This post is especially dedicated to Mr Dafullah, a man I knew for only 3 years , or so.
You see, if you have not known him, or you have never met him, that's it. You'll never meet him, you'll never get to know him. He's dead. He passed away last Thursday (10th Nov 2011). He fell off a building on which he was working on. It was a sad news, indeed.
I just got the news through our warden this morning, saying that Dafullah passed away ,and that the Welfare Committee would go to his house this Sunday. I cried really really hard reading the mesage. Called my DH and cried again. The images of him kept pouring in, and I could still see his smiling and his sense of relief, a great relief whenever he got his payment after he's done doing something for us. I knew he really needed that money, he had a family; a wife and 3 children. I remembered him telling me his wife delivered a baby last year. That baby must be around 1 year old by now. I feel sad for his family. For his wife. To hear that you husband died falling off a building, when he just said good-bye that morning; maybe with a kiss and a warm hug, promising to return that afternoon. I cried again when I tried to imagine how she'd reacted to the shocking news. How heavy and heartbreaking she must have felt when she looked into her childrens' eyes. How did she tell the children?
Dafullah was nobody special. He's just a general worker, a position that nobody really care if it hadn't existed in our residence complex. You would just need him to do all the 'general' thing. You know, helped carry the tables, chairs, help with all the not-so-important stuffs around the complex. His position and the things he did didn't need any special skills or certification. Maybe that's why he lost his job. The company who hired him needed to cut cost, and Dafullah and several others were simply terminated. They didn't need him anymore. I knew about him losing his job after I came back from my summer vacation in July 2011.
I bumped into him, and he said that he's been terminated, meaning he's no longer working in our complex. He told me that he's looking for a job,and that if I ever needed him to do work around the house, I could still call him. I knew that he was desperately needed some money to support his family. I was thinking of what chores around the house that I could offer him to do. Unfortunately, we were quite mobile this time around and I didn't really have time to sort out things. Although DH kept telling me to call Dafullah to help sort the stuffs we have in the store, I didn't manage to call him. I procrastinated. I bumped into him several time in Khartoum though. Once, I was in the van coming back from school at noon, and the driver said that he wanted to stop to say 'Hi' to 2 friends he saw on the street. When the van stopped I saw the 2 guys, and one of them was Dafullah. He was looking for a job. He must have found a job in a construction site somewhere. Yeah, it would be easier to get a job there. They don't need qualification. They just need your gut and your willingness. And Dafullah needed money. Desperately..
You see, Dafullah always gave his brightest smile when he sees you. I also think that's he's brilliant. He could speak a little bit Bahasa Malaysia, and he kept learning new words day by day. That's cool for someone who hadn't had a formal education ,not even in his own language. I remembered asking him to help with our store, rearranging the bottle, cans and what nots, washed carpets. I knew of other madams who asked him to hang the curtains, deliver food to the office, bring in the chairs and tables for the bazaar, etc. He'd do anything you asked him to. Besides money, I used to give him clothes, cutleries, diapers, all the dry food/canned food. Also electrical appliances;-). He accepted them generously. You know, with a wide smile, and a very happy look. The next day, he would tell you that his wife was overjoyed with all the gifts. To know that you are a part of someone's happiness, is a joy, too.
Now, Allahyarham Dafullah, may Allah has mercy on your soul. May Allah rewards you for all the good things you have done for us. Semoga Allah merahmati kamu. Semoga Allah melimpahkan rahmatNya ke atas keluarga kamu,dan melindungi mereka. Semoga Allah melimpahkan belas dan meringankan bebanan yang ditanggung oleh mereka. Amin.
Selamat jalan Dafullah, semoga kita ketemu lagi..
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