PART IV
The next few days went in a flash, seeing Cousin Bi so distressed; Mei took charge of the funeral affairs. This was the first time that Mei had to deal with the Casket, funeral parlour, the crematorium etc., but she felt that Aunty Sam was with her throughout. Everything was simple, just like hope Aunty Sam would have wanted it. She was a quiet woman or little words. During the wake, Mei was repeatedly told by Aunty Sam’s friends what a wonderful woman she was, Mei felt comforted that her “mummy” was such a great woman!
Naturally Mei’s mother was at the wake. She had repeatedly pulled Mei along when she went round the tables of relatives and her friends. At each table, she would repeat this: “This is my daughter, Mei! She is very close to my sister since young! But she is never close to me at all!! Since my sister passed on, Mei has been so sad. I am pretty sure when I die, she will not be as sad as she is now…”
Little did she know Mei had always had the same nightmare every time she has a disagreement with her boyfriend, her father or even her mother. She will wake up in cold sweat, sometimes scream herself awake in the middle of the night – having the same nightmare. She would dream the scenes of her mother crashing the wedding photo frame into pieces. She will again see her sitting across the edge of the kitchen window, half her body in the house, the half dangling outside. She will be on the floor with Hao, kneeing down on the kitchen floor and begged her to come. For years, she has this dream…
Their relationship was so strained that Mei felt like a battery plugged to a discharging station whenever she attempt to hold a conversation with her mother. So much so that Mei avoided seeing her mother, except on Chinese New Year. Luckily for Mei, her mother didn’t cause her too much distressed when she had a pushcart stall business near the bank she was working in. Mei’s mother would visit her sometimes, a couple of times sobbing at her open concept cubicle in full view of the bank customers. All these Mei could take it, because for Mei, those were the better experiences already. So Mei had a philosophy about visiting her mother, she would judge her “battery life” that day, if it’s at least 80% full, she can live through the whole “discharging” process because by then, she would have been left with just 30% – She could still afford the downtime.
Mei’s mother has been having problems with her husband for a couple of years now. Many times, Mei’s mother would complain to her about her husband that he is after her hard earned money, which he is trying to kill her for. She cooked up bizarre stories that even Mei found it hard to believe her own mother. Mei tries to detach herself from this negative energy that drains her emotions, so she avoids her mother almost totally. Sensing Mei’s detachment, her husband has been calling Mei’s brothers, Yong and Hao, very often. Their mother got into trouble of being drunk, vomiting her lungs out at home; banging her head on the wall till it bleeds etc.
No matter how detached Mei tries to tell herself to be, she cannot help but feel a need to know her mother’s latest progress. She gets updates from her brothers whenever some “commotion” happened. Mei had to endure hearing things like their 80yrs old Grandfather had to clean his daughter up after she got drunk again puking all over her own clothes. Her mother’s senseless behaviour on one occasion led to having the police involved. Her husband had called the police when she threatens to kill herself-again for the umpteenth times. Since committing suicide is a criminal offence and they could not subdue her, she was sent to the mental hospital. She had to be kept in observation and there a few outcomes. First, she gets charged if she is deeming to be in right state of mind by the hospital. Second, the charges will be dropped if she is diagnosed to be mentally unsound. Lastly, she will not be charged, but has to be put under close home supervision and medication. Mei ought to be sad, but she is disgusted by the doings.
During the next day consultation to discharge her, she created such a nuisance at the doctor’s office demanding IMMEDIATE discharge. This deemed her not mentally unstable, hence could not be discharged – she was kept over the weekend. Come Monday, she was finally discharged in the morning, but by evening, she got herself into trouble again. She had gone to her in-law’s place and banged her head against the wall in protest and self destruction that she was sent to the hospital again. Mei’s brothers rushed to hospital late at night to make sure she was ok, although Mei was with her brothers when they received the call, she did not go to the hospital with them.
Mei had problems sleeping each time she comes to know of the nonsensical things that her mother had committed again. She cannot reconcile why her own mother will try to her love ones… didn’t she ruin Mei and her brothers’ lives already? Why would she want to ruin her only lawful son’s life now? Mei even had evil thoughts of wishing her own mother was dead, so that she will finally stop disrupting her life and her brothers’ lives! Mei went to the extent that she does not wish for her name to be put in the newspaper obituary should the time come. She wished she was disowned, and then she wouldn’t find it hard to be cold hearted.
