In grade 8 I had an eye-wateringly good English teacher, and that's not just because he brought onions to class and chucked them at students who mis-behaved. I'm not going to list his virtues here, but it's enough to know I haven't yet met a student from our grade 8 batch who doesn't think he was a great teacher.

Well, I met him the other day in Carrefour. "salam sir, how u doing?" I think he replied that he was fine, but I'm not sure. "you know, there've been rumours about your health, sir". " well, they aren't rumours..... at least the therapy isn't killing me yet ". The rumours are that Mr Isma'il has cancer.

He asked me to make Du'a for him, and I in turn ask everyone who reads this to make Du'a for his speedy and full recovery inshA'llah. A'meen.