Call 549 : MOUNTAIN MAMMA

Hello Son, 


Wednesday, August 27


It was early in the morning on Wednesday.



Still too early to leave the house, on her own, that morning. 



The time was around 6:30 am. 



Dad would be driving Justine to SJMC later in the morning. Justine was doing her attachment in that hospital for 3 weeks.



Mom sat down at the dining table for a few minutes.



Sit sit sit ... on the dining chair.



Stare stare stare ... at the dining wall.



Wait wait wait ... for the minute hand of the dining clock to pass number 9.



Hmmm ...



Is there such a thing as dining clock?



A quick check on google at the time of typing this line, says, YES.



So anyway ...



It was 6:45 am, before she picked up the car keys and headed out the door.



Took the lift down down down to the ground floor, walked to the car, hopped in.



Everything was as normal as normal could be.



She turned on the ignition.



"You say it best, when you say nothing at all ..." immediately came on the radio.

Yes, that line, in that way, at that moment.



Omg ...



Her jaw dropped.



She glanced at the time. 



It was 6:51 am.



Omg, she inhaled slowly. 



21 ...



Immediately, she found herself saying out loud, "Son, are You here?"



The song was coming to an end. Still, it was that special line that greeted her the moment she started the car. Her son was definitely near.



Right beside her, as always. :D

Mom repeated, "Are You here, Son? You are here, aren't You? Mom knows You're right here ..."



The silence was deafening.



Of course he would be ... he's always beside her ...



Is there any doubt at all?



She began, "You know, this year's concert is gonna be spectacular. Yup, it's gonna be just -- spec-ta-cular ..."



She drove out of the condo area, towards school.



Mom hummed and sang softly to herself until the song ended.



The next song that came on, took her by surprise.



LET IT GO (Disney's Frozen) ...



6:53 am ...



Secret code : 14


 
Omg ...



Why ...

almost everyday, for the past month, she's been listening to this LET IT GO song, as the children practise their dance for the year end concert. Yes, the 5 and 6 year old children are performing a dance routine to LET IT GO.



Omg, Daniel ...



Seriously???



Seriously Daniel???



LET IT GO???



What are the chances???


 
Just when Mom said that this year's concert will be spectacular, LET IT GO comes on the radio? Why, You're practically talking to Mom.



Yeah Ma ... your LET IT GO ... :D

The moment was just too incredible, she wanted to hold on to it for as long as she could. 



The song came to an end. :C



Mom listened to the radio host who began a game that Mom was (recently) familiar with. She had only heard this game once before, and that was on Wednesday, August 20 @ 3:43 pm. At the time, she was driving to school. 



The radio was on. 



She heard the radio person said, 



"Listen to the song and fill in the blanks ..." 



I always feel like, somebody's (beep) me ...

Pause.



Huh??? 



Say what???


 
Mom's look was incredulous when she heard that line. She's not known to excel in quizzes and games on the radio. But --- this??? 



This question is for her!



If the person who calls in gets it right, he would get the then accumulated prize money of RM900, said the radio host.  



Omg, she should be answering that question. 



Who wouldn't know that answer.



Omg ...



The caller replied, "Ummm, ummm, somebody's ------ loving me?"



Omg, are You kiddin' her? She rolled her eyes dramatically.



You must have seen that.



The radio host said, "Okay, let's see if that is correct ..." before playing that line without the beep this time:



I always feel like somebody's watchin' me ...

Mom was like almost shouting "watchin' watchin' watchin' " with impatience, before the caller answered -- "loving."



Pause.



Omg, how could anyone NOT know this line? Of all the ten kazillion songs in the world, this - line - came - on? 



Omg ...



Anyway, the next question was :



I stand (beep) of love in the first degree ...



Gasp.



Mom couldn't believe her ears. She had reached school by that time. 



She got out of the car, thinking ...



She knows this answer too???



Omg ... she knows TWO answers???



TWO???



Accused ...



I stand ACCUSED of love in the first degree.



By Bananarama.



Hmmm ...



Banana ... your last fruit that last night before You left us, Daniel.



ZAP ZAP ZAP.



So that was Wed, August 20 ... a week ago.

Back to the car ...



The radio host began the game.



Country road, (BEEP), to the place I belong ...



Mom sang to herself: 



Country road, take me home, to the place, I belong


West Virginia 


Mountain Mamma (Wait a minute -- Mamma???)


