Goodbye 舅母

I guess most people would fear seeing this word regardless of, it will happen to one self or someone close. For the pass three and a half months,I've come upon relatives and family members of my friends' death. Four in total. Not a big number but yet. Just last week, my grand uncle passed away. It was a hit and run case and my mum told me that this incident was published in the Chinese newspapers. I did not attend as I had to work. I'm not very close to him but I do see him often when I was young. He is mute and I was really mad at this person who could just run away. Does he have no conscience at all??!!

Not long later, yesterday my cousin brother messaged my mum, my grandmother called and announced my aunty's death. She passed away at around 8 sth pm. I was on my way back and wanted to message my cousin sis asking her about my aunty. I had a weird and funny feeling and had planned to go back hometown to visit her during the weekend as I know her health is deterioting. Unfortunately, I did not have the chance to message my cousin nor even to see her for the last time, she is gone.

She is a wonderful woman,a good daughter, wife, daughter-in-law and mother who broughtup 5 of her children and at times, another two especially during festive seasons when my other cousin brother and I balik kampung. She would cook good and delicious food, bearing with the noises we make and all. She had cancer and had undergo chemotherapy and although she knew that it was painful and would not last for long, she would still ungergo treatment as she did not want her children to regret anything when she was gone.

I went back about a month ago and she was still fine looking although she has grown from a beautiful shapely and motherly looking woman to a skinny and bone-ny person. My cousin told me that the doctor had said that there's was no point for my aunty to go for therapy anymore and might not last till Chinese New Year 2007. I was as heart-broken as my cousin. When my parent went back for my granduncle's funeral, they saw that she was bed-ridden. There was no life in her eyes anymore and she was having a conversation with her "dead" mum.

The Chinese believes that sometimes when it is about their time to go, they would see and talk to their beloved ones who are already dead. However, I'm glad that she has passed on peacefully and that she would not have to suffer anymore.

"舅母, thank you for everything and putting up with my naughtiness when I was young. I really appreciate it all and you'll be deeply missed............................"