Soul Asylum Chapter 4,5 and 6

Chapter 4

 

 

“AAAAAddduuuh!” cried Sharifah sitting up straight. The living room was quiet and the morning sun was shinning in her face.

 

Her head was dizzy from her sudden movement.

 

     Someone had stepped on her foot. Who would be awake at…..Sharifah reached for her watch and looked at the time. Ok….7.30 in the morning. Bugger, she had missed the morning prayers.  Sharifah looked around the living room and saw sneaking out the door.

 

     “Where are you going?” asked Sharifah. Aida’s left foot was already outside the door.

Aida had came back from her uncle’s place late last night. Nobody had seen her come in.

 

     “I received a call from Mak. Rafiq’s in the ICU. My family’s already at the hospital,” Sharifah tried to shake the sleepiness and got on her feet.

 

     “Hang on, I’m coming with you,” said Sharifah and started to get her towel. Sharifah didn’t know why she was so concern but she just felt that she had to be there.

 

An hour later the two of them had arrived at the hospital. Aida’s mother greeted them outside the ICU ward. Her whole family had already gathered outside.

 

     “What happened?” asked Aida giving her mother a hug.

 

     “The doctors don’t know. It happened suddenly, his heart rate went up and he went into seizure. They had to sedate him. He was still unconscious when everything happened Their discussing to move him to HUKM in Cheras. There’s more facilities there to help him.” Sharifah was listening to every word Aidas mother was saying. Why was she feeling so…… uneasy? She looked down at her hands, they were shaking. Sharifah clenched her hands into a fist.

 

Aida’s father came out of the ICU looking tired. Aida’s mother wanted to see Rafiq and went into the ICU. Aida wanted to follow her mother but stopped and looked at Sharifah.

Sharifah nodded gently encouraging her friend to follow her mother. Sharifah watched them enter the ward until the automatic door closed behind them. Sharifah looked around her. Most of them there were Aida’s relatives and Sharifah didn’t know them all. She tried to look for Aida’s father but he was no where to be seen. Sharifah saw a young woman about her age sitting on a bench. She was reading the Metro paper. Sensing that she was being watched, the woman looked up at Sharifah and smiled. She had similar features as Aida, fair, short boyish hair,light brown eyes, strong cheekbones the only difference was she had nice thick curvy eyebrows and was smaller in size than Aida. Sharifah assumed that she was also the same age as Aida.  She moved a little to give space for Sharifah to sit.

 

Gratefully Sharifah sat down and put her hand out to the young girl.

 

     “Sharifah,” said Sharifah gently. The girl shook her hand smiling shyly..

 

     “Zarina, you can call me Ina. Your hand is cold and shaking,” said Ina worriedly.

 

     “Are you okay?”

 

 

     “I’m not used to the hospital I, guess.’

 

     Zarina didn’t say anything and continued to look at the paper in front of her.

 

     “So are you Aida’s cousin?” asked Sharifah. Ina looked up from her reading.

 

     “Yes. Rafiq’s also,”

 

     “Aida and Rafiq were close weren’t they?”

 

     “Very close. More like brothers and sisters. Then they just drifted off,” said Ina softly.

 

     “You don’t know what happen?”

     “No, sorry, you’re pretty curious aren’t you.” Sharifah laughed gently but she could sense that Ina was being protective. Sharifah didn’t push the subject any more.

 

     ‘Which one of them are his parents?” asked Sharifah looking at the group of people talking in front of the ICU.

 

     “None of them are his parents. They passed away a couple of years ago.”

 

     “Oh…How did they die?”

 

 

     “Your being nosey again.”

     “Sorry………..so………..how did they.” Ina sighed and looked at Sharifah. Sharifah tried to give the sweetest smile that she could give.

 

     “They died in a car accident. Them , and his fiancée.” Sharifah was about to ask another question when the door opened and Aida stepped out. Her mother was behind her dabbing her eyes. Aida motioned to Sharifah to come to her.

 

     “Thanks Ina, just don’t tell Aida okay. She’s not accepting all this too well,” whispered Sharifah getting off the bench.

 

     “No problem,” said Ina and continued her reading.

 

“Would you like to see him? I know that you’re a stranger to him and he doesn’t know you but it would help if more people talk to him. The doctor said that if we talk to him there is a possibility that he can hear us and that could speed up his recovery.  Do you want me to accompany you?” asked Aida. Sharifah shook her head. She could see that her friend was trying very hard to hold back the tears. She couldn’t bear to see her friend break down. She looked towards the ICU ward. She suddenly felt nervous. It was silly; she had never known this man personally except for that one night. Not even a glance,

 

Sharifah stepped into the ward and felt the door closed behind her. Sharifah looked around her. It was like a scene in a movie, everything was in white, well except the nurses, they were wearing blue uniforms. The nurses were everywhere, looking at their patients chart, taking notes, pushing carts filled with medicines thro and fro. There was a special station for the nurses near the entrance, with computers and intercoms; they were able to monitor the conditions of each patient in that ward. Sharifah asked one of the nurses on Rafiq and was ushered to a bed at the left corner of the ward.

