A Sweet Note from a Sweet Couple

Sunday, 14 October 2007

This was a note that I had safe-kept away. It was not just an ordinary note. It was a paper that was written by the sweetest couple that I know in Yuma.

It was dated the September 06, 2007. They wrote:

This is a great day! Irene has returned to Yuma.
To celebrate, I have arranged for the weather to get cooler beginning the end of September.
You will like it even more.
Welcome Home.
Gr... and Gl.... Ha..... and all of Yuma

I thought that was very sweet of them. Thank you! That piece of paper was at the door to greet us when Mike brought me home on the 6 September 2007.

The summer had been a little too hot for me and autumn was soon to come.

A Day of Surprises

Wednesday, 25 July 2007

It was break time. I was having lunch in a room when the delivery came. I thought it was just some people dropping in and asking for donations. It had happened in the past weeks. I didn't bother to check - too busy eating! I heard Ron talking to a lady. Mike was surprised why I was not interested to check what was going on at the reception area.

It was a delivery for me - a birthday present!

Mike has ordered it for me! The mixer pot is beautiful. Accompanying it were packets of Blazin Black Bean Dip Mix, Jalapeno Cheddar Dip Mix, Classic Dill Dip and Southwest Chile & Onion Dip Mix.

Thanks Mike! And thank you to all my friends who emailed me. And thank you especially to a dear friend in Kota Kinabalu (Malaysia) who waited until office was opened this morning so that she could phone me. It was past 11 pm her time.

That was the 2nd surprise of the day. Mid this morning, a family friend came into our office, greeted me and placed the presents that he and his wife has put together for me. I thought he was visiting Ron and Mike.

3rd surprise. After dinner (which Mike insisted on cooking), Mike took out from the refrigerator, a big doughnut that he had bought without my knowledge. He had iced it himself and completed it with candles. That was the first time I had a birthday doughnut instead of a cake. Isn't that cute?

Surprise Hug

Sunday, 18 March 2007

How would you feel if a 5 year old boy rush to you, put his arms around your legs and bury his head there for a minute or so? If it is your son, your grandson, your nephew or someone you played with often, maybe you wouldn't be taken by surprise.

I have been away for 5 Sundays and it was indeed a pleasant surprise, coming from him, a boy that I occasionally sent home, together with his elder sister, after the block meetings.

Have he mistaken me for someone? Or he just has a liking to me and missed me?

Unforgettable Gestures

Happy New Year! My first post for the year 2006.

Today, I am inclined to share three of the gestures of my friends. Gestures, that naturally come from their characteristics, which they displayed with no expectation of any rewards in return. Gestures, that they (the givers) have forgotten about but I (the receiver) will always remember.

Saturday, July, 1987 – Miri - A Birthday cake!

My birthday! I was on a trip to Mulu caves with my friends. Didn’t announce to any of them that it coincided with my birthday. Don’t want them to bring any presents for me either. This trip itself was a birthday gift to myself, to be get out of town and explore.

It was early in the night. We just sat around the dinning hall and enjoy each other’s company. There was nothing else we could do. Can’t go walking – too dark outside. The other lights in the vicinity were from the other hostels. We were surrounded by jungles, river, sounds of birds!

Jackie said: “I have a surprise. Wait” She walked out of the hall and came back later with a box, undeniably a cake box. She placed it on the table and called everyone to gather around. She asked me to open it. My heart beat fast because I guess it was for me. Jackie knew the date of my birthday and she had noted the date of the trip. She didn’t tell anyone else. She wanted to surprise me. “Happy Birthday, Irene”, said Jackie.

I will never forget Jackie for that surprised birthday cake. Believe it or not, I had never had a birthday cake until then and it was my first and most memorable one.

Thank you, Jackie.

Thursday, 1 July, 1994 – Bradford - Food for you!

Vacation, with my family, in England, had come to an end. We were going home to Malaysia. Our luggage were packed and we were ready to leave. We were going to take the tube to the Heathrow International Airport for the 2200 hrs flight from London to Kuala Lumpur.

We had to pass the sitting room and the kitchen as we descended the stairs of the terrace flat. Jessie handed me a plastic container and told me that it was for us to eat at the airport. She is a soft spoken lady and she did not tell me what was inside. I didn’t ask her either, only thanked her and said goodbye.

We have gotten fed up with burgers, fish and chips and any other English food. Chinese food is expensive and not nice here.. What did I find in the plastic container that Jessie gave me? Boiled rice and fried fish. No wonder I smelled the aroma of fried fish when I was in our room upstairs. Jessie was secretly preparing food in the kitchen for us. In Malaysia, it is common for us to eat boiled rice with fried fish. But at Heathrow, it had never tasted so delicious. Furthermore, it satisfied our hunger and we did not have to look for food.

Thank you, Jessie.

January, 2005 – Kota Kinabalu – Midnight Angel!

It was past 11:30 pm at night. Unable to sleep, very upset emotionally, confused, and if I don’t let those feelings out, I am going to suffer depression and who knows what! Because of hurt, self-pity, loss of self-confidence, loss of reasoning sensibility, reality, enveloping anger or whatever negative feelings, I might commit some undesirable and regrettable acts. I had to talk to Agnes.

Agnes has been my pillar of strength and comfort. I had known her for over a year and we have grown close to each other. Although busy with her life as a single mother, she was never busy to take my calls and listen to me. I know if I asked her to help she would do so.

Agnes was not in bed yet. After listening to me, she said “Irene, I am going to drive over to your place after I have picked my son back home”. I told her that was not necessary because it was almost midnight and that I would be okay after I have talked to her. Tonight, she felt that she needed to come to me. She was worried that I might unthinkably do something foolish. She came as she said, visited with me until she knows I am sober and composed. It was almost 01:00 am in the morning when she left.

Thank you, Agnes. Change the last letter of her name to ‘l’ and she has all the letters to the word “Angel”.