Thursday, June 2, 2011

Call 228 : QUEEN ANNE

Hello Son,




Saturday, May 28




This evening, about 7 pm, Mom sat before the television to catch the American Idol Finals (Rerun). She did not have the time to watch it on Thursday 26th, when it was first aired. 




The day before, on Friday 27th, she saw Idol Scotty's big winning picture on the front page in the papers. She read the little information that was written below his photo and learned that he had sang the song I LOVE YOU THIS BIG after the results were announced. 




The whole day after that, Mom found herself spiraling back to yester-years ... I LOVE YOU THIS BIG ... that surely rings a bell ... 






Wed, June 1st  


1. BEL 7776

Mom saved her draft at this point and went out with Grandma to see some shop lots. We are looking to rent a shop office and we had an appointment with the agent at 11 am. Coming out of Taman Desa area and onto the highway, a car had nicely cut into our lane in a way that your mother couldn't help noticing the registration plate ...  



BEL 7776 ... 



She saw BEL 21 instantly.



BEL ... That was the last word she wrote in your entry just now ... and 777 ... that's 21 ... Are You giving your mother a sign that you're with her? Before she went out of the house, she had looked You straight in your portrait, and asked You specifically,  



"Tell me what to do, Daniel, just tell me what to do ..." 



about a situation that had arisen. Within 15 minutes, something happened in the car and she saw your message - loud and clear. :D ... Yeah, it's so easy. Now why didn't she think of that before? Thanks Son ... :D You see everything from up there, don't You? :D




2. Mosquitoes




In the evening, we took Grandma out for a nice, cozy dinner to celebrate her birthday. The five of us got into the car, Dad and Grandma were in front, whilst Mom, Justine and Aunty Carol, at the back seats. The moment we got in, and Mom slam shut the door, Aunty Carol looked at Mom and said, 



"There's a mosquito on your forehead!"




W-what? Mosquito???


Mom brought her hand up to brush her forehead ... at the same time, she found herself thinking of that mosquito moment at your flower garden when we visited on April 21 ... your 15th month with Jesus. 


Justine smacked it with both hands.





Call 197 : 15th Month


Then, your sister yelled, 


"Hey, there's another mosquito ... there there there!" 


Once again ...


SMACK!




Pause ...




 

Think ...




Ponder ...




Two mosquitoes in the car?  As your family was going out to celebrate Grandma's birthday? Two mosquitoes?


TWO???


Hmmmm ...


Like ... excuse me but ...


TAKE-NOTICE-I'M-HERE, TWO mosquito inciDANS??? 


E equals to am see squared began in her head ... 




Ahah!



You must have seen a smile spread across your mother's face. Of course. It's Grandma's birthday. You were / are definitely with us. 



She knows it. 



You know it.



God knows it.



Surely that's proof beyond a reasonable doubt. :D












We arrived at the Garden's Mall


While walking to the restaurant, Mom said to Dad, 


"Two mosquitoes in the car just now. Remember the mosquitoes at his garden last month?"




Dad raised his eyebrows and chuckled. 


Of course, Dad remembered. Those were really crazy drunkard mosquitoes at your garden that day. There were just so many of them, at that time ... and now we know why.




ZAP ZAP ZAP !!!







3. The Queen


We were early for the dinner. Yup, having made reservations for 7:30 pm, arriving an hour earlier at the restaurant was really - too early for dinner. Grandma couldn't wait to go out ... :D


We had a really cozy corner. 


Oh, we were at Amarin Thai by the way - newly renovated and a really nice place to dine. 


In fact when Aunty Carol and Mom were walking around the mall on Sunday 29th, we had popped into this restaurant, and upon checking out, was told that the Malaysian King and his family had dined there the night before. 


Mom thought it was a sales talk at first, but the manager showed her the reservation made in their restaurant diary and the dining place where the King had sat, and she was won over by the friendliness of the man. 


Intrigued by the bodyguard story and fascinated by the food choices that the King had made, we thought it would be grand to bring Grandma to this place ... since she's like uh ...  


The Queen ... :D






Don't You think?




Photographs of the dinner are in Grandma's new camera, by the way ...  >.<






4. The Bill




Grandma had mentioned to Aunty Carol earlier at home that she wanted a Baskin-Robbins Ice-Cream Cake. It's being advertised on telly every day. That cake sure reminded us all of your Baskin-Robbins ice-cream cake on your 15th and last birthday with us on Christmas Eve, 2009. <3 


A month before You left us ...




See the three and one on BR? 

