Mom, I Will Buy For You

"Son, I have not drink Cola for so long. Can we have some?" my late mother asked.

"Son, I want to eat ice-cream today. Can you buy for me?" My late mother begged.

"Son, I miss Rojak (a fruit and vegetable salad dish commonly found in Malaysia). Come, we go to buy together." My late mother gave me a phone call.

I was moved to tears as I recalled what my late mother had spoken...

..........

"Yes mom. I will buy for you." What type of son am I, to deny my dear mother the pleasure of enjoying some of these goodies?

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"They say ice-cream is too cold for me and I will cough a lot." Said my old mother.

"They say Cola has a lot of gas and is not good for me." Said my sad mother.

"They say rojak is dirty. It 's not hygienic." Said my longing mother.

I was trembling with sadness as I recalled her longing face, and my heart broke into a million pieces.

...........

"Mom, I will buy for you. " I said softly, finding it even harder to swallow my saliva. I sighed deeply. What kind of child am I to deny my age old mother the pleasure of having some of these goodies?

...........

Mom, now that you are gone, I am eating my ice-cream, cola, and rojak alone.

But I still enjoy thinking of your hearty smiles and your satisfying look.

Mom, you are so beautiful in your smile.

Love Triangle

As I walked to you in the hospital and saw your broken leg, my eyes swelled with tears. I never saw you on a sick bed and you looked pale. Much had been spoken lately and we had reasoned through. We both knew that we did not belong to one another.

We held our hands together. We stared without words but we were trembling. I didn't know how you could involve in the motorbike accident. I just knew that I had hurt your heart badly.

We were in a love triangle and I had decided to opt out. I cared very much for you but he was my best friend and I had never said no to his every request... He begged me to let go...

Yeah. We could be together, be good friends or brother and sister. But my deep feelings for you would never go. And the more we were together, it would finally show.

I had come to say goodbye. I knew it was the wrong time. But I didn't want the intangible love triangle any longer.

I wished you well and departed. I remembered you called me brother... but I never turned back. But I wished you well, sister...

Many years later, we met again. I didn't expect to see all your hair turned white. You had married my good friend and you seemed very happy. And I was happy for you. My family loved you two and we had happy meals together.

We held our hands together and we talked about old times...

Nothing happens by chance. God knows and He always help us along. But it's a matter of time before we truly understand.

The Noises Downstairs

A new wedded couples who lived one floor above was always disturbed by the downstairs neighbor who had a habit of slamming the door and talked very loudly in the early morning and late at night.

A few days later, the couples decided to file a complaint. They hurried to the management office and demanded an explanation. The man in charge was reluctant to entertain them. But after much pressure, he finally told them the sad story of the family downstairs.

Apparently the family had met with an accident and only the mother and her little boy were left alive. The mother was paralyzed and very ill. The little boy had to rush to school very early in the morning because it was a distance away. Then he had to work in various odd jobs and came home late.

The couples relented and they felt very sorry for the family.

One night, they didn't hear the usual slamming door and loud noise. Instead, they heard the boy cried softly. They rushed downstairs and knocked on the door.

The little boy opened the door, wiping away his tears. The couples asked what had happened.

The little boy apologized for slamming the door and making loud noise every day and night. Apparently the mother was having difficulties seeing and hearing. The noises were supposed to inform the mother that he was going out and coming in. Then he told them that they would not hear the noises again since the mother had died.

The couples were moved to tears. They mourned for the family..... and they decided to help in the funeral and burial expenses.

A Man Who Never Works Before

I have never seen him worked before.

Many years ago when I was in the primary school, I had always bought cincau drink (A black jelly served with sugar syrup) from her mother during hot weathers. She was a hardworking middle-aged woman with a very kind disposition. I remembered she had to walk more than a kilometer, carrying the two tins of cincau drink with a pole on the shoulder. It was never an easy task and she was sweating all the way. Once in a while, I saw her son followed behind. The cincau drink was sold off in no time. Then I saw the son came forward and asked for money. I remembered hearing this man screamed and cried when his mother refused. The kind and compassionate mother always gave in, though she always advised the son to go get a job.

Some years back, I saw the man again. He was in his mid-50's. He was married with children. He was still doing nothing. But he was bestowed with hardworking children.

I just can't imagine there are people in the world who do not have to work or to help out in family businesses.

I have never greeted the man. I don't think I will ever greet a man who never works before...

