Missing Hubby Dearest

 24 July 2021

        One week ago, on 17 July, I bade hubby goodbye as he drove to the Malaysia Agro Exposition Park Serdang, which is one of the Covid-19 Quarantine and Treatment Centers in the country. Together with many other medical personnel from different states, he had been mobilised to assist their overworked colleagues as Malaysia valiantly battles the rising severity of the Covid-19 pandemic. He will be there till 16 September.

On the morning prior to his departure to the battlefield

        Hubby was most courageous and positive about this mobilisation. He is ever ready for a challenge and wants to embrace this as a good learning experience. At times, I got a peek of the worry and fear that must have been niggling at the back of his mind. He talked about the possibility of returning home in a body bag, requested for a simple funeral and reminded me of his PIN to his savings account lest I needed to withdraw money.

       As I assisted him with the packing, I tried to remain stoic. But the minute his car had left, I crumbled. I finally understood how the wives must have felt when they sent their husbands off to war. This is not an ordinary work trip; this is an assignment to the battlefield with all the dangers involved. I understand how pointless it is to cry but I really couldn't stem the tears. 

        Throughout this week, I kept myself busy with lesson preparation and spending time with my parents, occasionally tidying the house here and there. It was easy to dissolve into tears whenever I was reminded of hubby (when I ironed his clothes, when I collected a parcel ordered by him, when I applied the Dermatix that he bought for me, when I made honey lemon juice with the lemon that he had so thoughtfully squeezed out for me prior to leaving, etc.).

        228km away from hubby, I cannot do much for him. I can only pray, very earnestly, for our good Lord to guide and protect him always. The threat of the virus is a constant cause of worry and fear, as everyone and everything is a suspect. Just yesterday, there were 15,573 new Covid-19 cases in the country (a new record) with 7,672 cases in Selangor alone!

At his hotel room in Pulse Grande Putrajaya (formerly Shangri-la Putrajaya) prior to his advance into the battlefield on 19 July 2021