Mei can’t help but wonder if her mother was desperate for attention, maybe even for Mei’s attention. Maybe Mei had a part to play in all these; maybe she had neglected her mother’s feelings by being closer to her own sister rather than her. Could Mei do more to prevent this whole catastrophe from evolving? It pains Mei to see her brothers in distress, so affected by the whole episode, but she made up her mind not to “care”.
She remembers someone telling her this: A person who really wishes to take his life will not tell any tales of it. He will just do it, mainly because he is afraid that thru persuasion, he will give up the idea. So maybe Mei’s mother does not have the intention to take her own life at all, she merely needed to be shown TLC by her children. Since she is having so many problems with her husband, Mei wonders why her mother did not take the easy way out – a second divorce. Maybe it was the love she still harbours for her husband, or maybe it was sheer pride and ego that stopped her from doing so.
------
Hey, do me favour if u are reading my blog. Tell me if u wanna know more of this story...
Drop me an sms or comment will yah? Oh, if it's not too much trouble, tell me who u are!
Thanks! =D
Showing posts with label TheDaughter. Show all posts
Showing posts with label TheDaughter. Show all posts
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
A Story *The Daughter* PART III
PART III
All these while, Aunty Sam has been of most help. She was the one who accompanied Mei to buy her first Bee Dees bra and panties, taught her about using sanitary pads, etc… all the woman stuff whom Mei couldn’t and wouldn’t ask her father… Although Aunty Sam is the sister of Mei’s mother, she never sided with anyone who was in the wrong – she was this righteous and impartial.
One day, Mei vaguely remembered that her mother asked to meet her at Tanjong Pagar. She didn’t know where they were going, until they stepped into a law firm. Her mother has changed her mind and wanted to gain the custody of Mei. Mei’s mother was nudging her to tell the lawyer in charge the “truth”, that Mei wants to be with her mother. She could only hear that “Girl! Tell this uncle that you want to live with me! Quick, tell uncle! C’mon, if it’s coming from the kid’s mouth! Surely the judge will believe! Don’t you want to come live with me?! Tell Uncle you want to do that! ” She couldn’t remember what happened next, but she gets to stay with her father, and her two brothers.
The impact on the entire trauma took toil on Mei and her brothers. Mei and Hao barely made it to Secondary school as they only got the passing mark for PSLE. Yong did not do well for his GCE ‘O’ Levels that year either.
One day when Mei was about 12, her father brought her and Hao to a Funfair! Mei couldn’t remember the last time their father brought them out so they were really excited! They were also introduced to an Aunty, they greeted her and were presented with one big box of Roche’s chocolate each – Mei thought “WOW!” For the first time, they were in a Funfair ride with their father! They sat in the Ferris wheel and exclaimed in joy how fun it was!
Aunty Guay later became Mei’s stepmother. Things were uneventful until one day Mei’s mother wanted to return to her father. It was rather crazy, Mei actually welcomed the idea, or renting a room to her mother, so the whole family can be back to before! Except that Aunty Guay was lawfully Mei’s mother now. Anyway, this didn’t materialise and many years later, Mei was thankful for that.
Mei’s mother later remarried and had a boy. Their relationship strained when she felt that her mother was showing double standards for the young boy. Being 15years younger than Mei, she was trying to instil some discipline into the toddler, but her mother and her husband interfered. When Mei was about 17, she remembered telling her mother that she will washed her hands off the boy’s matter since they didn’t like her disciplining their darling boy. And she did just that – the daughter-mother relationship just went downhill from that point onwards.
All these while, Aunty Sam watched Mei and her brothers grow up. She was their pillar of support whenever they needed someone to talk to, needed a parent’s advice. Aunty Sam had another daughter, Ming, who was 12 years younger than Mei and Cousin Bi. When Ming was three, Aunty Sam and Uncle Yong got a divorce. Reason? He had taken a liking for a younger girl, 6 years his daughter’s senior- hopefully to boost his chance of getting an heir for this family name. Hah! People can come up with any reasons just to get away with bad things they do! Despite Aunty Sam’s painful experience, she remained a strong woman, bringing up her two beautiful girls!
