Nothing To Lose

Farewell Mum

One year flew by quickly. It was almost National Day, my brother's birthday. It's time for a lunch celebration. My mum loved to organise family lunch gathering. Although my mum was very skinny like my brother, her appetite was much bigger than mine!

My mum found a restaurant which was giving a discount in conjunction with National Day. All we need to do was to wear our nation's red colour, which we did. My mum, my brother, my wife, my daughters and I wore red that day. It was the first time the family coordinated our dressing! We had a great celebration.

The following Monday, it was school holiday due to National Day celebration. My wife suggested that we bring our daughters to my mum's house for lunch. My mum was delighted to see us. Immediately, she dished out a few dishes and we had yet another family lunch. My brother, who resigned from his job several months ago, was at home too.

After lunch, my mum spent some time playing with my daughters. Shortly after, we left and my mum went to her room to take a short nap. A few hours later, my phone rang. When I answered the phone, I heard my brother's hysterical voice. Instinct told me that something had happened. By the time I rushed over, I saw the paramedics trying to resuscitate my mum. My brother was praying very hard to God for my mum's safety.

What happened earlier was that my brother realised my mum did not wake up to watch her favourite TV drama as usual. He decided to go to her room to wake her up. When my mum did not response to his call, he grabbed her hand only to realise that her hand was unusually cold. He called 995 immediately and called me after that.

The ambulance rushed my mum to the hospital. My brother followed the ambulance while I followed behind in my car. We waited outside the emergency room with my brother still praying to God. (Though he had not been baptised, my brother was already a believer.) Finally, the doctors came out. From their facial expression, I knew that it was not good news. We were told that my mum had already passed on before reaching the hospital. Seeing how my brother broke down in tears, I tried to compose myself as much as I could and I hugged him. I told him that mum had slogged the whole life and it was time for her to rest. Of course, deep in my heart, it hurt a lot.

During the wake, many residents from the neighbourhood came to pay her their last respect. It really showed how much the residents loved her. The MP of the constituency came too and he described her as a very cheerful and active lady. Her friends came and praised her for her mental strength in overcoming all odds in life, especially in bringing us up. I really felt proud to be her son seeing the impression she left in the minds of her neighbours and friends.

For a period of time after that, I was not myself. I could not see the value of what I was doing anymore and somehow regretted not spending enough time with her. One day, as I was in my school church, I suddenly felt that peace in my heart which I lost for a while. I then reflected and realised the grace of God. He allowed my mum to extend her stay here with a ruptured heart artery and lived life to its fullest for an additional year. He made my brother resigned from his job so that he would spend more time with my mum. He even allowed my mum to organise my brother's birthday celebration for one last time, with a bonus lunch reunion the following Monday before she finally passed on peacefully in her sleep without any pain. It was exactly what she always wanted, passing on without having to drag on and suffer in pain like my grandmother.

I was also reminded by this little voice in me about my calling to teach the hearts of many more. That little voice reminded me that my mum would want me to continue to inspire many more pupils in the future and make her proud. That's when I felt that God really showed me a miracle and, yes, I was finally convinced and accepted Christ.