Loss of a friend.. Al-Fatihah

nearly 2 years ago I wrote here about my birthday wishlist.. & 1 of my wishes was for my friend to recover from Lymphoma.. However, i received the sad news early morning on 18th december.. he passed away 2.24am@ Hospital Ampang with his family by his side... I was breastfeeding early that morning when suddenly i received a message @ about 3am.. i was happy to see it was Afzal's phone number... but when i read the message, tears falling down my cheek.. it was a message from his brother Affendi, informing that he has passed away.. Inalillah.. He was intubated and induced coma from about 1pm the day earlier because he was having difficulty breathing & his blood pressure was crashing down..

I have loss a friend... a good friend that i would never forget..

to flashback on how I first met him... it was year 2000.. i first met him at the bowling alley in Kota Kinabalu during a interschool tournament.. it was my first bowling tournament.. Afzal & Jaffri represented La Salle school while me & my sister represented All saints School... we met again a few times during a few more bowling tournaments.. in 2001, i rarely see him as i have stopped playing bowling to concentrate on SPM..but we met again in 2002 @ Pusat Asasi Sains... he was there a few months before he was offered to pursue medicine in Sheffield University.. Me & my sister called him our "green button" because by seeing his face with his braces & curly hair, would always make us smile.. there is always "nur" in his face...He will always smiling...
Although he was in Sheffield pursuing medicine, he still keep in touch.

One day in 2008, I received a message from a friend who is studying @ Sheffield University as well... she told me that Afzal was diagnosed with Lymphoma... i was shocked... Afzal did not mentioned anything about his disease before this.. He wouldn't want us to worry about him...knwing the progress of Hodgkin's Lymphoma, i was worried.. He had undergone chemotherapy & like other people, he also experienced the side effects... I would always pray that Allah will ease his pain & suffering...
Afzal was a strong person... I couldn't imagine if i was in his shoes.. Although he was sick, he was able to study & graduated from medical school.. Alhamdulillah, he has graduated as a doctor.. but he couldn't practice as he was a patient as well.. He wanted to become a successful doctor, treating people to his best ability so that by the will of Allah, he can save lives, just as how he imagined it to be when he was a child... However, Allah has plans which has already been written.. early this year, Afzal's Lymphoma relapsed & this time it has spread to his liver & bones.. and again i couldn't hold my tears... i know the prognosis is bad...

Afzal was blessed with a supporting, caring mother who was always there for him.. and a wonderful family who always give him good supports & motivations.. I was sad to read these which was written by Mama Afzal ;

now part of me is happy for him because he is no longer suffering but a larger part of me is missing him so much. My baby is no longer with me. I am no longer able to take care of him for he is now under a more capable carer.
Al-fatihah for my friend, Mas Afzal.... You are a wonderful person that we will always remember in our hearts & will be missed...

If tears could build a stairway,
And memories a lane,
I'd walk right up to Heaven
And bring you home again.
Although it's difficult today to see beyond the sorrow,
May looking back in memory help comfort you tomorrow.