Take me home


Country roads


I hear her voice in the morning hour she calls me (Omg, morning hour like 6:51 am???)


The radio reminds me of my home far away (Seriously??? The radio???)


Driving down the road I get a feeling (I get a feeling??? Like somebody's watchin' me feeling???)


That I should have been home yesterday, yesterday (yesterday seems so far away)

Oh my Lord.



Oh oh oh, and don't forget the first line to this song is :



Almost HEAVEN, West Virginia (Like hello??? Heaven???)



A caller called in and answered the question correctly.



The radio guy said, "Congratulations! You've just won RM3,000!"



What!


 
THREE -- THOUSAND -- RINGGIT???



Why, she could sing that WHOLE song. 



That three thousand ringgit rightly belongs to -- her, she thought in disgust as she got out of the car. 



Slowly, she reflected on that precious moment as she walked to the school lift.

All my memories, gather round me

Miner's lady, stranger to blue water

Dark and dusty, painted on the sky

Misty taste of moonshine, teardrop in my eyes

Gosh Son ...



How did that happen? It took her only like less than ten minutes to get from home to school. Yet, in that short time, You had zapped your mother and reminded her that You're right beside her. The timing is always so perfect.



Angel perfect.



Thank you, Daniel ... for always watchin' over Mom and family.



Keep the zaps coming, Son.

Call 548 : 55th MONTH

Hello Son, 



Today is the 21st. 



Your 55th month with JESUS and MAMA MARY somewhere over the rainbow.



Is there anyway that Mom could go back to just hanging out at Starbucks and talking to You? She could just talk and talk and talk ... and talk some more ... all day long. Could You do something about that, Son? 



Anyway, Mom was waiting for a zap today. 



Nothing unusual happened in the morning.



Unless You want to count that small inciDAN in class with 5 year old girl, J.



The children were doing addition. 



J was distracted, and was walking here and there, delaying her work. So Mom sat her down, and guided her. After tackling half a page of sums, J came to this sum:



19 + 2



Mom watched J as she pointed a finger to her head, "19 in the head ... 2 in the hands ... nineteen, twenty, twenty-one ..."



Mom prompted, "Answer?"



J said, "21 ..."



Mom said, "Yes, very good, write that down ..." 



Your mother watched J writing her twenty-one.



J wrote instead : 12.



Mom was quick to point out, "That's not 21. What number is that?"



J looked at her work, then turned to your mother and insisted, "21 ..."



Mom corrected, "21 is two one ... not one two ..."



J gave a lil chuckle and reached for the eraser.



Mom thought to herself, "Yes yes, 21 and 12 ... they are the same ..."



For your mother anyway.



That was that.



She didn't give it much thought after that.



So anyway, after school, Mom went back to the house for lunch. 



Dad had bought nasi lemak.

3 bungkus ... 2 for your mother.



Grin. 



After lunch, your parents rested before the television.



MERLIN (re-run) was on.



Before long, it was time to go to school.



Whilst driving, Mom was thinking silently to herself, (she thinks best when she's driving, You know right?) wondering if she had missed any zaps at all in school that morning. 



Today it's her son's 21st.



He can't be zapping her daily, and not on his special 21st day.



Right?



Grimace.



Hmmm, that addition inciDAN, 12 and 21 ... that can't be it.



Pause to think.



Frown.



(Slowly ...) Can it?



Was that it?



Is that all?



Doubts cloud her thoughts. She didn't want to force the situation. It must come naturally, these zaps. Otherwise, it wouldn't feel right.



The song WHEN YOU BELIEVE came on the radio.



Mom glanced at the time.



It was 3:40 pm.



At first glance, it wasn't a zap number. 



Then, she remembered the 3:03 pm (UP UP) during MALEFICIENT, and the 3:04 pm beep from her cellphone with the message:

Say HELLO to FREE

Mom smiled to herself. God made her this way, don't You see? Otherwise, how in the world could she possibly connect with her son in heaven? Absolutely no way. Besides, did he not remind her to BEND THE RULES?



Haha.



Omg ... something amazing just happened!



After the Haha (2 lines above), she'd googled on a separate (full) window the lyrics WHEN YOU BELIEVE. This Call 548 draft was hidden behind that window -- completely. As she was reading the lyrics, somewhere towards the middle of the song, OMG, her Call draft popped out, and startled her :

Time stood still for her. Her hands were nowhere near anywhere that could have made that happen. The (new) window was fully open. How did that first window of her draft POPPED UP ...



