It's a beautiful Saturday this morning.
Wonder what You'd be doing on a day like this ...
We miss You, Son ... just wished we could turn back the time to a time when You were here with us.
29 months have passed since Jesus called You home.
How times flies ...
Monday, June 25
Last Monday was Mom's birthday. :D
Having had a nice Thai dinner with the family during the weekend, she wasn't really expecting anything.
However, was she in for a surprise when Dad and Justine came with a birthday cake and a lovely bouquet of roses. :D
We were in school then.
The kids at the cafeteria had shrieked with excitement before the lights suddenly went off.
If not for the sun light streaming through the uncovered window panels, it would have been dark.
What the ...
Mom had looked up and her immediate thoughts were, did she not pay the electricity bill?
Then she saw Dad with the cake, and Justine carrying the bouquet in her arms.
Awww ...
Justine gave Mom a lipstick. :D
Orange Coral shade ...
Yup, like the Kate Spade handbag Dad bought for her on Mother's Day. Dad went to the mall all by himself to get your mother a gift for Mother's Day. You must have helped Dad to pick the colour, huh.
Double Awwwww ...
At the time of writing this entry, an sms came in at this point.
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY from Estee Lauder. Let us treat you to a full makeover FREE at your favourite EL counter ..."
Mom looked at the time.
It was 10:03 am.
Decode : 4
You really really are.
Honestly, Mom has to smile. Notice the free is in CAPITAL letters?
Grin ...
Okay, so You read her thoughts huh.
On her birthday, that Monday 25th, an sms such as this had beeped into your mother's phone. She had just got into the car. Dad had come to pick her up from school, for lunch.
It was an ad sms. Mom deleted it without reading the contents.
Right after that, there was a phone call.
Mom answered the call. She couldn't help but notice the time that stared back at her from her phone screen.
12:24 pm
Your birthday.
Then, it so happened that the call was from a hotel staff, calling to give her a FREE 2 nights stay at this exclusive hotel in Penang.
He had asked, as part of his sale speech, how many children will be accompanying you?
Mom found herself hesitating before answering, "One ..."
Had he asked, "How many children do you have?" she would have said, "Two..."
However, your mother had thought the hotel staff might have to prepare 2 single beds for her 2 children in the adjoining room that the caller said she could have if she brought her children along, had she said 2.
Hmmm ...
Come to think about it, what's wrong with that?
Anyway, it turned out that the FREE stay came with plenty of conditions. You have to pay for some kind of membership thingy and so on. Mom's not gonna bother to list them down. Actually, she wasn't listening to him anymore ... when she found that it wasn't really free.
Chuckle.
She had sent You a telepathic sms, "Son, is this from You? Are You trying to give Mom a birthday treat? Awww Daniel ... Don't You know that these hotels' free invites come with "pay this first then only get" kinda conditions?" :D
After turning down the membership privileges with much effort, Mom hung up.
She said to Dad, "That was definitely from Son ... He wants to give me a birthday present ... Look at the time, of all the times the call could have come in, it came in at 12:24 pm, his birth date ... I think he's not aware about the conditions attached ..." :D
Dad chuckled ...
He had said, "Anyone receiving that kind of call would have known it's a fake free ... of course there are conditions attached ... Why would they want to give you a free stay for nothing?"
Yeah yeah ... why indeed?
Oh well ... secretly, and deep deep deep in heart, Mom knows You wanted to zap her.
She could feel it.
Now she knows, she's right. Hah!
Think about it ... what are the chances of getting this FREE makeover sms? At the time of writing about her birthday, this Estee Lauder's sms comes in and at her angel time too?
A FREE full makeover ...
Here Ma ... a birthday treat for you ... <3
Awww Daniel ...
Would You look at your timing? Always so spot on.
You must be right beside Mom, huh ... The sms had to come in at a time when your mother was calling You and telling You about her birthday.
What are the chances?
Slim chance...
Eres Tu ...
Thank You Son ...
Even in heaven You can find a way to give Mom a birthday treat, huh.
Okay ... so anyway ... back to Monday 25th.
We went for lunch at a nearby Vietnamese restaurant and had a really nice meal.
That evening at home, Mom had just walked to the living room.
Justine was on the sofa. The television was on.
Your mother had barely sat down on the carpet for two minutes, when she saw "21" on the screen (apartment number).
Mom jumped up from the carpet, to grab her handphone. She checked the time.
It was 8:18 pm.
Decode : 44
A smile appeared on her face. Surely You saw that.
Of all the numbers that could have been, it was one connected to You.
However, she didn't take it seriously.
Then, a few minutes later, again she saw the "21" on the screen.
Mom clicked on the menu to check the title of the show.
It was : "Don't Trust the B ... in Apartment 23."
She has not heard of this show before.
But that didn't stop her pulse from racing.
Oh gosh ...
TWO times 21???
Hellooo ...
Does her Son in heaven have to SPELL IT OUT FOR HER ?
Hi Ma, I'm right here ... <3
Then, just as she was wondering ... the next line she heard on the screen was,
"Where's everybody?"
Omg ...
ZAP ZAP ZAP ...
Eres Tu ...
Where's everybody?
Gosh ...
What are the chances?
She had only been sitting on the carpet before the television for not more than 5 minutes, and she witnessed all the angel signs? How incredible is that.
Very ...
Omg ...
It's your mother's birthday, of course You'd zap her to remind her that You are near.
Where's everybody?
Now, why would that line suddenly stand out and cause fireworks before her eyes? You must have whispered to Mom to take note. Don't trust the B ... in Apartment 23 is not a show your mother would waste her time on. She was meant to be right there to see the 21 and to hear that zap line.
That was your favourite line from the hospital bed during the last 2 weeks before You followed Jesus home.
You loved having all your family members, especially your aunties, around your bed, all the time. Even when we were not around your bed, we were all in the room.
You would say whilst on the bed, "Where's everybody?" in a slow manner.
And depending on who's by your bedside at the time You asked the question, we would reply,
"Everybody's here, Daniel ... Mom's here ... and Dad's over there ... Aunty Jessie's having her coffee right here ... Aunty Diana's here too ... Justine's on the bed still sleeping ... We are all here, Daniel ..."
You were always quick to notice the missing one on several occasions, "Where's Aunty Ca-ol?"
Aunty C would come running in to the room (when we yell for her), "I'm here Dans ... I'm here ..."
Aww Son ... Memories ...
Good painful memories ...
Painful ...
Yeah painful ...
No, Mom's not complaining ... that was just a shared thought ... not a complaint ... She's done with all the whys (for today) ... because You never complained about the pain Daniel, and You taught Mom to trust in Jesus ...
Jesus knows what He's doing, Ma ... :D
She can so hear You now.
She's sure God has shown You a glimpse of His Master Plan. And your mother can so see You nodding your head now with full enlightenment, "Ohhhh, is that why this and that happened ..."
So ...
Let the pain remain if that's the only way for Mom to be with You again.
So let the pain remain
Forever in my heart
For every throb it brings
is one more moment
Spent with you
I'll let the pain, bring on the rain
If that's the only way
If there's no other way
To be with You again
By Lea Salonga
