"Cancer" someone replied through muffled sobs.
"Wouldn't have guessed! Never in my career did any cancer patient have such bright and clean teeth" the mortician went on to explain that usually in the last stages, the patient's gum become so sensitive and infected that brushing is impossible which does further damage to the already chemo effected teeth.
At that moment, every fiber in my body wanted to tell him the reason for that, but I knew that words would fail me. I was well aware of the fact that the only sound that could've escaped my tightly clenched teeth would have been heart rendering screams, and nothing else. How could a person form or lend any sense to sentences or words, whose world is coming apart at that moment? So, I did not say a single thing...but an image kept flashing behind the dense curtain of tears slipping out of my sealed eyes!
The image of my mom ....
beside the skeleton of a man, lying in bed, who was my beloved dad ...
My mom had aged beyond her age in past few months, with deep black circles around her eyes...eyes that were still wet though they had cried beyond their capacity and lips that had paled but were not tired of praying....and her hands....ahhh, I looked at those hands as she sat beside my dying father's ,bed and cleaned his teeth with those caring hands!
My dad spent the last two weeks of his life in the hospital, fighting the horrific fight against cancer, that ultimately took his life. Six months of chemotherapy never worked. My parents fought the battle with all the willpower but it was not enough. I remember my mom telling me that it was as if they were trying to support a crumbling wall by their bare hands. No effort came through and the wall collapsed.
I had reached my parents' place only two weeks before my father's death. Two days after my arrival, he was admitted to the hospital from where he never came home.
Every day, on my visit to the hospital, I would see my mom clean his teeth, painstakingly, very softly, as if handling the most fragile glass, with her expensive chiffon scarfs. She used her scarfs because those were the softest material and nothing was more valuable than the person on that bed, to her. With extreme care and time, she would gently wipe each and every tooth one by one.
The first day I saw her doing it, she told me that my father was a very religious man. Hygiene is sometimes referred to as one half of the faith, in Islam. Being a devoted Muslim, my father always took good care of hygiene and cleanliness. His teeth were always sparking like peals due to the habit of brushing after each meal. He followed his beloved Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him) example who loved to brush and keep his teeth clean.
Mom said,"your father loved and always kept his teeth clean. Now that he has no strength to lift his arm, I will do his work for him" and continued her delicate task.
The story does not end here. There was much more to it than that. She had said that my father was a very pious man, and she was right. Yes, he was but so was she. They both loved their religion and their Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him).
Prophet Mohammad (Peace be upon him) died at the age of 63 years. He was sick in his last days and was unable to get up. His companions would call upon him to convey regards and greetings. One day his brother in law visited him for the purpose. Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him) was extremely weak by this time lying in fever. His worried wife Ayesha (God bless her) was cradling his head in her lap. Ayesha's brother was holding a Miswak in his hand as he entered the room. Miswak is a special tree branch used as a toothbrush. It is narrated by Ayesha (God bless her) that she saw her beloved husband, Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him) looking longingly at the Miswak. She understood the meaning as he had not been able to get up and brush his teeth while bed ridden.
Ayesha (God bless her) asked her brother for that Miswak and softened its dry bristles with her own teeth. Once satisfied that it was no longer coarse, she gave it to Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him), who cleaned his teeth with it. That was the last act that he performed before death as soon after, his condition worsened and he left this mortal world to meet his Lord. As per tradition of all Prophets, Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him) was buried at the spot of his death, that is, in the living quarter of Ayesha (God bless her).
So you see, for me, my pious mom and dad not only believed but practiced their beliefs by trying to follow the traditions of Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him). Seeing my mom clean my dad's teeth always refreshed the incident of Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him) and Ayesha (God bless her) in my mind. Like Ayesha (God bless her), my mom dotted on her husband and when he was unable to, aided and performed his duties. My father's teeth were pearly white in death because of the love of the woman who spent almost three decades as his life partner. They had a strict arranged marriage. They had not even seen a picture of or heard voice of each other before the wedding night, yet theirs is the best love story that I witnessed. They loved each other for the sake of their Lord. The love of religion brought them closer to each other and showed in every deed they performed. They taught me the best values by example. They showed me not only how to love but how to practice and honor that love.
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