... and in that fashion, so that she was left staring at the bold sentence.



Omg.



Seriously.



You're near, arent' you, Son?



Mom called Justine over quickly, and showed her (the computer screen). 



At first Mom thought your sister might say, oh, that's because you clicked this, or you did that, or you accidentally touched this, so that the first window will pop up ... but Justine didn't have anything to say. She could only smile and nod, and smile and nod.



Omg.



That was incredible. Just when Mom was saying that today was a beeeeeeet slow in the zap area, except towards the end of the day ... yeah, going home time ... and this SAY HELLO online zap happened. 



Hi Ma ... I'm here ... :D



Oh, that was such a good zap especially for today. :D



Anyway ...



In the evening, your parents left school after 7 pm. Justine dropped Dad in school around 6 pm or so. Anyway, as we were driving out of the barrier gate, a song had come on. Mom was talk talk talking, and had lowered down the volume. However, she thought she heard something familiar despite the very soft music, so she reached out to turn up the volume.



Omg ...



Seriously?



Omg ...



21 GUNS???



Can it get any better than this?



Her eyes shot to the time. 



It was was 7:08 pm.



Mom said loudly, "That's 15 ... a clear number 4."



Any way you look at it, it still spells her son.



Forever 15 ... and her angel number 4.


Omg.





ZAP ZAP ZAP.



Mom said, "Two million songs in the world that could have come on, it had to be 21 GUNS?? And we're only driving home ... we're in the car like what, 10 minutes ... and this song comes on from beginning to end??? Omg ... What are the chances??? Omg ... Omg!!! It's Son's 21st, he's saying Hi Ma ..."



Omg.



Dad was in the car. He heard the zap song.



Your song.



Gosh, incredible. 



Wait till Mom tells You about the inciDANS the past few days, leading to this one.



Oh Wow ... and who says we can't connect with people in heaven.



My GOD is awesome.



Please tell JESUS Mom said that, okay?



Talk to You tomorrow, Son. 



Happy 55th month today. 


 
Have fun, ya? 



Have You met Robin Williams yet?



Genie, you're free ...

Call 547 : WORDS COME

Hello Son, 


On Saturday (9th)  morning, Aunty D, Mom and Megan were walking to the car.



On the way to the car, Megan happened to point to the sky and said something like, 

"See? See?" or was it "Look ... look ..." Mom can't be sure now. 



Yes, your mother had noticed that white trail across the blue sky. 



It was something like this picture below, the white trail was horizontal and right before our eyes, but with a lesser blue sky.
 

She had smiled to herself, but chose to say nothing about it.



She did not take a photo. It didn't feel like a zap sign, and anyway, your aunt was there, Mom didn't want to show that she was trying too hard to make a ... um, connection ... when there was -- nothing. She would have to explain why she was taking a picture of the sky and all and ... bottom line is :



The words would have to come.



Yeah, words.



Magic disappears when words come.



Sometimes.



Pause.



Correction -- all the time.



Yeah, those magical moments ... are not meant for words. 



Once you try to put words to explain the moment, the magic goes. 




That's why it's called MAGIC. 



You can't explain it.



You're not supposed to explain it.



Ask Merlin. :D



Mom misses your nice voice calling out to her when the show is on telly.



"MA, YOUR MERLIN IS ON ..."

 

Pause to listen to -- the echoes -- of, of ... your voice ... many moons ago.



Sad smile.



Do You have MERLIN up there?



Oh, where was she? 



Right, we were walking to the car.



Aunty Di, Megan and Mom.



There was a white trail in the sky right before our eyes.



Of course your mother had seen it. 



HI SON ... her heart had whispered. It was an automatic greeting within her.



Moments later, Megan pointed and said the obvious.



"See? See?" as Megan pointed excitedly to the sky.



Right after the babe uttered those words, Mom noticed a guy walking towards our direction. 



Just a resident. 



Nothing unusual. 



She didn't pay much attention to him, until she heard him say HI to Aunty Di.



Aunty Di replied with a HI.



The guy asked Megan, "And how are you?" 



No reply from Megan. :D



So anyway, in the car, Mom teased, "Wah, you have a friend in the condo?"



Aunty Di is known not to have any friends.



