I Owe You an Explanation
By Nadiah Alwi - Write at Home Mom On Tuesday, October 03, 2006 At 12:04 PM | 
My last posting, the Wordless Wednesday, left you all with a very big question : HOW DID IT HAPPEN?
I will surely answer your question because I know that I owe you an explanation on what happened to the TV.
But, hope you don't mind that I'd refer doing it a little bit later.
Now, I'd like to share with you a sad story happening last Wednesday.
Remember my posting about my Grandma? I guess it was a sign. A sign of my heart knowing that she would leave me.
And she did. Last Wednesday, she passed away at 10.50 PM.
It was hard for me to believe that it happened. She was taken to the hospital by car for she said that she got her heart hurt a lot and she got breathing difficulties. Normally, we took her to the hospital by ambulance. But that time she seemed just fine. She could even sit nicely on the front seat beside my uncle who drove the car.
It was my Dad who told me the news. And it was like half my soul left with her. I couldn't help screaming and falling down the floor.
She was not only a Grandma. She was like a mother to me. She took care of me since I was born. My mom had an agreement with her and my GrandPa that I lived with them instead of with my parents because they only had one daughter, my Mom and Mom had to live with my Dad and his family. So, I was kinda replacing Mom.
It was a weird agreement, I know. I still can't believe that they could make such a silly agreement.
Yet, if it wasn't for the agreement, I wouldn't have lived with my grandparents and felt like I had 4 parents instead of 2.
Back to my GrandMa. She was burried the next day. We, Moslems, prefer burrying right away instead of keeping the death with us because the death deserves being where he/she belongs. Before the process, Mom and I joined the lady who was chosen to give bath to my GrandMa. We helped the lady giving bath to her. It was not easy. I couldn't help crying. But that was the last time I can do something meaningful for her so I strengthened my heart to do it.
I almost fainted when her body was taken to the funeral. We, women, were not allowed to be at the funeral for there, as we, Moslems, believe, shouldn't be any tears or mourn. And women are more sensitive and easily crying.
So, that's why I haven't explained anything yet to you about what had happened to the TV. I had no connection to the internet until yesterday. But, yesterday, I was not in the mood to tell about anything at all.
And...here is what happened to the TV:
It was Monday morning, 00.30 AM. I was half asleep when my hubby giggled. I almost got angry with him for disturbing my sleep. But then I asked him what caused his silly giggles. When he answered me, I couldn't help giggling. He said, my cousin's face was all black because of the smoke out of his burning TV.
Yes, it was my cousin's TV and yes, it was burning.
How did it happen?
My cousin--who also lives with me in my GrandMa's house--was having an aromatherapy candle on. Foolishly he put it on the TV. He started sleeping with the candle on at 10.00 PM. And 2 hours later, the TV was already burning along with the candle. I believe there must have been an explosion since his room was all covered with black plastics coming from the TV. And the was fire, according to him.
Thank God it wasn't getting big because right in front of my house there is a gas station! Yes, that was totally scary!
I thank God that we were all just fine. Yet, I was thinking, could it be another sign on my GrandMa's death? Or, I'm just being exaggerative?
I will surely answer your question because I know that I owe you an explanation on what happened to the TV.
But, hope you don't mind that I'd refer doing it a little bit later.
Now, I'd like to share with you a sad story happening last Wednesday.
Remember my posting about my Grandma? I guess it was a sign. A sign of my heart knowing that she would leave me.And she did. Last Wednesday, she passed away at 10.50 PM.
It was hard for me to believe that it happened. She was taken to the hospital by car for she said that she got her heart hurt a lot and she got breathing difficulties. Normally, we took her to the hospital by ambulance. But that time she seemed just fine. She could even sit nicely on the front seat beside my uncle who drove the car.
It was my Dad who told me the news. And it was like half my soul left with her. I couldn't help screaming and falling down the floor.
She was not only a Grandma. She was like a mother to me. She took care of me since I was born. My mom had an agreement with her and my GrandPa that I lived with them instead of with my parents because they only had one daughter, my Mom and Mom had to live with my Dad and his family. So, I was kinda replacing Mom.
It was a weird agreement, I know. I still can't believe that they could make such a silly agreement.
Yet, if it wasn't for the agreement, I wouldn't have lived with my grandparents and felt like I had 4 parents instead of 2.
