Wednesday, Sept 11
Mom was walking pass our condo cafe when she stopped abruptly.
Will you still love me tomorrow? (song)
Instinctively, she dug her hand into her shoulder bag to grab her mobile.
Dad called out in a distance, "What's wrong?"
She replied impatiently, "Wait wait ..."
Rummage. Rummage. Rummage...
Got it!
Flipping her cell cover open, she slid her finger against the screen ...
and held her breath.
She saw the time.
The time stared back.
A smile escaped her.
She felt dizzy with happiness. :D
Oh, what was she saying -- she could have leapt for joy ...
8:00 pm ...
Decode : 44
Oh gosh ...
A perfect 8:00 pm???
What are the chances?
Of course ...
but of course, her son would always remember to zap her at the end of the day.
It was weird too how she was at that place, at that time, just to hear that song.
Will you still love me tomorrow?
Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?
You must have whispered to her.
Mom walked over to Dad ... with a happy, knowing smile.
"Will you still love me tomorrow ... You hear it? From the cafe ... See the time? 8 pm ... that's 44 ... And this afternoon, you remember that car in front of us ..."
Dad nodded.
Yes, that car in front of us ...
we were in the car, driving back to Taman Desa from school. Nap hour for the kids at that time. We had stopped right behind a vehicle with the number plate 044 ...
Mom saw it ...
Dad saw it ...
We said nothing.
We were at the red lights. Normally, your mother would be busy snapping away at her eviDANS. However, at that moment, she did nothing ...
and said nothing.
It was too random, she felt.
Too -- disconnected, she thought.
More importantly, she didn't feel that - that - urgent ZAP.
Yeah, that (hand-trembling) ZAP --- where was it?
Yet, she remembers that number plate.
044 ...
Isn't it strange? She does remember staring at that plate the whole time we were behind that car during the red lights. You must have whispered to her.
Remember that number, Ma ... :D
Fast forward ...
It was 7 pm in the evening.
There was one kid left in school. For the past 2 days, on Monday and Tuesday, that same 6 year old girl had followed Mom back to the condo (late pick up). The girl's parents came to pick her up from the condo about 8:30 pm.
So that day, on Wednesday, the girl's mother sent Mom a text at 7:11 pm to say that she was on the way from Puchong, so should she go to school or to the condo?
Dad happened to be in the school at that time.
Mom asked Dad, "Where's Puchong?"
Dad said, "Nearby ... wait in school, easier for the parents ... it's on the way ..."
Mom sent a text back to say, "will wait in school."
That was 7:12 pm.
We closed up, and went downstairs to wait for the parent.
Wait wait wait.
Wait wait wait.
Wait wait wait.
Mom could feel the growing impatience gnawing at her nerves ... and then at one point, she suddenly found herself walking over and getting into the car. The little girl was already inside the car with her school-bag. She was enjoying cartoons on the DVD.
Mom sms-ed to the parent.
"Pls pick up from condo. Need to go."
That was at 7:46 pm.
35 minutes of waiting ...
Of course she didn't know then, that she had to be back at the condo, at that specific place and at that specific time, because somewhere over the rainbow, her son had ... um ... programmed a ZAP for her.
Hmm, how else would she explain it?
Correction, how else could she explain it?
So anyway, we arrived at our condo.
Dad dropped us and went to park the car.
The little girl and Mom waited at the lobby.
Several minutes passed.
The parent soon arrived. She apologised profusely for being late.
It's okay, it's okay, not a problem ... your mother assured her.
They left.
Mom turned and headed to the lift.
It was after she passed the cafe area, when she suddenly found herself stopping abruptly. Dad saw her rummaging through her bag. Her witness.
She strained to listen.
Listen Ma ...
She knows You whispered.
The tune was soft and faint but she heard it clear all right.
Oh gosh ...
You don't say ...
Will you still love me tomorrow?
Awww Son ...
Had we been waiting for the parent in school, we would have definitely missed that zap.
You must have whispered to your mother :
Go back to the condo now, Ma ...
You must have ... because Mom did not even wait to check with the parent if the parent was nearby. It was after all 35 minutes later, since the parent said she was on her way, and according to Dad, Puchong is "nearby." The parent could have been "nearby" for all intents and purposes.
Meant to be.
At home, Mom showed Dad a photo of her zap in school.
Yeah ...
This afternoon, we had music practice. The music students were practising their concert piece. Then came X's turn.
The 6 year old boy started playing a piece, as chosen by your mother, called ... no prizes for guessing ...
Somewhere Over The Rainbow.
Grin.
It was towards the end of the piece when Mom suddenly noticed the teacher's scribble :
bottom right
1234
Pause.
Time stood still.
Somewhere over the rainbow ...
And ... 1234 ???
ZAP ZAP ZAP ..
Choke ...
Sniff ...
Vision blurred ...
Memories flooded back.
Mom hears your singing voice breaking through the silence :
There's only 1 way 2 say,
those 3 words, 4 you-uu
I love you ...
So anyway, that was Wednesday.
Today, your mother was on the internet checking out worksheets and activities for next week's theme :
The Weather Man.
She soon came across a nice school blog.
Soon, she was clicking here, there and everywhere.
Before long, she came to this page :
Time stood still for your mother.
Oh my gosh ...
Seriously?
MASON?
As in MA-SON?
MA and SON?
Oh gosh, oh gosh, oh gosh ...
Before she could get over that, she came across another page that zapped her.
Somewhere Over The Rainbow ...
You know, don't You?
The music piece.
The 1234.
You really do know what's going on ...
Every little thing around us remind us of You, Daniel.
Despite the crazy distance, MA and SON will always be connected, for the bond between mother and son can never be severed. God intended it to be this way.
That's just the way it is.
Gotta go to bed now ...
Keep the zaps coming, Son ... <3