Haha.



Like Mom.



Aunty Di gave your mother a stare before saying in surprise. Should your mother know that guy? 



"Hey, don't you know who that guy is?



Mom was like, "No ... who's he? Church fella?"



Aunty Di said, "That's DANIEL ..."



"What?"



What are the chances???



Your aunt repeated, "That's DANIEL ... Tracy's friend ..." 



Tracy being your aunt who is in heaven with You now. 



She went back home to :

... in 1996. She was 23 years old.



Cancer. 



Understand that when you are diagnosed with that C word ... 



You have been CHOSEN.



Later, when your family finds you in a



Coma, you are having a little



Chat or 



Conversation, if you like, with our Saviour



Christ Jesus, whether He wants you to 



Continue your 



Conquests on earth as you were born to do, or if you have



Completed your tasks here, you would have to return to Him.





Hmmm. Nailed it, didn't she?



Bear with Mom. 



No, no, she's not bitter.



Just an observation.




 

Anyway, with your aunt Tracy, it started with the bone (knee).





Mom still remembers the name : osteogenic-sarcoma



 

4 years later, it was everywhere.

We were in Mexico, seeking last resort treatment at the time. 



Mom had asked the doctor, "Where is the cancer?" 



to which the doctor replied, "You should ask, where is not the cancer ..."

Grimace.



That was a long time ago. Still, all the letters that Mom wrote to the family whilst she (and Grandma) were at the hospital in Mexico are still here, in our home, tied up in a bundle, and kept away, like a secret map to a treasure chest.



Back to the present ...


 
Oh ... Daniel ... Tracy's friend. 



"I don't remember him ..." your mother said, with a frown. 



Your aunt commented, "He must think you're rude ... you didn't say hi ..."



Oh ...




Somehow, she didn't feel -- guilty.



Should she?



Instead, she got excited.



"Hey, did you notice? First, Megan had to point to the sky. We had to look up to the sky, and then a DANIEL had to pass by, and he had to say HI ..."




What do You have to say about that???



ZAP ZAP ZAP.



Aunty Di laughed, "Yeah, yeah, hahaha ..."



Hi Son ...



You really did hear Mom saying HI SON, didn't You, Daniel?



Hello Ma ... It's Me ... <3

 (picture from the internet)

A happy smile.



You know, this morning (Sunday), whilst waiting for Justine to get ready for church, Mom said to Dad, "When you have a child in heaven, you need to be a little flexible. Otherwise, how would you get his messages? As it is, it is not easy for them up there to send us messages ..."



Your mother's sentence hung in mid air when she suddenly jumped up from her seat, and laughed out loud.



Omg.



Dad's eyes followed.

Dad chuckled.



FREE TO BEND.



Haha.



You must have whispered to Mom right at that moment, to make her turn to look at the box. 



Mom turned to Dad, still grinning, "You see, FREE to bend the rules. Hahaha ..."

 (Gosh, what are the chances of finding this picture on the internet? 4th row from the top)

Anyway ...


 
Reflecting back to Friday in school ...



It was evening time in school. 



The children were doing their homework.



A 5 year old boy brought his book to Mom and asked for instructions.



"Fill in the blanks with DO NOT or DOES NOT," Mom read the instructions out loud to him.



He said, "Okay ..." and went back to his seat.



 
Before long, he came back, handed up his book to Mom.



Your mother glanced at the page :

 
Her jaw dropped.



 

The first thing that caught her eye : Dans



Huh?  (Dans being your nickname affectionately given to you by your aunts)



Omg ...



The boy was able to answer numbers 1, 2 and 3 ... but number 4?



He wrote DANS???



On top of that, the sentence reads : 

Dans like to dance.

Dans ... dance ...



See that?



Notice that?



Like 2 times?



ZAP ZAP ZAP. :D



You're near, that's for sure. :D



Shortly after, she picked up an English book. Whilst flipping through the pages, she stumbled upon this passage :




 

Secret code : 21

Dan ...

 
And 14? 



Her angel number ... one of ...



I am number 4.



Oh, and You know why You're number 4 ... we're not going to go into that.



Twice she sees DAN(S). 



Is that not LOUD enough?



I'm right here, Ma ...



Mom hears You.



And who is to say that she didn't?



Remember, she has the right to BEND THE RULES!



Haha.



Keep the zaps coming, Son.



We love You so much. <3