Twinkle Star...

On this very day nearly half a century ago, a girl was born. Her mother, who was barely 18 years old, went away after giving birth to her; leaving the newborn with her maternal grandmother. The family, being rather well to do, took on the responsibility of raising up this "unwanted" child.

And so this little girl grew up not knowing who her parents are. All she knows is that her father is a sailor and had died in China; her mother, on the other hand, had gone away - where to, nobody knows.

She grew sensible earlier than the other kids of her age, not because of her nature but because she was forced to. Since young, she was asked to help out with the household chores, to cook for the family, to fetch the younger cousins to school, to take care of her cousins and to run any other errands one could think of at that time. She would also be among the first ones to be punished under the rod of the matriarch if anything at home goes wrong. Often, the verbal abuse that she was put through was even more unbearable than the physical afflictions. However, all these hardships were not served to bring her down but to make her a stronger person.

At the age of 7, (Or is it 8? Ugh. I can't remember when exactly. My memory's failing me. Getting old.) she met her mother for the first time. There was another man together with her mom, her step-father. It was a confusing moment. Isn't that the day she always hoped for? The day when her mother would come and bring her out of her misery? But she was uncertain of what might befall... Will her mother abandon her again and run away? How will this step father of hers treat her? No one knows. However, the decision was not hers to make. The matriarch spoke.

That decision has brought her thus far. Having a house she can call her own with the once-reigning matriarch. Hatred has never surfaced in her dictionary. In fact, there is not a single trace that speaks of her unhappy childhood. She is now on good terms with all her family members, i do mean ALL. That includes her mother, step father, step siblings etc. Very often, she is also the middle(wo)man whenever there is a dispute in the family. I respect her for that - for growing out of her circumstances. I admit I always find that very hard and I believe she is there to be one of my role models in that aspect.

We were at One Fullerton, celebrating her birthday over lunch. There she was, seated beside me, putting on her usual radiant smile. Seated in front of me was her mother; she, too, was grinning from ear to ear. Her mom handed her a pair of "red eggs" sealed in a clear plastic bag together with a red packet. If only I can capture the moment of happiness on film. If only... Well, lunch was fabulous. Stories about the past did spiced it up very much. I realised I know very little about her, what she has through and how she feels. I guess it is never too late to realise certain things!

To my Godma:
Mummy, I thank God for touching your life, for giving you a chance to believe and to accept Him as your personal Lord and Saviour many years ago. I'm not here to judge or to evaluate your walk with our Lord but I do earnestly pray that you would continue to grow close to Him and let Him lead your life. Sorry for the many times I have disappointed or made you sad. Sorry for hurting you at times. I really thank you for forgiving me and even comforting me in those times. It has been hard, I know it isn't easy, to lug a kid like me around. I know, I can be really difficult at times. Thank you. Many times I really do not understand the things you do... I just cannot understand your rationale in doing some things. But I pray and I choose to believe you have your own reasons for doing so. I love you, mummy. May the Lord continue to guide you and may you experience His grace and mercy in your life. Happy birthday.

Labels: Birthdays