Tragic Fall

Last Saturday, I went to Damansara to a certain lifestyle living cum furniture shop. I wanted to buy a small table for Marsya. She’s been doing her homework on the floor. And I don’t think it’s good for her. Besides, it was a bargain. A table and two small chairs for only RM49. So I thought it was ok.

Because the whole family has been sick, except for Bie, I didn’t want to stay there long. I wanted to go home. Raqib was sick and still feverish. Marsya was coughing and I wasn’t completely 100% recovered from my fever, cough, flu and bad throat. But I wanted to entertain my son anyway because he seemed so ‘seponyek’. So I ran downhill in the shopping complex (the floor which adjoined Ikano to Ikea was sort of going downhill) hoping to let Raqib enjoy the thrill of going fast. And man, I think that was the most stupid decision I have made in a very, very long time.

The pushchair hit a metal bar at the side of the wall sending myself and Raqib toppling over as if doing a somersault. There were gasps and screams from passersby. I fell on my front, sliding on the tiled floor, knocking my knee on the floor. I forgot that my son was in the pushchair and only realized it when a stranger ran to him and lifted the pushchair off the floor. Luckily he was still strapped to the chair. I quickly got up and opened the belt which strapped him to the chair. I lifted him and hugged him close. I thanked the stranger for his fast act and repeatedly acknowledge that it was my fault. The stranger (bless his soul) tried to appease me by saying that it was no one’s fault. It just happened.

Raqib was crying. I looked at this face. It was all red, but no bruises or cuts, or blood dripping. Thank goodness for that. He was alright. I looked up and saw my daughter. She had an angry look on her face. And she reprimanded me right there and then saying, “Umi, who asked you to run? See, you’ve fallen already”. I felt embarrassed. I wasn’t embarrassed at falling in front of complete strangers; I didn’t care. But I do care about what my daughter thinks. And I felt that I have tarnished my reputation as a mother in front of her. I was careless and it nearly cost the life of my son. I’d hate to imagine what would have happened if he hadn’t got the belt on.

So yeah, it was a lesson well-learnt. I don’t want to do anything else which at the time may have sounded alright, but when it actually happened, it was very stupid indeed. I pray to Allah to continue protecting my family from any type of harm, even as silly as what happened last Saturday.