Back to my GrandMa. She was burried the next day. We, Moslems, prefer burrying right away instead of keeping the death with us because the death deserves being where he/she belongs. Before the process, Mom and I joined the lady who was chosen to give bath to my GrandMa. We helped the lady giving bath to her. It was not easy. I couldn't help crying. But that was the last time I can do something meaningful for her so I strengthened my heart to do it.
I almost fainted when her body was taken to the funeral. We, women, were not allowed to be at the funeral for there, as we, Moslems, believe, shouldn't be any tears or mourn. And women are more sensitive and easily crying.
So, that's why I haven't explained anything yet to you about what had happened to the TV. I had no connection to the internet until yesterday. But, yesterday, I was not in the mood to tell about anything at all.
And...here is what happened to the TV:
It was Monday morning, 00.30 AM. I was half asleep when my hubby giggled. I almost got angry with him for disturbing my sleep. But then I asked him what caused his silly giggles. When he answered me, I couldn't help giggling. He said, my cousin's face was all black because of the smoke out of his burning TV.
Yes, it was my cousin's TV and yes, it was burning.
How did it happen?
My cousin--who also lives with me in my GrandMa's house--was having an aromatherapy candle on. Foolishly he put it on the TV. He started sleeping with the candle on at 10.00 PM. And 2 hours later, the TV was already burning along with the candle. I believe there must have been an explosion since his room was all covered with black plastics coming from the TV. And the was fire, according to him.
Thank God it wasn't getting big because right in front of my house there is a gas station! Yes, that was totally scary!
I thank God that we were all just fine. Yet, I was thinking, could it be another sign on my GrandMa's death? Or, I'm just being exaggerative?
I am so sorry about your Grandma's death. Please know that my thoughts are with you and your family.
I'm glad the TV fire was not any worse than it was, it could have been bad.
Oh Dear Nadiah, I pray that you and your family find comfort in your time of loss. I'm so sorry to hear about your grandma.
And with the candle, well I better take heed and becareful. I am so guilty of burning candles and accidentally falling asleep. I have left candles on the TV so I will not do that again. My husband just bought a new TV and I am sure it will not go over well if I melt it!
Take Care my friend!
To My2Cents and Atasha
Thank you very much, dear friends...
Your thoughts and pray mean a lot to me.
I'm very sorry to hear about your grandmothers passing. I'm glad that you did live with her and as a result were able to have more time with a grandparent than many of us do.
As for the TV ... thanks for the explaination. I was very curious. :) I rarely use candles in my home for safety reasons. when I do use them I put them on a glass table with no flamable objects anywhere near them. I've heard of far too many families perishing in house fires due to burning candles to feel all that safe about their use.
I hope your cousin is ok. i was thinking that the fumes from the burning plastic etc might be bad for his? lungs - possibly yours and your husbands as well.
I'm glad everything turned out ok. :)
Dear... I'm so sorry about Jidah. And I'm sorry for myself for not having the chance to know her.
May Allah give her the best place in heaven. Amiin..
To Tricia & MamaFaiz
Thanks so much. Yes, I'm glad that I had the chance to go back living with her again after renting a house earlier.
I also keep praying that she's happy right there with God. Amin.
About my cousin, I've told him to go check it out to the doctor but he said he was fine. He's 20 sumthin already, I can't force him.
My hubby and I didn't smell the smoke since our room is upstairs and my cousin's is downstairs and the smoke didn't go that far.
And again, thanks for your lovely thoughts.
Im sorry to hear of your Grandma's passing. You and you family are in my thoughts and prayers.
Thank goodness the fire with the tv was small...what a disaster that could have been.
Thanks for stopping by my site.
Oh, sweetheart, I'm so sorry for your loss!!
As far as the TV - sounds like something one of my former roommates would do, eeek!
I'm so sorry to hear about your GrandMa's passing. My mom just passed away last December, and the ache is still there, though not as intense.
Thanks for the explanation about the TV. I didn't think about something burning on top of it, but looking at the picture again, that is exactly what it looks like. I'm a little paranoid about candles, always afarid that someone's sleeve or something is going to catch fire reaching near it.
Im very sorry to hear about your GrandMa.
I would have to agree that your funeral customs are very logical...
Well I also had a similar experience in my childhood where a candle in the shrine room had made all the furniture in it to br turned to ash.
Well U have awnderful blog.
Will visit more often...
To Crygibb, Mama Duck, Barbara & Pran,
Thank you very much for your attention to my loss. Your thoughts and prayers mean a lot.
It's still hard to believe that she's gone, though.
Hi Janice,
Thank you for your concern.
Yes, thank God only the TV that was damaged.