Thursday 24 March 2016

We are your ATM


On mom's birthday eve, she received her second gift from the courier at hometown. I sent her a box of multi presents on the next day I returned from field trip. She called up and expressed how appreciate she was on the gift and laughed on the gifts I bought for her: A purple T-shirt (her favorite colour) for her cooking time, a packet of Bubuk from Sibu, a packet of Kuachi for dad, two hair clips from Nicky and I, two vanilla muffin from Sugar Bun (she likes muffin and I wanted to let her try on Sugar Bun's vanilla muffin, it is tasty!) and, an underclothes I bought for her casual time wearing like gardening and cooking. She couldn't help but laughed on my weird presents. It was after she received the first gift two weeks ago from Kor and I, two Korean noodles Aluminum pot imported from Korean.

During the night, I laid on the bed and asked myself how old is she after tonight.
I counted, Deducted from 2016. And I cried.
I used to avoid counting her age since I could understand what age is. I never felt she is getting aged because she is always pretty and beautiful in all means. Trust me, she used to be my proud whenever she went to my school during school days, all my friends and teachers said she is beautiful.

But tonight I cried and I asked my best roommate, "Nicky, how old is your mom?" "60."
"You miss your mom?" She asked next. Well sometimes this demon knows me a lil bit well.

I have had a very very hard time with my mom since young. Well it would be a very long long looong story if I were to write it out, even though am only living on this earth for 20 plus years. Unless, anyone wants to sponsor a publication for me? Okay, am half kidding.

Many of my friends were thinking am afraid of my mom and being a mommy's girl. I kept mum. Because no one knows why am I doing the way that I did not want to offend, because she had a very tough life before I came to this world. She doesn't deserve anymore anger, worries, hardship and whatever negatives noun you could say. And I proved to all her worries, I am not preferring to be protected under her wing, I proved to her my path, my choices in the past stages of life and now, I know I am getting nearer to what she wants in her coming remaining life. I have to let her feel the security in the sense of heart but not material and money, but am still running on the track, for all aspect.

For times I pray to whatever god there is above me: Please give her another 50 years. By that time I will be 70 plus and I could tell my 3-4 children: "Yo, this is your fierce granny, don't call her Wai Po, call her Popo." 

Too many things I have come through, and she is my only means of living. Am not being romanticized, but I guess god sent me to her, and my awesome brother, to protect her, to love her in our own and different way. Sometimes I ask myself, is it true if we are good, we will be gifted back good? If you know me, I am being positive in most of the things I encounter. But beats me, sometimes I don't think if you are kind and good, you will be hit the same. I encounter many times, I asked myself is that fault to advice my friends on something that harm them? Is that wrong to get away from something I know is way out of the right? Is that wrong to be disciplined BUT not schematic? You got mocked and insulted instead of being appreciated. Well, my mom is a kind lady, but she went through much hardship. I asked the earth, why you'd given my mom such path? And I answered myself (because I know earth wouldn't answer me): "But the earth gifted her me and brother."

And since when I realized, materials and value are no longer mean much to her. Everytime she called up and tried to talk to me with the tone she is afraid of disturbing me, I tell her is okay you can always talk to me. Because it is my obligation to listen. She is such a strict mom that she only start to talk to be when she finally accept that am A LITTLE grown-up after I decided to take on my second degree studies as postgraduate student in UNIMAS, a decision of mine that wrap her within. She started to talk to me heart-to-heart and tell me how she feels every time she is sad and down. Often I try to make her think in positive manner, solve her worries and ease her up. In return, she teaches me all the principle and rules in life, guide me even when I was hit by very teriible people and stuff. She would strictly lecture me first then comes her advice telling me to LEARN. Not to give up and be tough. This trains me, how to be tough in being alone.
Wait, of course, she is still the demon whenever she scolds and lectures me.

One fine day during my second year of degree, I found out that: I don't always like her, but I always love her.

For sometimes, I felt bad for leaving her alone with dad that sometimes I really want to say thank you to dad for being a dad. The morning when she unwrapped the first birthday we sent to her, I was in Rantau Kemiding, ready to set off to a village opposite the river. She called up and just couldn't hide her excitement to receive her long-longing pot. Again, I know this lil trivial matter is what she finds happy NOW. No longer the days when she was in Australia, Hong Kong wherever she flied, but now what she wants is: She could get the lil tiny things that she wants. And what means much to her was, her children try to get the stuff for her sincerely. She doesn't ask for 2K bucks, but she called umpteen times to mumble me for sending pocket money to her every month. I insisted for the little amount because I know that little amount gives her a sense of knowing that her children have grown up and knowing their responsibility in life.

Little did I know, they never want to look at the amount, but they smile for our cautiousness on repaying bit by bit to them, not in money but in heart. We couldn't never pay off allll the total amount they have dumped on us. Never.

But what I could do is, I do what I could.

On the night like this, I ain't going to post a picture to wish her happy birthday. But I want to express how I know I have a great mom. Last night when I returned from a teaching session with the Final Year Project students, she called up and shared a story with me. She went to the optical shop nearby my previous teaching center and talked to the young boy who has been working there since two years ago. Mom encouraged him not to give up in studies and get a better job to earn himself a better living. She felt so heartache looking at him a decent boy working very hard everyday wiping the door and glass. Of course, what she meant wasn't that it is a bad job but he deserves a brighter prospect because she told me "I have a son too, I know how a mom feels if she sees her son working like this with some of his hair start turning grey."

I know my partner in future will be having a great mom, one day.

Before I went off to another meeting, I texted her: "Mm thank you for doing a good deed, proud of you."

She told me earlier the other day, when she called up to have random talk. " Ris you must take care and be happy. Mommy wants you to be happy, really happy, not only showing you're happy but deep in heart you must be happy. Find a good husband and be happy in your life, only that I will be happy."

How she knows am not happy, HAHAS. 

And what made me hid my tears was she said, " Anything let me know, I am your ATM." 
I teased at her, "Wow, so rich uh?"
"No, it is just that I will help you because you all are my children."

I know money means a lot in this capitalist-dominated world, but many times I know time can't wait for a mountain of money. We try in all means, starting from being a debit card to her until one day we become her ATM.


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