Missing Aunty SK

I got home around my usual time (9 plus) this Tuesday and mummy told me at the doorstep that Aunty SK (Siew Kuan Yi, as I call her) passed away that day. "Why didn't you tell me earlier?", I asked. "What for? You were working", she said. I stepped into the house after the gate was unlocked and put my left hand on mummy's shoulder. I could sit the tears starting to form in her eyes when she felt my touch.

"When did you learn about it?" I asked.
"Two plus this afternoon", mummy answered.

I quickly finished my dinner and sat down next to mummy. One of our favourite weekly variety shows was on but our minds were elsewhere. I was wondering how mummy was taking this sad news. Aunty SK was her closest friend for years, an aunt who literally saw YT (my brother) and I grew up since our births.

I remember visiting Aunty SK every few weeks during my childhood days in Kallang Bahru and she will treat us to tasty home cooked food. Chinese New Year was an even more joyous occasion for me as I then have a sweet tooth and I will induldge in all her yummy homemade pineapple tarts and kueh bangkits. Throughout the 30 over years of my existence thus far, mummy and I have kept in touch with Aunty SK and she will come visit mummy in the house every few months (in our old house and later, our new house) to chat with mummy and keep mummy company because she knows that mummy's legs aren't that strong. This was the case even though Aunty SK's own health was failing and her vision was deteriorating with age.

We went to Aunty SK's wake last night and I could not hold back my tears when I knelt down and offered the incense sticks. YT accompanied mummy to take one last look at Aunty SK in the coffin and I heard some sobbing in the background. Surprisingly, mummy's reaction was more subdued and controlled than I have expected.

Afte we reached home, mummy told me that she could not get into sleep mode the night of Aunty SK's death as she keeps thinking about the visits Aunty SK had made in the past.

It has been said that tears are stronger than words sometime . When it comes to measuring the depth of mummy's emotions over the loss of her best friend, I reckon tears don't necessarily show the depth of it. As mummy herself said it, she will think of and miss Aunty SK for a long long time.

I will miss her too.

Mcdull