The 1st fight of 2024 - the start

 

The return of Dragoncat to the Great one’s embrace had alter our plan during January.

I had decided to join Ving and Xian for the trip returning to Bolehland during mid of January. My joining would lift the burden of travelling for them.

We had to settled with the flight departing up north as the double A flight departing from K city was fully booked.

I had booked an afternoon flight so that we could travel up north with the HSR early in the morning.

The journey preceded with a night shift in the ward; K had agreed to cover for me in the ward for 2hours so that I could leave by 6am.

I reached home and picked up Ving and Xian by 7and headed toward HSR station. We managed to park the car at the train station which situated next to the HSR station. The parking fee is 3 times cheaper than the HSR station parking. It was a simple journey as I had trailed down this route few months ago with Yun to Bangkok for an IDPA shooting event.

We reached TPE airport by 10+ and I was shocked when I saw the big screen at the departure hall. The MH367 would be delayed to 9pm. I scanned over my phone and found that an email was sent to my mailbox at 4am informing the delay and I had ignored it. While 3 of us was discussing where should we spend the 7 hours, the counter had however opened as scheduled allowing us to check in our luggage. The counter staff had also announced that they would arrange a hotel for us to rest while waiting for the departure. It was not the best news of the day though. We had checked in our baggage and headed for our lunch. I had to called up the car rental company informing my delay and rental company had however to me that they would be closing by 10pm and I could only pick up my car the next day. I instantly cancelled the booking but however I received another mail from HAWK stating that my booking for a BRV was approved and asking if I wish to proceed with the booking. I called up HAWK and told them my situation and they told me that they had tracked my flight and would wait for me with a surcharge. Definitely the best news of the day under such hazard situation. After our lunch, we had gathered back to the MH counter and were directed to a coach. We were ferried to the Hotel Orchard Park nearby the airport. A voucher of 500 for each person was provided for dinner. The hotel was 4 stars grade with great bed and facility. We take a good nap and awaking up by 5pm. The flight was however delayed again till 9:40pm when we arrived at the airport by 7pm. It was supposed to be relaxing path but the airport was packed. We were urged to hurry to the security check point and it took us 2 hours to complete the task. It was 9pm when we reached the gate just before last call of the flight was announced.

We had used the vouchers to buy cakes/gifts instead of buying any lunch/dinner.

The flight took off at 10:30pm with our empty stomach.

I swept through what I gathered from the net and found that the MH366 was delayed due to unknown reason. The original flight from Jeddah to KL had reached KL 3pm and its next flight under the flight MH366 was scheduled the next day at 9:20am. It did not take off though.

The red eye flight was uneventful and we reached KL by 5+am. The airport was emptied and the connecting train to the satellite building was still out of service(it had been more than 1 year and it would take 3 years for a replacement)

I picked up the BRV and headed to my in law’ house. The early morning drive was smooth and the feeling of driving to work from Klang to Tg Malim early in the morning had stormed me again. It sucks really driving a underpower car with poor maneuverability (yeh, I am spoiled by Fefe after all those years).

It was the first time I had met such delayed of flight; however MAS had provided an excellent service to arrange hotel for us to rest. If we had been flying with AA, we would be on our own during the delay.

HAWK rent a car was another great service provider; they were the only rental company who provide BRV. BRV is a great car even though with its poor control and noisy engine setting; it’s spacious luggage and 7 seaters capability was definitely a plus for traveler.

It was not an easy start but it was smooth thereafter…

The end and start of journey

 I had always been a pet lover; raising pets were like raising kids to our family. Losing each of them had been a big pain for us. The leaving of Fatty and Titi was two major event during our life. I knew that it would be intolerable when the Dragoncat’s day come.

For the past 3 years, Dragoncat condition had deteriorated slowly. Her spine problem had become worst and slowly she lost her ambulatory ability. We would bring her around in a cage initially and later as her back condition become worst, we would carry her in our arms whole day.

Ving had given up the chance of going back to Malaysia during CNY and we had tried our best of staying with her, comforting her. She could no longer feed herself and we had to spoon fed her. She was in no pain and no fear as her appetite was good. She had been tamed like a domestic pet instead of being a prey. I knew that the day would come sooner and later and Ving had hoped that she would returned to the land peacefully in her sleep.

As my in law condition was fluctuating, Ving had however decided to pay a visit back to Boleh land earlier this year. I had arranged a window of 1 weeks so that Ving could go back for a visit. I would look after Dragoncat with the assistance of Yun during the period while Ving is gone. 10 days before the departure, Dragoncat had started to show sign of shortness of breath. The visit to the Vet had confirmed my suspicion, she had probably pulmonary malignancy leading to her respiratory failure. I knew before the consultation but yet at the time the Vet broke the news, I was still unable to control my tears….. We had to put her to sleep as only in the ICU box, she could maintain her O2 saturation. There was no way we could carrying her in our arm while giving any oxygen supplement. The decision was simple and straight forward then…

On our way back, we bough a few oxygen can for use on the returning journey and rented an oxygen machine. We decided to keep her one more night and summoned the kids to share the last night with her. At the grace of the great one, it was the last day for the school final. We picked up Yun and Xian on our way home.

I held her in my arm with the oxygen tube beside her nose that whole night. She slept well with all of us gathering in the living room with her that night.

The next day, we had taken her to the Vet as scheduled. We gathered around her during the final journey. She slept peacefully after the intramuscular sedation was given. We bid farewell to her and completed the final prayer thanking the Great one for his Grace. The sadness was beyond description for all of us…

We headed to the crematorium and the ritual was completed later that evening.

We had been through many events with Dragoncat. I complete level 100 as sorcerer in D4 during the last season with her in my arm. Ving had been pampering her whole day for the last 1 year and we had treated her as our third child. We had traveled with her thousands of kilometer during the 2 years; we had taken her north and south visiting Yun in her university and other places. She would show a smile after she had a good meal and we shared her joyfulness with her. She had been the longest living rabbit with the most travelling mileage in the island….

She did not leave us as in the way we had hope for however the Great one had arranged everything to pacify ours grieve in another way.

We had the chance to gather around her for her last journey; if what had gone as we hope for, she would had left us suddenly and the pain would be much intolerable…..