 

     “He’s stabilizing. It helps to talk to him. He can still hear you,” whispered the nurse beside her. Sharifah felt uneasy. How can she talked to someone she hardly knew? She tried to open her mouth and felt a presence beside her. Sharifah looked at her side and saw the nurse peering at her. Sharifah cleared her throat. The nurse saw her discomfort and left them.

 

Sharifah felt more uncomfortable now that they were alone. Sharifah pulled a chair towards her and sat down. She looked at Rafiq. He was on a drip and there were wires on his chest. His face was shaved and his complexion was paler than the last time she saw him. Sick or not he could still make any girl melt. Sharifah smiled secretly, bet the young nurses would jump at the opportunity to take care of him.

 

     Sharifah leaned closer to his ear.

 

     “Hi…” Sharifah straightened up and looked at his face expecting a reaction. There was nothing.

 

     “Assalamualaikum…errr…..you don’t know me…we’ve met before….briefly. I was the girl that fell on you stomach during the time when we were trapped in the commuter train. I’m just here for Aida. Your cousin…she’s waiting outside…..you got everyone worried,” said Sharifah gently.

     ‘I’m sorry about your parents, I just found out…Must be hard and your fiancée……But there’s a lot of people who care about you here. You’re a lucky young man….very lucky,” said Sharifah gently. She looked up and saw that the nurses were busy doing their work. She looked at Rafiq’s arm rested at his side. Without thinking she reached out to touch it, his hand felt warm. She remembered his big hand on top of hers, hurting her and when he shook her hand and gave a gentle comforting squeeze. Just at that time for a split second there were sincerity in his eyes. She gently rubbed his hand up and down in a soothing gesture. Rafiq looked like he was sleeping peacefully. She wished he would wake up , he had nice hazel brown eyes. She squeezed his hand. Would he feel it? Sharifah suddenly realized what she was doing and withdraw her hand quickly. What was wrong with her? Goodness sake, this was an unconscious man in front of her, a man who was proud and spoilt when she first met him and still good looking and here she was taking advantage of his condition.

 

Her conscious was playing with her, one part wanted to just hold his hand and give support, the other part told her that this was wrong and what if Aida saw her, what would she say?

 

     “I think this is my queue to leave before I do anything stupid..” Sharifah shuddered. She rushed out of the ward. Aida was talking with one of her aunties. Sharifah quietly went to the toilet. She was shaking. Why was she shaking? Why was her heart thumping so hard? For goodness sake she though that Rafiq was going to rape her when they were stuck in the train. He was a spoilt brat, he had let her know that when he had hurt her hand and brushed her off after they had gotten off the train. But a small voice asked her, why had he waited for her when she had thought he had left her alone in the cabin? Why did he stopped her from falling if he was that mean? She leaned against the wall. She was all jumbled up with mix feelings for a man that she had only met a year ago. She looked at her reflection in the mirror and washed her face. This was bad, this was bad…bad.

 

     “Hey, there you are. Time to go home,’ said Aida standing at the toilet door.

     “Are you okey?’ Sharifah looked up and put her best smile.

 

     “Yes, you?”

 

     “Better, Rafiq’s condition is stable. The doctors want him to stay in the ICU for the night, observation.”  Aida looked happier and she was smiling.

 

     “Let’s go home.”

 

     “Let’s go.” Sharifah slowly followed her friend out.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter 5

 

Sharifah sat on the prayer mat. She felt peaceful after prayers. Replaying what had happened that morning, Sharifah felt silly. Everything was okay now. She looked at the living room. Aida, Rina, Badariah  and Lin were watching television. The rest of her housemates had gone out.

 

Sharifah folded the praying mat and took off her ‘telekung’ (prayer cloth, a two piece white cloth, the upper cover with a hole on it to show only her face and the bottom piece to cover her legs). She didn’t feel like joining her friends, all she wanted was to sleep, sleep and sleep all through the weekday and weekend and if she’s lucky (or unlucky) she might wake up the next Monday.

 

She dragged her mattress from the rest of the mattress piled at one corner of the room and searched for a blanket. She closed the door of the bedroom and switched off the light. There was still some light from the streetlight outside streaming into the room through the window. Sharifah looked at the fan spinning above her. Her eyelids felt heavy and soon she was drifted off to sleep.

 

     “I was wondering when you would wake up,” said a voice on her left side.

