It was a normal busy day at work. Replying whatsapps from client. Checking documents, emailing, scanning and whatnot. Suddenly my desk phone was buzzed. There was someone on the line.
He: Hi Puan D.
Me: Hi. Siapa ni ya?
He: Ho
Me: Ho? Sorry tapi Mr Ho yang mana ya?
(me frantically trying to remember did I missed to call back anyone? Ah but I bajet ini Ho our office stationary supplier almost hari-hari call my account tanya nak beli katrij ke tak? Ingat kita makan katrij ke haha)
He: Ho lah. Lily (not real name)'s uncle.
Me: Oh Ho. Hey long time no hear from you...
Ah it was Mr Ho. Long story short 10 tahun lepas we accidentally help his family with adoption. The only adoption case yang we buat. Tolong sebab he was our client before. Wanted to adopt anak pekerja Vietnam yang nak balik ke negara asal without the baby. Jadi yang penting untuk kes begini adalah dapatkan surat setuju secara bersumpah ibu bapa kandung serah penjagaan kepada ibu angkat. Dokumen pun kena lengkap. Selepas 2 tahun jaga mohon kepada JPN untuk pengangkatan.
Kita bantu sikit-sikit with the process. Lain-lain semua dia buat sendiri. Tengok baby tu dari kaki sebesar 2 jari datang office. Sekali-sekala, mak angkat dia bawa datang office dan kita tengok dia membesar. That girl kelakar, kalau datang sure riuh-rendah. Kadang dia cakap dengan mak angkat dia, jom pergi office kakak (weols). Then mak dia cakap eh kau ingat tu ofis kau ke nak pergi selalu haha. The family is pure Baba Nyonya fam so memang pandai cakap Melayu.
Selesai pengangkatan, another battle is untuk mendapatkan kewarganegaraan. Kebetulan ada kenalan adopt macam ni juga so dia ada ajar cara macamana to apply. Kena selalu follow up particular department di Putrajaya. So I advised Ho and the family pergi follow up tunjuk muka every year. Menunjukkan kesungguhan you untuk mendapatkan warganegara tu.
Ho: Eh kakak I ada call you?
Me: No, tak ada pulak.
Ho: You tahu, Lily dah dapat warganegara. Surat dah dapat minggu lepas. We try to call you tapi office cakap you tak ada.
I was so happy. Dapat warganegara means boleh dapat macam-mcam benefit. Bukan warganegara ni you tak boleh pilih sekolah berdekatan rumah. Tak boleh apply biasiswa/ study loan. Sekarang dah boleh ada passport to travel. Knowing Lily was well cared and loved by the family, I am so happy.
We chit-chat pasal Lily for a while. I cakap nanti dah takde covid ni bawalah datang office. I tengok dia dari kaki sebesar 2 jari. The family tak kaya tapi sanggup mengambil tanggungjawab jaga anak ni sebab tak nak ditinggalkan merata. Kebanyakan kes tak mampu nak jaga anak ni sendiri. Parents Lily ni married couple dan dia percaya family Ho ni boleh jaga anak dia.
Ho: Thank you ye. You banyak tolong kami semua. Dari awal.
Me: Itu memang kerja saya.
For a reason, hati I happy sangat. There were hundred of times I questioned the path I chose. Kerja ni kadang tak dihargai orang pun. Number of times kena marah even ko dah beria-ia tolong. Again, berharap kepada manusia tak ke mana. But number of times juga, dapat thank you macam ni buat kau tahu kenapa kau was destined in certain place and time.
To anyone reading this, tak kiralah bekerja atau dah berhenti atau suri rumah atau any position you are in, percayalah there is a reason kenapa kita berada pada satu-satu tempat. Kadang rasa payah dan susah sangat, why aku pilih jalan ni? Kadang kita pun tak tahu siapa kita tolong. Mungkin family or stranger or diri sendiri. Kita pun tak tahu we just go with the flow. And I rasa the best kindness is something that you totally forgot about it.
To Mr Ho. Thanks for calling me. It's good to know that Lily will have a better future. It's moment like this, that I am reminded, this is why I do the job.
Me: Eh apa dia tulis dalam surat tu?
Ho: Oh kena jadi warganegara yang taat, setia pada negara...
You should Lily. This country accepted you. Please be a good citizen.
Happy Malaysia Day! Remember that a girl waited 10 years to be called a Malaysian.