When Mei was working already, she often spent time at Aunty Sam’s place. Despite their age gap, Mei looked to Aunty Sam as a close friend, her soul mate, her confidante. Mei remembers Aunty Sam taking a long bus journey to buy the yummiest Mango cake from the now-defunct Jack’s place at Kovan Heartland Mall. She NEVER forgets anyone’s birthday, because she genuinely cares for the person. Mei was even closer to Aunty Sam then to her two female cousins, of course, she was closer to Aunty Sam than to her own mother. On one occasion, she decided to tag along with Aunty Sam to meet her mother for some shopping. Mei’s mother not knowing that she will be going was 15minutes late without informing Aunty Sam. When she finally arrived, Mei told her own mother off for being late, irresponsible, inconsiderate and disrespectful of other’s time!
Mei had always felt guilty about not visiting her mother as often as she visits or goes out with Aunty Sam. She could not hold a proper conversation with her mother without flaring up. Especially when her mother mocked her by saying that Mei was mixed up with Cousin Bi at birth (since they were the same age!) and that’s why Mei was closer to Aunty Sam and Cousin Bi was more like her.
Mei was 28yrs old when Aunty Sam passed on suddenly… that August, Mei had received a call at night telling her that Aunty Sam had fainted at home and was sent to the nearest hospital A&E by ambulance. When Mei rushed down, Cousin Bi and Ming were panic-stricken. Aunty Sam was unconscious and had slipped into a coma. We were later told that she suffered a stroke and could not even be moved to the ICU as her conditions were not stable enough to even move ward. Mei and Cousin Bi had the permission as next of kin to see her in the A&E ward, just in case … she dun make it. After a long wait, her blood pressure finally stabilised and was transferred to the ICU, she had not regained conscious. For the next 10 days, Aunty Sam remained in the ICU, there were no brain activities and she was on life support system. The doctors had consulted Cousin Bi and Mei about their intentions, to pull or not pull the plug. They decided to reduce the medication that sustains the blood pressure level and if her body can fight back, there is a chance; else she will leave in peace.
Within a couple of days, Aunty Sam left. Not without her nephew, niece and daughters (Mei, Yong, Cousin Bi and Ming) bidding their farewells first. Mei and Yong being the older of the “children” promised Aunty Sam that they will look out for Cousin Bi and Ming always and that Aunty Sam can leave in Peace. This was the first time Mei see her eldest cool headed brother cried so badly.
---
Hey, do me favour if u are reading my blog. Tell me if u wanna know more of this story...
Drop me an sms or comment will yah? Oh, if it's not too much trouble, tell me who u are!
Thanks! =D
All these while, Aunty Sam has been of most help. She was the one who accompanied Mei to buy her first Bee Dees bra and panties, taught her about using sanitary pads, etc… all the woman stuff whom Mei couldn’t and wouldn’t ask her father… Although Aunty Sam is the sister of Mei’s mother, she never sided with anyone who was in the wrong – she was this righteous and impartial.
One day, Mei vaguely remembered that her mother asked to meet her at Tanjong Pagar. She didn’t know where they were going, until they stepped into a law firm. Her mother has changed her mind and wanted to gain the custody of Mei. Mei’s mother was nudging her to tell the lawyer in charge the “truth”, that Mei wants to be with her mother. She could only hear that “Girl! Tell this uncle that you want to live with me! Quick, tell uncle! C’mon, if it’s coming from the kid’s mouth! Surely the judge will believe! Don’t you want to come live with me?! Tell Uncle you want to do that! ” She couldn’t remember what happened next, but she gets to stay with her father, and her two brothers.
The impact on the entire trauma took toil on Mei and her brothers. Mei and Hao barely made it to Secondary school as they only got the passing mark for PSLE. Yong did not do well for his GCE ‘O’ Levels that year either.
One day when Mei was about 12, her father brought her and Hao to a Funfair! Mei couldn’t remember the last time their father brought them out so they were really excited! They were also introduced to an Aunty, they greeted her and were presented with one big box of Roche’s chocolate each – Mei thought “WOW!” For the first time, they were in a Funfair ride with their father! They sat in the Ferris wheel and exclaimed in joy how fun it was!