That's a secret Number 4 ... :D  

So obvious that You were with us that night! :D





When the waiter brought the bill over, he mentioned a string of cards that would have given us a discount. In fact, he rattled off so fast, we couldn't catch a word he said. 


Mom asked him to repeat please. 


He repeated, just as fast ... but this time Dad noted that we had none of those privilege cards / credit cards that the waiter had mentioned. So no discount on the bill.




Mom took a peek at the Bill and saw the amount printed as :


RM 211 ... 


She had thought to herself,  "That's 4 ... Your treat ..." :D




Dad handed over the exact amount, and the waiter left us.







The waiter came back shortly and asked, 


"Do You have a JUSCO card?"


Of course, JUSCO card, we have la. Dad opened his wallet, took out the card and handed it to the waiter. 




The waiter took the card politely and went off. 


Hmm ... Mum thinks You must have whispered to the guy :




Ask for their JUSCO card ... :D




The waiter came back to our table a few minutes later, and returned the discounted amount to Dad. Dad was grinning when he saw the change in his hands, and remarked with a laugh, 



"21 ringgit ... Daniel just contributed his share." :D




Hehehehehehehe ...




Chuckle. 



Awww Son ... 



How cute is that? <3 



Very ... very cute! :D





Two figures in the bill that was connected to You? 


What a coinciDANS ... :D




Notice how the waiter had to leave out JUSCO CARD when he rattled off a string of card-names just now? Had he mention it, the bill figures would have been different, Dad would have given a different amount and he would certainly not get back exactly 21 ringgit for his change. 


There would have been no ZAP. 


See that?







5. Pirates of the Caribbean




Aunty C and Justine had bought movie tickets for Pirates at 8:45 pm. The timing was just nice, right after dinner. :D When was the last time Mom had to put on glasses to watch a 3D movie? In fact, she cannot remember the last time. Maybe this was the first time, she can't be sure ...




Dinosaurrrrr, Mom ...




She hears You saying. :D


The first thing that zapped her was the line by Jack Sparrow (beginning of the movie), 



"It doesn't ring a bell ..."










Huh???



Wait a minute ... 



What???



It - doesn't - ring - a - bell ???




This morning (Wed 1st), Mom's last sentence in her draft for this entry was :




That surely rings a bell ... 








Then, in the morning, within the hour, she had sighted a car with the number plate BEL 7776 ... which she had decoded it to be : 



BEL 21 



Oh Wow ... Bells Bells Bells ... 


What are the chances? Mom found herself taking out her notebook and pen in the dark, and jotting down the line. Just in case she forgets.


Call 226 : Big Prawns




6. Fountain of Youth


Next zap ... 


These people were looking for the Fountain of Youth






How quaint ... 


Her Little Sharing Newsletter for June is about anti-aging. Although she had not specifically mentioned the word "Fountain of Youth," her article was all about regaining and maintaining youth.


OMG ... Wow ...


How is this possible?


What a coinciDANS ... :D


Dad had just passed her a copy of the newsletter the day before, on Tuesday, May 31st


Today, Wednesday, June 1st, she sees the Fountain of Youth? 


My Oh My ... You must have seen your mother scribbling in the dark ... her hand was jotting down quickly, whilst her eyes were glued onto the big screen. :D





June issue




7. Queen Anne


The next big zap was the name of the ship ...


Queen Anne's Revenge.


What was that ???


Queen Anne ???


Anne being Grandma's name ... Queen Anne ... Did we not pick the Thai restaurant because the King had dined there the night before, and we had thought that if the restaurant was good enough for a King, it was perfect for the Queen ... :D


Gee Wow ... You really do know what's going on, don't cha? It's Grandma's birthday. Of course her name must be mentioned, and in the grandest way possible ...  


Queen Anne ...




Oooooooooohhhhhhhhhhhhh .... 




Grandma was sitting with Justine. Your sister said that Grandma was very amused with the mermaid scene. This would probably be the first time that our uh, Queen Anne did not fall asleep at the movies. :D 








8. Maria


Truly, the mermaid scene was really enchanting ... 


before it turned scary. :S 


That main mermaid that was captured, Syrena ... 


OMG, her face is just breathtaking.




The first mermaid sang, "My name is Maria ..."




Maria ...




Of course, it has to be a name that would make us think of heaven.




Like Ave Maria ... 




Not only that, but if Mom remembers correctly, 




Grandma's second name is also Maria ...




Anne Maria Tan ...



Go figure ...




Mom sure felt your presence at the cinema too, Daniel ... :D



(continue on Call 229)