Ah Bua Bua

We affectionately called her ah bua bua, or ah boh.

For years, she was the one doing all the chores, taking care of the oldies in the house, all alone. She cooked wonderful meals, her unique way of cooking chicken rice makes it the best, original Hainanese chicken rice. The slightly burnt rice that s scraped at the base of the pan is the famous crunchy rice. And everyone would fight for it.

June and December holidays, or even weekends, we would stay over and she would take care of us. The cai tau kueh and chwee kueh will always be on the table when we rise and shine. Add a soft boiled egg and a cup of tea. She would specially fry a 'mata lumbu' aka sunny side up for me when she knows certain dishes werent to my liking.

When it s 6pm, it s time to catch the rabbits. Russell and Ash. Russel was the senior and left right after Ash arrived. They would do their business at every corner of the house and she ll have to clean up, picking up the little black balls and at times a pool of yellow pee. They caused much trouble in the house, biting the barbwire, hiding behind the cupboards and refuse to be caught back to their cages. But she treated them like her children, even softly spanking them on their bottoms when they misbehave. She treated us like her children too.

Though she had a bad temper especially on the mahjong table, she was always a sport at the gambling den during Chinese New Year. Always the banker, and often the Santa Claus who loses to everyone and gives out extra money.

She left last Saturday. After 4 years of struggling. She remained strong. When things went downhill, she hung on, for months when most would have expected her to let go. She didnt eat for a month, and fought the hunger for a week without drip. She still hung on, until her youngest sister assured her, it s ok to let go and end the pain and suffering.

I love her.

and i love everyone of you. friends and family. always cherish them, not wait till they have left and regret for life.