Baby Drowned

This morning my friend told me how a baby was drowned in a drain in his village last night. I was dumbfounded and was unable to swallow my food after that. How could it be possible for someone to leave a one year old baby boy alone in the house compound to learn to walk on his own?

The mother was completely exhausted after traveling on a long journey attending courses. She was fast and sound asleep in the room. And the father had brought two other children out visiting some places.

There, was the eldest child, barely 10 years old, taking good care of the little brother in the house compound.

Then the baby started to cry for milk, so she rushed very fast to the kitchen to prepare some milk for the baby.

When she came out with the milk bottle, she couldn't see her baby brother. She got panicked and searched the whole compound, but she just couldn't find her brother. Then she started to scream and cry. Many nearby neighbors hurried out. The father returned, the mother woke up and rushed down the stairs. Then they found the baby drowned in the nearby drain. It was too late....

Then many started to point fingers, blaming the parents and the child.... It was a sad sad incident. It must have ripped the family's heart apart...

I just can't swallow my food after I heard the incident. But I felt sorry for the family, they had to swallow their tears in silence, mourning and grieving miserably for their baby boy.

Let those who have no sin cast that first stone.......

You know life must goes on

All of us have friends and neighbors. Some of them are very close and dear to us. Good friends and neighbors are hard to find, but when you have them you will not easily let go. But the fact is that as you grow in years, many have left you. Some have left the world, others have travel far, and still others have become less close than before or have become your worst enemies and nightmares. You have painted beautiful pictures of friendship when you were young, but now they are only fade memories of those cherished times. Those memories hurt but you know life must goes on.

You have endearing stories to tell about your families and relatives. You are really close with your parents, your granny and grandpa, your uncles and aunties, your great uncles and great aunties, your nieces and nephews, your cousins and the rest of the families. You speak proudly of them and your can relate many incidents of them splashing through your life. You are touched to the core, and even moved to tears every time you think of them who are far and gone, and who never want to get close to you anymore. Those memories hurt but you know life must goes on.

Yah, children do grow up fast and leave home. They are now busy with their studies and their careers. They are now married and having children to take care. They are now always on the move and you can hardly see them except on rest days and holidays. You miss them and you can't wait to see them and speak to them. And you hope it'll be soon. Waiting for someone dear to appear and speak to you can be very taxing. You go through the family albums many times and you mumble to yourself. It takes patience to listen to you mentioning them by names when you become emotional and restless. Those memories hurt but you know life must goes on.

And so I sat on a long bench dwelling on the memories of my late mother who always had fond memories of everyone she knew. And I remembered she mentioned everyone by names, by their dates of birth and their places of stay....

Table Manners

I was busy eating my meal when the heavy knuckle landed on my forehead. It was my father who was teaching me table manners. I was puzzled and I looked at him bewildered. It was quite a heavy and painful knock. I looked at him timidly through my watery eyes. But he just said the word, "Think what you have done."

It was a tradition in my family not to go against the wisdom of the elders. So I sat down quietly, thinking and examining others while everyone was eating together around the table.

Then I noticed that other people were sitting upright while I was slouching. I was leaning against the table, supporting my weight with my left arm while eating with my right hand. I was punished because I hunched over my plate and I was plain lazy. My food spilled everywhere on the table and on the floor.

And I noticed that other people were eating their food slowly, enjoying every single bit of it. But I was overfilling my mouth with food and ate like a glutton. I was eating too fast and swallowing my food so much that I looked ugly and others were giving me a disgusting look. I was punished because I didn't appreciate the food that took some time to prepare.

And I noticed that other people were closing their mouth when they chewed their food. But I was talking aloud while eating. And my food and saliva were flying everywhere. I was punished because of my inconsiderate and thoughtless behavior.

Then I noticed that other people were keeping their legs close to their chair while I was stretching my legs kicking and disturbing others. And I was watching other children, playing and teasing with them. I was punished because my mind was distracted on other things and not on food. I wasn’t single-minded in my focus.

Sitting down in one corner of a restaurant, I scrutinized other people's table manners. Many were talking with their mouth full. Some were farting and making the room smell. Some were burping and belching after the meals. They were blowing their nose and throwing the tissue on the ground. Some were picking at teeth with a toothpick or finger. Some were grooming or putting on makeup at the table...

Then I smiled to myself, touching my forehead, thanking my father for the heavy knuckle.