School is officially over as of Friday, Nov 29th.
It has been a crazy two weeks before concert and after.
Phew! Are we all glad that it's all over and done with. Mom missed talking to You so much ... but then, You made it easy for her by zapping her just when she least expects it and making your presence felt and known -- daily.
Daily.
Amazingly, and as always, You find little ways and means to remind Mom that You're right beside her. Every day, You drop her little signs to zap her and to tell her:
Hi Ma, I'm right here ... :D
Thank You Jesus ... because of His resurrection, we cannot die but will live forever in His Name and Kingdom.
Somewhere Over The Rainbow.
Yesterday (Saturday), Aunty C, Justine and Mom were at the mall.
Aunty C and Jus wanted to do some work at Starbucks.
So there we all were at Starbucks.
Borders.
About an hour later, after having read all the gossip magazines of Hollywood and having updated herself with Britain's Royal news, Mom re-joined your aunt and sister at their table.
Aunty C took out a packet of pistachios from her backpack.
We started munching on the snack.
Aunty C finished her drink and we put away all our pistachio shells into the plastic cup.
Everything was neat and clean.
We did not mess up the place with our "outside food."
The pistachios were delicious.
So fresh and --- crispy.
Mom picked up the packet and read the information on the back aloud.
Wonderful Pistachios are grown in California and harvested at the peak of perfection. Oven roasted following stringent food safety and quality standards, our pistachios are never bleached or made with MSG.
Pause.
"You heard that, Carol?" Mom asked, impressed.
"The pistachios are never bleached or made with MSG," your mother continued.
We finished the nuts.
Aunty C took out another packet of uh, junk food.
Crisps this time.
The healthy kind.
Your Aunty C is known for her healthier choice of food. Mom was too, when You were still here.
Organic, wholewheat, seasalt, macrobiotic shoyu, no preservatives etc.
However, after You left, she didn't quite care anymore.
Mom picked up the packet and read the back information.
"So interesting, this description here,' Mom remarked as she glanced at the tiny information on the back of the packet.
Aunty C looked up from her books.
Your mother read aloud:
lately all this low-fat health talk has been taking the fun right out of snacking, not to mention the flavor. so we found a new way to put it back into an all natural chip like you've never tasted before.
never fried. never baked.
"Hmmm ... never fried ... never baked," she repeated.
Aunty C said, "Then how do they do it?"
Mom read on.
we don't fry it (unhealthy).
we don't bake it (undelicious).
"Haha ... undelicious, is there such a word?" Mom chuckled.
She continued:
we start with wholesome potatoes, add a little heat and pressure, and pop! it's a chip. then we season it with the finest all-natural ingredients for a snack so tasty and crispy, you won't even notice its (we hesitate to say) healthier.
"We hesitate to say ..." she repeated with a grin. "Only the Americans can write an ad with this kind of humor," she added.
By then, nothing could stop your mother from reading on:
nothing fake or phony.
no fake colors, no fake flavors, no fluorescent orange fingertips, no wiping your greasy chip hand on your jeans. no, really.
Grin.
"No, really ..." your mother was just too amused with the whole description.
Mom asked Aunty C where she bought the snacks from.
Aunty C said, "The cold storage ..."
Say no more.
Mom excused herself and said she would take a stroll down to the cold storage and get some more of those pistachios and chips. :D
At the cold storage, Mom started her search for those delicious pistachios and chips.
She went from one aisle to another, one shelf to another, in a zig zag manner, stopping to admire the colorful Christmas goodies, candies and chocolates.
Where are the nuts?
They were nowhere to be found ... yet.
She searched on.
On and on, your mother looked, high and low, left to right, top to bottom.
She couldn't begin to even sniff the scent of those pistachios ... and chips.
By the way, she was not familiar with this store. She has never bought groceries from there. So on and on, she went about ... until she finally spotted the pistachios on a corner rack.
Smiling to herself, she grabbed 5 packets in one go.
Yeah, You heard right.
5.
That was before she noticed the price.
When she did, she made a face, and reluctantly returned 2 packs back onto the rack.
RM14-99.
You must have seen her horrified face.
Haha.
Anyway, having found the nuts aisle, she spotted the chips almost immediately.
She found herself picking up 3 packs of chips.
Of different brand and flavor.
So anyway, Mom was soon back at Starbucks.
Plonking herself on to a seat, she announced, "Spent RM97 on nuts and chips. Omg ..."
Aunty C was like, "What???"
Ah, it's done. Get over it.
Hah.
Mom tore open a packet of chips.
Munch munch munch.
Justine enjoyed the chip-break too.
Shortly after, not more than 5 minutes later, no really ... a Starbucks staff came to our table and asked,
"Excuse me, where did you get the pistachios?"
He had just cleaned our table, and Aunty C's cup that was filled with pistachios shells we had earlier.
Pause.
Uh oh.
Our outside food.
Was it --- not allowed???
Aunty C and Mom exchanged innocent glances.
Your aunt answered, "From the cold storage ..."
The guy asked, "How much ah?"
Mom said, "RM15 ..."
The guy responded, "Wah, so expensive ... but they are very nice ..."
And he went off, leaving your family -- quite speechless.
What was that?
Seriously, what was that???
No, really -- what --- was --- that???
We all thought he was gonna tell us off about bringing outside food.
Mom broke out in laughter.
Justine and Mom soon left Aunty C at Starbucks.
Mom said, "That was a zap from your brother. I couldn't find the pistachios just now. He knows ..."
Your sister grinned, and agreed that it was strange how that guy came up to us to ask that question. "Where did you get the pistachios?"
Mom continued, "And he had to ask how much. I said, RM15. Forever Fifteen. That's your brother, all right." :D
That evening, at home.
The television was on.
DRACULA was on.
Mom had just made herself comfortable on the sofa, when she heard "Daniel ..." coming from the television screen.
She picked up her cell to check the time.
7:04 pm
Hmm, it wasn't a straightforward angel sign, she must admit ... and her doubts lingered.
A coinciDANS, at most.
She could feel her son shaking his head with disapproval.
Men with little faith ... she heard the snort.
Later that night, the comedy Whitney was on.
Not that your mother was watching television the whole night. Just that she was resting on the sofa, it was that pistachio hunt that must have tired her feet out, and the TV happened to be on.
Her eyes were on the telly no doubt, but she wasn't really following the story.
Nevertheless, her senses were alerted, when she heard the words :
1234 and angel dust
coming from the screen.
She turned immediately to her mobile.
It was 10:16 pm.
Decode : 44
ZAP ZAP ZAP.
She had to smile.
You always know how to zap Mom, don't You, Daniel?
Yeah, You were definitely with Mom when she was on her pistachio hunt this afternoon at the cold storage.
Forever Fifteen.
And Daniel (Dracula).
1234.
Angel.
All You.
You You You.
Thank You, Son for making your presence felt.
Keep the zaps coming.
Love You <3
