There is this cleaning staff in my office who sweeps and mops the floor. She has just started on the job, replacing the previous staff. The previous staff that we had did not even care to knock on my door and asked whether I would like my room to be swept or mopped. I don't even recognize the previous staff. The new worker is just the opposite. So I'm quite happy with the new staff. And she's very polite and friendly too.

We used to have small chats whenever she comes into my room and does the necessary. The other day, we chatted as usual and I asked a simple personal question. 'Mak cik asal mana?' And I got more than what I asked for. And what a story and one helluva of an experience.

Her name is Zainab, her father was from Melaka while her mom was from Perak. Both her parents were deceased. She was born and raised in Kuala Lumpur. She got married to a guy whom she regarded as her Mr Right, the religious-sembahyang-tak-tinggal type of person. Apparently she found out that her husband is a junkie. The husband used to hurt her physically, took money from her and she finally cannot stand it anymore and they finally divorced. She is, however, blessed with a son, Mohd Zaki, who is currently in a college. She even showed me the photo of his son. Hensem...

She used to work in Telekom (if I remember it correctly) and accepted the VSS offer and pay up her house loan. She has already named her son as the rightful owner of the house. Ni sediakan payung sebelum hujan la ni... She works as a cleaner so that she is able to give her son RM300 of pocket money every month. She did mention that her son's studies are sponsored by some bodies which I have already forgotten. And she constantly reminds her son the importance of education and not to sell the house etc etc etc... She even told me her home address and invited me to her house should I happen to be in the neighborhood. Awww... isn't that nice...

She has undergone so many hardships in her life and she can choose to be spiteful because of the way life has treated her. But her courtesy and politeness and friendliness remained unscathed.  Unlike some people who can be very unkind just for the fun of it or simply because they are just mean inside. And that's what I respect the most in her. I pray she will have a better life soon and pray that her son will value her sacrifices.

That's her story, what's yours?