Aunty Guay later became Mei’s stepmother. Things were uneventful until one day Mei’s mother wanted to return to her father. It was rather crazy, Mei actually welcomed the idea, or renting a room to her mother, so the whole family can be back to before! Except that Aunty Guay was lawfully Mei’s mother now. Anyway, this didn’t materialise and many years later, Mei was thankful for that.
Mei’s mother later remarried and had a boy. Their relationship strained when she felt that her mother was showing double standards for the young boy. Being 15years younger than Mei, she was trying to instil some discipline into the toddler, but her mother and her husband interfered. When Mei was about 17, she remembered telling her mother that she will washed her hands off the boy’s matter since they didn’t like her disciplining their darling boy. And she did just that – the daughter-mother relationship just went downhill from that point onwards.
All these while, Aunty Sam watched Mei and her brothers grow up. She was their pillar of support whenever they needed someone to talk to, needed a parent’s advice. Aunty Sam had another daughter, Ming, who was 12 years younger than Mei and Cousin Bi. When Ming was three, Aunty Sam and Uncle Yong got a divorce. Reason? He had taken a liking for a younger girl, 6 years his daughter’s senior- hopefully to boost his chance of getting an heir for this family name. Hah! People can come up with any reasons just to get away with bad things they do! Despite Aunty Sam’s painful experience, she remained a strong woman, bringing up her two beautiful girls!
When Mei was working already, she often spent time at Aunty Sam’s place. Despite their age gap, Mei looked to Aunty Sam as a close friend, her soul mate, her confidante. Mei remembers Aunty Sam taking a long bus journey to buy the yummiest Mango cake from the now-defunct Jack’s place at Kovan Heartland Mall. She NEVER forgets anyone’s birthday, because she genuinely cares for the person. Mei was even closer to Aunty Sam then to her two female cousins, of course, she was closer to Aunty Sam than to her own mother. On one occasion, she decided to tag along with Aunty Sam to meet her mother for some shopping. Mei’s mother not knowing that she will be going was 15minutes late without informing Aunty Sam. When she finally arrived, Mei told her own mother off for being late, irresponsible, inconsiderate and disrespectful of other’s time!
Mei had always felt guilty about not visiting her mother as often as she visits or goes out with Aunty Sam. She could not hold a proper conversation with her mother without flaring up. Especially when her mother mocked her by saying that Mei was mixed up with Cousin Bi at birth (since they were the same age!) and that’s why Mei was closer to Aunty Sam and Cousin Bi was more like her.
Mei was 28yrs old when Aunty Sam passed on suddenly… that August, Mei had received a call at night telling her that Aunty Sam had fainted at home and was sent to the nearest hospital A&E by ambulance. When Mei rushed down, Cousin Bi and Ming were panic-stricken. Aunty Sam was unconscious and had slipped into a coma. We were later told that she suffered a stroke and could not even be moved to the ICU as her conditions were not stable enough to even move ward. Mei and Cousin Bi had the permission as next of kin to see her in the A&E ward, just in case … she dun make it. After a long wait, her blood pressure finally stabilised and was transferred to the ICU, she had not regained conscious. For the next 10 days, Aunty Sam remained in the ICU, there were no brain activities and she was on life support system. The doctors had consulted Cousin Bi and Mei about their intentions, to pull or not pull the plug. They decided to reduce the medication that sustains the blood pressure level and if her body can fight back, there is a chance; else she will leave in peace.
Within a couple of days, Aunty Sam left. Not without her nephew, niece and daughters (Mei, Yong, Cousin Bi and Ming) bidding their farewells first. Mei and Yong being the older of the “children” promised Aunty Sam that they will look out for Cousin Bi and Ming always and that Aunty Sam can leave in Peace. This was the first time Mei see her eldest cool headed brother cried so badly.
---
Hey, do me favour if u are reading my blog. Tell me if u wanna know more of this story...
Drop me an sms or comment will yah? Oh, if it's not too much trouble, tell me who u are!
