are only two factors whereby a teacher would remember his or her former student. The first factor is when any of his/her students were above average in both academic or co-curriculum during his/her school days. The other factor is when a student was very naughty beyond redemption during his/her school days.

Zam was thinking about the two main factors when she asked the reason that makes Hajjah Nasriah remembers Nana. However , Hajjah Nasriah gave us a unique answer beyond our imagination. Hajjah Nasriah remembers Nana for her part in becoming the main witness for a 'flasher' episode in her school. The flasher incidence occured one evening when I was late to fetch Nana at school.

2. Nana by nature is an adventurous person even at her early age. When she was in Form One, she took her brother, Shiwar for a bus ride to the PKNK Office in Serbanika Building to visit her auntie Rohani. After visiting her auntie, they took a trishaw ride to her grandmother's house in Kampung Pisang. As she has limited cash in hand, her grandmother has to fork out the the trishaw fare.

3. When Zam and I were performing our Haj in 1992, my children were left under the care of Nana who was just 19 years. Nana has already a valid driving licence. With Zam's car Daihatsu Charade TF 735, Nana took her siblings back to my Kampung Hutan Setali for the Aidiladha celebration. Her auntie, Hindon got a shock of her life when she found out Nana has only RM 2.00 with her yet she dared to go around visiting her relatives..

4. Her positive attitude towards life made us worried when she was an undergraduate at USM. One evening, she phoned us from the telephone booth at Alor Setar North Toll Plaza requesting us to bring some money for her to pay the toll charge. She has come back to Alor Setar from USM Penang without having enough money to pay her highway toll. During her semester break, she even took a bus ride alone from Kuantan to Betong, Pahang to visit her antie, Bi Za. It was her first trip to Bentong.

5. During one of the racial flare up incidences in Jelutong,Penang I phoned to Nana asking about her where about and also about her personal safety. I was shocked to find out Nana was joy riding around Penang Island together with her 5 lady friends. She was oblivious to any untowards incidence in Penang.

6. Like my mother, Nana also has the negative habit of conserving her grudge longer if some body touches the raw nerve of her feelings. During her lower sixth in SAS, one of her uncles chided her by saying that she would not be successful in her pra university exam because she liked to spend her free time watching TV. She took up her uncle's negative comment as a challenge to her and she has finally proved her uncle's prophecy was wrong when she was accepted by USM. Her policy of forgiven but not forgotten hold water until today whereby her resentment towards her uncle is still an amber in her heart.

7. What ever it is, Nana is still a very obidient and respectful daughter to us whereby we do really cherish her positive attitude towards us. We are proud that Nana has also carried the flame her grand father's firm grasp of integrity in performing her responsibilty as a teacher. Like her parents and aunties, Nana has also been awarded the excellent service award last year.

8. Nana has also improved tremendously on her skill of compereing official functions. Gone are the days when Nana used to ask for my guidance in protocol and rhymes. She is now a capable teacher and a lovable mother who can stand firmly on her own two feets. We in the family are very proud to have a responsible daughter and sister like NANA.

Motherly advice to Nana in solving frequent on board fightings