A Not So Close Friend

Advanced Project 4 (Storytelling Manual) : The Touching Story

Time 6–8 minutes

Objectives

• Understand the techniques available to arouse emotion
• Become skilled in arousing emotions while telling a story

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Do you believe that people, who are in coma, can really hear you?

Ladies & Gentlemen,

Back in 2002, I spent two years with the same classmates. For both years, sitting in the front line of the classroom was a friend, named Ahadiah. We call her, Ahad.

She was a soft spoken, fair and pretty girl. She didn’t talk so much but once she spoke, she spoke firmly. I like seeing her walk, talk or even sit. It is because I saw her as an elegantly beautiful girl. In contra, even I am also beautiful, but I was noisy and naughty in the class, in the dorm or everywhere. My close friends and I enjoyed breaking the rules and having fun. So, Ahad and I were not well clicked, she was ONLY my classmate.

After SPM, I continued my study in UTM, here in Skudai but all of my classmates were in KL, Selangor or overseas. I didn’t keep in touch with so many friends, including Ahad because she was not so close to me.  

Until one day, I received a phone call from one of my classmates. Telling me, that Ahad was involved in a car accident in Selangor,but then she was transferred to Hospital Sultanah Aminah, HSA, since her family was in Johor. As the classmate who was staying in Johor, I felt the responsibility of visiting her. So I took the cab, going to HSA that afternoon.

From Ahad’s mother, I knew that Ahad was sitting in the middle at the back seat during the car accident. So when the car crashed, she was thrown out of the car, which cause the bad injury to her head. To be specific, her brain. Visiting Ahad that afternoon made me speechless. The pretty and elegant Ahad I knew, lying on the bed, with bruises on her face and no hair. I can see the stitches. She was in coma for few days after two surgeries.

Coma is a state of deep, prolonged unconsciousness, which an individual is incapable of sensing or responding to external stimuli and internal needs, from which it is impossible to rouse a person. Visiting Ahad only made me talked a lot to her mom. Ahad’s mom was so calm and patienly taking care of Ahad, her youngest child. By visiting Ahad, I hope that I can at least accompany her mother. Her very strong mother.

When I visited Ahad, from times to times I recalled more memories with her. Actually, I remembered what we did together. I remember her laugh in the class, I remember we played during our class BBQ, I remember we took photos, lying down on the field, and I remember we elegantly pose for camera during the final year dinner. But in front of my eyes at that time, I saw her with all of the tubes on her chest, head, hands, she was not like what she used to be. She became so skinny, her fair and glowing skin became dull and of course, I cannot see her big beautiful eyes and wide smile at that time.

One day, one of our classmates, Zati came to JB from Selangor. We visited Ahad in the ICU. After took a chair and sit, Zati started talking to  Ahad like talking to a friend in a café.


“Hey, Ahad! I come from far, taking bus for 5 hours, staying in Ain’s small and messy hostel in UTM to see you, and you are so lazy, just lying on the bed like this?”
I was only looking at Zati, shocked. What she was doing was really like in a movie, talking to a person in coma, which look irrelevant to me at that time.
“Next time I see you, you must treat me with.. a lunch.. and movie.. right, Ain?”
Zati tried to include me in her conversation. One way conversation. I replied monotonously,
“Yes, pity Zati.. and pity me too.. wake up, we talk, we go out, we have fun”
With Zati playing the role together, it was easier for me ‘talk’ to Ahad. At least, I was not feeling so stupid with the ‘conversation’.
“I can play guitar now, Ahad”, Zati told another story. “I can play the guitar, and you must sing, Ahad. I don’t want Ain to sing.. haha”, Zati continue. We talked a lot. I still remember, that evening, it was really a fun and lively conversation, between Zati, Ahad and me.

Usually, if I visited Ahad, I only went to see her for a while, talked to her mother, and then left. But that evening, with Zati, I enjoyed talking to Ahad so much. I kept coming to the room more than 4 times. I went out, and came in again. I felt like not wanting to leave.

Until the visiting period was almost over that evening, I was with Ahad’s mum in the room. Her mom was sitting on a chair, on Ahad’s left while I was standing next to her bed, on her right.
“Ahad, remember we don’t want to see you sick anymore, we want to see you healthy, and we can go out, haveing fun together outside, okay? We miss you. See, you mom loves you.”

I wanted to tell her that I love her, but I felt awkward, we were not close, remember?  In silent, I only heard the machine that represent her heart beat, tiitt… tiitt.. tiiiit.. I just smiled, and then I turned to pick up my bag which I put on another chair, I was ready to leave. Suddenly I heard the machine’s beat change.. become faster… tit.. tit.. tit..

I quickly turned back to Ahad, but I saw her mom was calmly holding a tissue, going closer to Ahad  and then wiping Ahad’s face. She looked at me, smiling, and said,
“Ahad is crying…”

Yes, I saw Ahad’s tears. The tears were running through her cheeks, from her closed eyes.

Did she hear me? That evening, I felt satisfied, because I know she heard me. Happy, worry, I didn’t know. It was a mixed feeling.

The next day, around 6 in the morning, Ahad’s mother called me. Which then I called a cab, to go the hospital. That morning, I was heading to the hospital. I was not going to the ward, or the ICU, but.. I was going to the mortuary.

Yes, Ahad had passed away.

Then I realized, maybe Ahad’s tears, was a good bye. That evening was my last visit. And that was our last conversation.Sometimes it takes losing something to realize what you've had, right?

Honestly, I miss Ahad, a friend who I called ONLY as an ex classmate. We were never so close before. But when she’s gone, I felt sad.I just cannot imagine how will I feel, if I lost a friend, who is closer to me.

Ladies & Gentlemen,

Ahad not only make me believe that a person who is in coma can really hear us. But she also make me to take a moment, see around me, and feel the love from true friends.

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 In 2003, we were having fun at the field. Number 2 from top and left was arwah Ahad. White veil, shirt & shoes, gray tracksuits. Pretty. I was the 'backbone' of the photo.

Preparing the props for an English project. Arwah Ahad and I were wearing black veils.I was holding the paint brush and she was smiling beautifully at the back there, close to the green chair.

Al-Fatihah for Ahad. May Allah bless her.