 

Sharifah opened her eyes. Why was everything white? Sharifah blinked feeling very disoriented. She was not in her room. She looked at her pyjamas and nearly jumped up. They were hospital gowns! What happened?

 

     “Hang on there. Your okay,” said the voice again. Sharifah sat up straight and looked towards the voice. If it wasn’t for the railing at both side of the bed, Sharifah would definitely fell of the bed. There sitting a couple of meters from her was Rafiq.

Healthy, happy and very much awake, Rafiq. Sharifah couldn’t help but stare. He looked the same as she left him that morning. Besides, the fact that he was conscious now.

 

     “I must be dreaming. I must be dreaming,” said Shairfah repeatedly to herself.

 

     “Sorry for disappointing you but you were wheeled in here a while ago. Car accident,” said Rafiq studying her.

 

Sharifah was too shaken up to say anything. How could she be in a car accident, she was riding a bus for heavens sake! She can’t be going crazy. What was the name of the three pendekar in Pendekar Bujang Lapok? Aziz, Ramli and Sudin . Hah! She definitely didn’t have any memory lost. Which came back to her first theory, she was dreaming.

 

Sharifah frowned, why the heck was she dreaming of Rafiq? That must have been some touch!

 

     “Hello, earth to you,” said Rafiq. Sharifah glanced at him and saw that there was a pretty young woman beside him. She was also looking curiously at her.

 

     “This is Rozita, my fiancée, I’m sorry you are?”

 

     “Sharifah,” whispered Sharifah. Wasn’t she….?

 

     “Assalamualaikum,” said Rozita walking towards her be , her hands extending out in a welcome gesture. Sharifah didn’t return her hug. She was very confused. What had happened? How was she in the hospital ward? Why was Rafiq awake and healthy? Why was Rozita there? Where were the nurses and the computers? Million of questions flooded Sharifah’s head.

 

An elderly couple came to Rafiq’s side. The old lady kissed his head gently.

 

     “How are you, son?’ said the lady gently. Rafiq took the old lady’s hand and gently kissed it lovingly. He did the same to the old man. The old man had the same features as Rafiq, fair, well-built and pretty darn good-looking.

 

 

     ‘Mak and Abah, I like to introduce you to Sharifah,” said Rafiq smiling at her. Sharifah’s jaw nearly fell to the ground. Weren’t they dead?

 

This was very weird. Either that or she watched too much twilight zone movies. She looked around the ward. It was hardly a ward. There were no windows, no attendants or nurses and definitely no doctors. It was like they were the only people in that place. Everything was in white, the bed, and their clothes. Rafiq was still talking to his parents and Rozita. Sharifah wasn’t paying attention to what they were talking, she was too busy thinking. Sharifah turned to look at Rafiq, he was reading on his bed….alone. Sharifah frowned, she didn’t hear them leave. Sharifah got off her bed but she didn’t feel the ground. She started falling and falling and falling.

 

 

     Sharifah  felt her body jolted and she opened her eyes. It was dark. For moment

Sharifah was disoriented, she didn’t make out where she was. Sharifah touched the mattress below her and felt the cold floor underneath. She laid her head on the pillow breathing heavily, she was shaking all over. She reached for her alarm clock tucked underneath the pillow. The hands showed that it was 2.00 am in the morning.

 

Sharifah tried to close her eyes

 

Rafiq 

 

Sharifah’s eyes flew wide open. She looked up at the fan on the ceiling spinning slowly. Slowly she sat up. At their study table near the window was a shadowy figure looking back at her…….

 

 

The doctor pulled a chair beside Rafiq’s bed. He looked at his patient. His condition was stabilized. His eyelids were closed but he could see his eye movement. They were moving rapidly.

 

 

The doctor’s eyes fell on the EEG machine at the side the bed. He had asked for an EEG test to monitor his brain movement. He didn’t want to take the chance of another seizure that could permanently damage his patient’s brain. He would ask for a PET scan early in the morning. What was worrying him now was why his patient wasn’t waking up. His eyes were moving rapidly. The doctor’s attention moved to the heart monitor beside his patients head. His heart rate increase slightly but there was nothing to be alarm about, he watched the EEG machine, there was some activities in the brain as the machine reported high peaks then the normal moderate spikes.

 

The doctor sighed and looked back at his patient.

 

                 “What are you dreaming about?” he asked softly to his silent patient.

 

 

     Rafiq turned his attention to his new roommate. But the bed beside him was empty.

                 “Where’s the girl?” asked Rafiq looking at Rozita who was busy arranging the flowers at his coffee table.

 

                 “What girl?” asked Rozita looking curiously at him Rafiq frowned looking at his fiancée.

     There was a girl that just came in that night. Where did she go? And why was he having a feeling that he had met her before?