From the Bottom of My Soul: Life: A Short Story by Muhamad Solahudin bin Ramli

LIFE

What is life? Some people say that it is about the ups and downs we go through each day. Some agree that it is about experiencing different stages in life from childhood till the day we grow old. Some even think that it is about making a lot of money as money is undeniably, for some, everything. Everyone is free to define the meaning of life and there is actually no right or wrong answer. This is because humans are born with different talents, skills, special abilities and ways of thinking. I believe that no one is better than others as God has created all of us equal. That was what my grandmother used to say when she was still breathing while enjoying her lovely life. She is now gone but I’ll always remember every single story she told me especially when she was young.

It was early in the morning that I saw her sitting alone on a wooden bench outside her house. It was her usual place to recollect all her beautiful memories she once carved with her charming prince and their happy children. She was scanning all the colourful flowers she planted long ago. Daisies were her personal favourites and she always claimed that they were the most beautiful flowers in the world. When she was lost in her own thought, I approached her slowly, trying not to startle her. “Good morning, grandma. Have you had your breakfast?” I said. She was not responding and I thought I needed to speak a little louder just to get her out of her fantasy world for awhile. “Grandma?” She turned to me and gave me her inspiring smile. “Yes, my dear. I had some bread and butter just now. The black tea your mother prepared was as great as ever.” She then invited me to sit next to her and I would always love to accompany her while listening to her stories.

“Do you know why I became a teacher?” She asked me while covering her body with a blanket the husband once bought her as a birthday present. The morning was cool and calm and I was in my green cardigan to make myself feel warmer. “I think it was because teaching is a noble profession and you want to impart some knowledge to all your students.” I answered her question. She was just smiling and slowly parting her lips to reply what I had just said. “Yes, my dear. You’re right. But it’s actually more than that. Teaching is a beautiful profession and you’ll never know how beautiful it can be until you become a teacher yourself.” Her words were always full with hidden meanings that never failed to make me curious of the figurative details. I requested for further explanation and she would be more than happy to share what she kept inside as for her, sharing was what made her feel better and free.

“Being a teacher is being special. Regardless of what subject a teacher is teaching, there will be a beautiful human connection every teacher will develop. This connection allows love, affection, care, understanding and empathy to take place. Most importantly, a real teacher creates a wonderful camaraderie with the learners who learn more about life than about how to score well in exams.” I was stunned by her long words of wisdom but I could not deny that what she said was true. Teaching helped her deal with learners with different personalities, learning styles and intelligences. She believed that real teachers would not just help students get excellent results but they should be taught how to face the reality in this challenging world. Not to forget, there would be the ugly truths that would make us go back to the slogan, “Expect the Unexpected”.

Spending time talking about her unforgettable days with her students brought her back to life again and she was as passionate and energetic as ever as she took a stroll down memory lane. She really enjoyed her teaching days as those days taught her how to be strong and patient, the two life elements everyone needed to survive the ordeals. She was proud that many of her students had succeeded in their lives as individuals who stood tall and appreciated life values. Some of them still even paid her a visit and their conversation would never end if not for some other business they had to attend to. I, for many times, had always noticed a different kind of happiness shown on her face whenever they met. Sometimes their reunions had caused some tears to drop, not just theirs but mine too.

I remember on the very last day before my dear grandmother passed away. She said that everyone was a teacher and a learner at the same time. She advised me to never stop learning new things and spreading good knowledge to everyone I came across. Lessons are meant to be learnt, appreciated and passed to the next generation. Forgiving and giving are essential and we will someday realize that the two practice would miraculously make us feel better when we least expect it. She totally agreed with the classic line, “To err is human, to forgive is divine.”

Her last few days were full with beautiful words as if she already knew that her life would be over soon, and I promised I would keep all her advice and reminders as they were the best wills I could ever receive from somebody that never had regrets in life and never held grudges against anybody. She was a wonderful woman with a sincere heart and I would surely tell my children the inspiring tales my grandmother told me once. I loved her so dearly but I needed to accept the fact that her time to say goodbye had come and I needed to move on and live my life.