Thanks! =D
Thursday, February 11, 2010
A Story *The Daughter* PART II
*The Daughter*
PART II
These went on for a while and Mei thought that things finally settled down when she was about 10. Her parents were finally getting a divorce, custody of the three children were all given to her father. In a normal divorce, normally the mother gets the children, especially when the father clocks a mean 16hours work per day. In Mei’s case, it was slightly complicated. Mei has come to learnt that all those frantic attempts to file for a divorce were so her mother could continue to be with another guy. It was only logically she didn’t want a bunch of kids tagging along with her.
At 10, divorce was still a rather big English word to Mei, she first learn the word through watching a Channel8 drama serials – she learned English by reading the subtitles so she knew the word long before she could pronounce it. At 10, she hardly knew anyone in her neighbourhood school that has experienced what she did. At 10, she felt really lonely and “despised” to be the odd one out. She started to withdraw from her group of friends but only one whom was closest to her.
She would leave the house earlier in the morning to meet Ling at her home en route to school, and then together, they will go to school. And after school ended, she will loiter at her place till about evening time... she had no choice but to go home because it was not nice to impose on people’s dinner and family time, and also this is the only time someone would be coming home already – this means that she will not be alone in house.
Mei and her brothers had to hide from their father whenever they went out to meet their mother… it was like police and thief game, the thief gets interrogated whenever he returns home. Some time when Mei was 11, her mother asked to meet her at a place around Rochor Canal road; she has never ventured so far beyond on her own. She only knew to take the bus number her mother instructed her to, and counted the number of stops to alight. It was a “messy” place there.
Mei’s mother was staying at a rental room above a shop house, with an Uncle. She told Mei the room number and she walked along the corridor searching for it. Along the corridor, there were women, scantily dressed standing at the “door” which was replaced with just a curtain. The place reeks of cigarettes and stale beer. She then realised what kind of rental room those were.
She was initially saddened to see her mother resort to this state. The pity only lasted a while when her mother asked her to fetch something for her in the wardrobe. Mei had come across a drawer full of different assortment of condoms, many condoms – she had seen enough, she felt disgusted. To bear the information that her own mother was making out with another man, other than her father, was too much for the girl all of 11years – she left hastily. She wandered around Rochor Canal road for a long time, not sure of where to go to, or how to go to anywhere.
When Mei got home, somehow her father knew where she went. Although she was never physically not emotionally close to her Santa Claus father, she ran into her father’s arms and cried loudly as if she was in pain. That evening, the silence between the father and the daughter was broken. For hours, he sat down cross legged, leaning against the wall, Mei sat on his lap. He rocked to n fro gentling, with his strong arms and big fat fingers, he held her tightly and patted her to sleep... Although Mei was already 11 when this happened, she felt like she was only one- a helpless one...
----
Hey, do me favour if u are reading my blog. Tell me if u wanna know more of this story...
Drop me an sms or comment will yah? Oh, if it's not too much trouble, tell me who u are!
Thanks! =D
PART II
These went on for a while and Mei thought that things finally settled down when she was about 10. Her parents were finally getting a divorce, custody of the three children were all given to her father. In a normal divorce, normally the mother gets the children, especially when the father clocks a mean 16hours work per day. In Mei’s case, it was slightly complicated. Mei has come to learnt that all those frantic attempts to file for a divorce were so her mother could continue to be with another guy. It was only logically she didn’t want a bunch of kids tagging along with her.
At 10, divorce was still a rather big English word to Mei, she first learn the word through watching a Channel8 drama serials – she learned English by reading the subtitles so she knew the word long before she could pronounce it. At 10, she hardly knew anyone in her neighbourhood school that has experienced what she did. At 10, she felt really lonely and “despised” to be the odd one out. She started to withdraw from her group of friends but only one whom was closest to her.
She would leave the house earlier in the morning to meet Ling at her home en route to school, and then together, they will go to school. And after school ended, she will loiter at her place till about evening time... she had no choice but to go home because it was not nice to impose on people’s dinner and family time, and also this is the only time someone would be coming home already – this means that she will not be alone in house.
