My Brother Yusof

As I took the SPRINT Highway passing Damansara Utama on Friday, I realized it was too soon to be anywhere near there, I could not help the tears from rolling down my cheeks as I was passing my brother's house who had just gone to meet his Creator two days earlier .

In the early hours of Wednesday 22 April 2015, my brother Yusof the third in the family succumbed to his short illness. About a month prior to his passing, he moved to stay with his eldest son in Batu Pahat. In his 76 years almost, he was an independent being. In his last couple of years he was living with his wife and their youngest daughter after all the older children were married and lived on their own.

I am the eleventh child in a family of twelve. The age gap is so big  between my brother and I. My memory of him went as far back as when I was 6 years of age, thereabouts. Then my brother was either in MCKK for his sixth form or he was already reading Economy at the University Malaya, the first National University in Malaysia. The year was 1966. He, together with his first cousin Tan Sri Samsudin Othman, then simply Din, attended University together. Nevertheless their paths took them to different worlds, my brother's a quieter one than his cousin's.

I remembered my brother had a series of Teach Yourself Guidebooks and among them was Teach Yourself Urdu, Teach Yourself Music and many more. I too remembered playing chess with him at an early age. Can't remember beating him at his game but practising with him gave me the upper hand against many. I played so much chess when I was young against my siblings as well as my cousins as we all lived in a big house together. 

Like all my other brothers Mohamad, Abdullah and Jamaluddin who had already left this world to meet The Creator, brother Yusof was not a man of many words but learned he was as he was an avid reader and he studied every little thing conscientiously.

A chat with my brother in law revealed more. He was buddies with my late brother since they were 12 years of age. He reminisced his times with my brother saying that Yusof was one who was never  mischievous even when young, one who never had any ill-feelings or bad intentions towards anyone all his life. If the world was full with people like him, he said, the world would be a peaceful place to live in. He summarised his 64 years knowing my brother with those comforting words. The best friend who remained a good friend to the end.

I may not know my brother so well when I was young since we never really lived in the same house for long. He left home when I was around 5 years old, too early for me to even get to know him. He was already married by the time I was 10 years old. I paid short visits to his home during school holidays and after I was married we always stop by his home when they were living in Kuantan and Kuala Terengganu on my way to Kota Bharu where I was residing then.

He taught himself to play the keyboard and the guitar. Violin too if I am not mistaken. He realised his dream to read and play music in his son Harris who read music at University and who is now a music teacher. He loves to play, listen and sing many of his favourite songs, mostly English songs.

A few close relatives remember him as;

    - " A man who loved learning any subject matter, may it be religion, arts, language, philosophy or    even music."

      "A very intelligent man. Extremely curious and strangely funny. Knowledgable though in his quiet but cheerful style."

      "One who never raised his voice or truly showed anger. A kind man indeed."

"I lost a very good friend.... said my sis in law. To his children and families they lost a good father.

He married my sister in law when she was 19 years of age. Having lived with him for 44 years what does one expect to be but a close friend till the end. He is survived by 2 sons, 2 daughters and 10 grandchildren.

To my Dearest brother , may Allah place you among those that He loved. AlFatihah.



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