How 42 months can just breeze by, Mom will never know.
The kindy helps greatly to occupy your mother's thoughts and days. Time seems to fly when she's in school.
On Sunday yesterday, yeah on your 21st, your family members had lunch with Father J at this nice duck restaurant in Bangsar.
Grandma was there ... Dad, Justine, Aunty D & Uncle C & Baby Megan, Aunty C ... Megan's maid, Father (of course) and Mom. As usual, we ordered way way way too much ... and ended up having to tapau back. The food was delicious though.
You were definitely with us.
Yeah, the bill told us so.
RM414.
Hah! > . <
On Saturday 20th, we met up with your first maid, EV.
Maid EV took care of You since You were born. She stayed with us for the next 5 years before she left for overseas. The first two years or so, she did call You and Justine on your birthdays ... but after that, there was no more contact ... until she appeared again on your Farewell Mass. What are the chances of your first maid to attend your Farewell ceremony? She had been working in Hong Kong all the while, and if Mom remembers correctly, Maid EV said her employers were transferred to KL in October 2009. You left us on Jan 21, 2010 ... 3 months later.
Grandma's maid, had told her then that You were not well.
Mom told Maid EV when EV appeared at your wake, that "Daniel must have really wanted you to send him off ..."
Mom's not surprised. Maid EV took care of the both of you very well.
After your farewell, once again, we were not in contact with Maid EV anymore. There was no reason to anyway ... until about 3 weeks back (about 3 1/2 years later), Maid EV found Justine on facebook. Maid EV told your sister that she would be going back to Philippines for good on Sunday, July 21 ... and that was how the lunch and get together came about.
We met on Saturday 20th.
Dad, Mom and Justine.
Mom asked Dad to bring along 2 baby albums.
We were there about 10 minutes before Maid EV came.
Justine saw her first and called out her name.
Hugs ...
followed by ... immediate sniffles.
Were You shaking your head up there?
Tsk tsk tsk ...
Maid EV broke the silence, "I'm so angry with Gina, I scolded her ..."
Gina being Grandma's maid.
Mom responded naturally with a "Why?" though she had a good idea why.
Maid EV burst out, "She didn't tell me about Daniel ... She just said he was sick ... and then he was okay ..."
Mom explained quietly, "I don't think Gina knew ... Yeah, he was sick ... and then yeah, he was okay ... He has been this way since he was 7 years old ... He'd be sick, but after his surgery, he'd be okay ... I don't think Gina knew he would - die ..."
Your mother changed the subject and asked Maid EV what time her flight was the next day.
Maid EV replied, "1:20 am ..."
Pause ...
Your mother's Einstein brainwaves started um, dancing.
July 21 ... 1:20 am ...
21 twice ...
ZAP ZAP ZAP ...
Justine and Mom exchanged knowing glances.
Refusing to allow the matter to rest, Maid EV then shared about one of her friends who is currently taking care of a boy who had a tumor in his brain when he was 2 years old, went for surgery to remove it, and now he's 20 years old.
Pause ...
Did You hear that?
To be honest, Mom felt a little - a little ...
She can't explain the feeling ...
Oh heck, of course she can ... she felt SICK ... sick to her stomach when she heard that.
Yes, sick, sick, sick!
Why would the Lord allow her son's dot to come back, again and again and again and again and again, whilst this other boy only had it like, that one time, got it removed and is still living even as she's typing here? Where is the fairness in all this? Is there a reason why she has to hear this?
Mom attempted to differentiate, "Daniel's tumor is different ... "
Yes, God has to give him the one that grows back, she thought nastily.
Maid EV said, "Now the boy is like a baby ... disabled ... can't walk ... can't talk ... can't do anything ... like a baby ... operate only one time ..."
Time stood still ... followed by an awkward silence.
H-huh what?
Rewind ...
Repeat ...
Say that again?
When realization finally sank in, your mother suddenly felt downright ashamed that she had those angry thoughts in her head only a few seconds ago. Reflecting on all the things You were able to do, each time after each surgery, she immediately decided that God had been kind to her.
You got the better deal, Ma ...
Pause.
Oh, alright. If You want to see it that way.
Jesus loves You more, Daniel. He's got big plans for You up there, You'd probably know that by now.
So anyway, the waiter came with the menus, ad handed one to each of us. Maid EV exclaimed laughingly, "I forgot to bring my glasses ... I can't see anything (the menu) ... all blur ..."
Mom asked at first, "What do you want to eat?"
Maid EV shrugged, squinting to try to read the tiny words.
Mom heard herself suggesting, "How about pineapple fried rice?"
Maid EV was like, "Ah yes, pineapple fried rice ... I'll have that ..."
Did You whisper to your mother's ear with that suggestion?
Gee, You must have. :D
Yeah, You must have.
So anyway, whilst waiting for the food to arrive, Maid EV talked about all the little things You used to do ... this and thats ... Dad and Mom listened intently. It was really nice being able to talk freely about You.
Several times, we would tear up, and find big lumps in our throats.
Sniff ...
Then came one point when maid EV started talking about fireworks. She was telling us about her place, how during Chinese New Year, the firework presentation was awesome ... and would last about half an hour.
Fireworks???
Justine and Mom looked at each other.
ZAP ZAP ZAP ...
Fireworks ...
It's too obvious that You were / are with us, Daniel.
2 hours came and went.
It was time to leave. Justine and Maid EV posed for some photos.
Maid EV (left) and Justine
Here's Maid EV with the both of you. Your family had just come back from celebrating Justine's 2 year old birthday. :D You were one year then. :D
This photo was taken earlier during the week. Mom was talking to Dad about You at the time ... but can't remember about what now ... and suddenly she found this vehicle in front of us. Dad saw it too.
Mom had said excitedly, "Omg ... DAN 8511 ... You see? I just mentioned his name, and he appears telling me, Call Me, Ma ..."
8511 is your mother's last 4 digits in her handphone number.
Gosh, what are the chances?
The time was 4:09 pm.
Decode : 4
You were probably waiting to tell Mom about Maid EV, weren't You, Son? :D
Yeah, You so were ...
Talk to You tomorrow, Son. Need to prepare some work now.
Nite Son, be good.