Mei and her brothers had to hide from their father whenever they went out to meet their mother… it was like police and thief game, the thief gets interrogated whenever he returns home. Some time when Mei was 11, her mother asked to meet her at a place around Rochor Canal road; she has never ventured so far beyond on her own. She only knew to take the bus number her mother instructed her to, and counted the number of stops to alight. It was a “messy” place there.
Mei’s mother was staying at a rental room above a shop house, with an Uncle. She told Mei the room number and she walked along the corridor searching for it. Along the corridor, there were women, scantily dressed standing at the “door” which was replaced with just a curtain. The place reeks of cigarettes and stale beer. She then realised what kind of rental room those were.
She was initially saddened to see her mother resort to this state. The pity only lasted a while when her mother asked her to fetch something for her in the wardrobe. Mei had come across a drawer full of different assortment of condoms, many condoms – she had seen enough, she felt disgusted. To bear the information that her own mother was making out with another man, other than her father, was too much for the girl all of 11years – she left hastily. She wandered around Rochor Canal road for a long time, not sure of where to go to, or how to go to anywhere.
When Mei got home, somehow her father knew where she went. Although she was never physically not emotionally close to her Santa Claus father, she ran into her father’s arms and cried loudly as if she was in pain. That evening, the silence between the father and the daughter was broken. For hours, he sat down cross legged, leaning against the wall, Mei sat on his lap. He rocked to n fro gentling, with his strong arms and big fat fingers, he held her tightly and patted her to sleep... Although Mei was already 11 when this happened, she felt like she was only one- a helpless one...
----
Hey, do me favour if u are reading my blog. Tell me if u wanna know more of this story...
Drop me an sms or comment will yah? Oh, if it's not too much trouble, tell me who u are!
Thanks! =D
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
A Story *The Daughter* PART I
A story titled: The Daughter.
PART I
This is the story of a daughter, Mei.
Mei grew up in a normal family, two elder brothers, her father and mother. In fact, she had a great childhood, spent most of her time playing with her girl cousin, Bi who is the same age as her. Bi and Aunty Sam stayed with Mei’s family from when she was around three till maybe eight yrs old. Those were the greatest time of Mei’s life! Aunty Sam is Mei’s mother’s younger sister, so naturally their children grew up close together – despite the fierce competition that Mei’s mother’s attempt to force into Mei, but she was rather indifferent. She simply enjoy the fun time she spent with Cousin Bi and Aunty Sam.
Aunty Sam and her husband, Uncle Yong, have always been kind to Mei. Since Cousin Bi was the only child, Mei was like a playmate to her. So wherever fun places that Uncle Yong n Aunty Sam brings Cousin Bi to, they will invite Mei along! With this privilege, Mei experienced many things, food, new sights that her slightly average income family could not afford to provide for her. She still remembers her first MacDonald’s Fillet-O-Fish burger (then Mei could only have the occasional Hamburger – the cheapest on the Menu, provided she did well for exams or birthdays), the taste of Processed Ham from NTUC (usually Chinese family ate canned Pork Spam/luncheon meat), the savoury texture of Campbell’s Mushroom soup…. Not forgetting her first Disney on Ice at the indoor Stadium (those days it was like a BIG thing!), visits to Haw Par Villa, Jurong Bird Park etc….
Mei’s father had two jobs to keep the young family going… Mei remembers only very vague image of her father… it’s always that Santa Claus image… comes home in the wee morning, if she is awake for the morning session, she will get to see her father just a couple of minutes before leaving for school. He will mostly be sleeping when she gets home from school in the afternoon and will leave for work again around late evening time. All in all, when Mei learnt to read the time, she calculated that her father works at least 16hours a day, 24/7 except for Day 1 of Chinese New Year holiday. Nevertheless, being the only daughter, Mei is naturally dotes on by her father – just that she didn’t know it then.
When Mei was about primary three, her mother decided to find out outside since Mei and her brothers were more independent now. Within six months, things changed at home. Her mother and father seemed to be quarrelling now frequent, not so much about money this time round. It was mostly about complains that her father spent too much time at work, neglecting her mother. This usually leads to glass breaking, lots of shouting and screaming… but mostly tears in Mei and her siblings’ eyes. At the tender age of nine, 11 and 14, they couldn’t understand - what changed?!
One day when Mei and her elder brother, Hao, came home from school, they immediately dropped their school bags at the entrance of the house and ran into the kitchen. Their mother was sitting across the edge of the kitchen window, half her body in the house, the half dangling outside. Both Mei and Hao immediately kneed down on the kitchen floor and begged their mother to come down… they made promises to be good in schoolwork, score well in exams, be more obedient etc… because they took it that their mother were mad at them for their misbehaviour. Their mother was crying hysterically, screaming non-stopped about getting a divorce etc. Mei couldn’t remember now if she was holding on to the kitchen knife that day…maybe it was the other day when she threw another frantic attempt to get a divorce from their father. It probably took them 45minutes to persuade to “come” inside the house – it was the longest 45minutes in their life.
-----
Hey, do me favour if u are reading my blog. Tell me if u wanna know more of this story...
Drop me an sms or comment will yah? Thanks! =D
PART I
This is the story of a daughter, Mei.
Mei grew up in a normal family, two elder brothers, her father and mother. In fact, she had a great childhood, spent most of her time playing with her girl cousin, Bi who is the same age as her. Bi and Aunty Sam stayed with Mei’s family from when she was around three till maybe eight yrs old. Those were the greatest time of Mei’s life! Aunty Sam is Mei’s mother’s younger sister, so naturally their children grew up close together – despite the fierce competition that Mei’s mother’s attempt to force into Mei, but she was rather indifferent. She simply enjoy the fun time she spent with Cousin Bi and Aunty Sam.
Aunty Sam and her husband, Uncle Yong, have always been kind to Mei. Since Cousin Bi was the only child, Mei was like a playmate to her. So wherever fun places that Uncle Yong n Aunty Sam brings Cousin Bi to, they will invite Mei along! With this privilege, Mei experienced many things, food, new sights that her slightly average income family could not afford to provide for her. She still remembers her first MacDonald’s Fillet-O-Fish burger (then Mei could only have the occasional Hamburger – the cheapest on the Menu, provided she did well for exams or birthdays), the taste of Processed Ham from NTUC (usually Chinese family ate canned Pork Spam/luncheon meat), the savoury texture of Campbell’s Mushroom soup…. Not forgetting her first Disney on Ice at the indoor Stadium (those days it was like a BIG thing!), visits to Haw Par Villa, Jurong Bird Park etc….
Mei’s father had two jobs to keep the young family going… Mei remembers only very vague image of her father… it’s always that Santa Claus image… comes home in the wee morning, if she is awake for the morning session, she will get to see her father just a couple of minutes before leaving for school. He will mostly be sleeping when she gets home from school in the afternoon and will leave for work again around late evening time. All in all, when Mei learnt to read the time, she calculated that her father works at least 16hours a day, 24/7 except for Day 1 of Chinese New Year holiday. Nevertheless, being the only daughter, Mei is naturally dotes on by her father – just that she didn’t know it then.
When Mei was about primary three, her mother decided to find out outside since Mei and her brothers were more independent now. Within six months, things changed at home. Her mother and father seemed to be quarrelling now frequent, not so much about money this time round. It was mostly about complains that her father spent too much time at work, neglecting her mother. This usually leads to glass breaking, lots of shouting and screaming… but mostly tears in Mei and her siblings’ eyes. At the tender age of nine, 11 and 14, they couldn’t understand - what changed?!
One day when Mei and her elder brother, Hao, came home from school, they immediately dropped their school bags at the entrance of the house and ran into the kitchen. Their mother was sitting across the edge of the kitchen window, half her body in the house, the half dangling outside. Both Mei and Hao immediately kneed down on the kitchen floor and begged their mother to come down… they made promises to be good in schoolwork, score well in exams, be more obedient etc… because they took it that their mother were mad at them for their misbehaviour. Their mother was crying hysterically, screaming non-stopped about getting a divorce etc. Mei couldn’t remember now if she was holding on to the kitchen knife that day…maybe it was the other day when she threw another frantic attempt to get a divorce from their father. It probably took them 45minutes to persuade to “come” inside the house – it was the longest 45minutes in their life.
-----
Hey, do me favour if u are reading my blog. Tell me if u wanna know more of this story...
Drop me an sms or comment will yah? Thanks! =D
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)