My Guardian Angel by Vemanna Appannah

                                                                                       The Star, 4 May 2014

‘There has never been, nor will there ever be, anything quite so special as the love between a mother and a son.’ - Anonymous

        The greatest gift I’ve ever had, came from God. I call her Mother!“ The saying is so true. She never gave birth to me, but she just knows when l am happy, in trouble, sad, need a shoulder to cry on or a hug. She gives me assurance that she's always there for me and makes me feel safe.

        She knows how to take away my sorrows and assure me that “This too shall pass, my son". These are words of comfort and signs of assurance which a child will experience when his mother is still by his side. Me? I was given a second chance.

        I lost my Amma due to a sudden heart attack when I was 18. My whole world crumbled then. Too young to really understand my personal bereavement, I was a lost child. Pain overwhelmed my heart. Amma's warmth, love, care and smile was gone.

        If ever there was an angel from above, that would have to be my Mummy. She held me, hugged me, loved me and cared for me, and she still does so today. She took away the agony which my heart could neither express nor cry out. She healed my wounded heart so that I can once again utter the word "mother" and I have her to thank for it.

        She never experienced labour pains, but that very pair of soft hands had conducted thousands of deliveries. She had received many babies in her hands as a midwife, but she never had one of her own. She never experienced the feeling of bearing a child, or gone through childbirth. But she was always the first to receive a child at every new labour admission. She was a “mother” firsthand to many new- borns.

        God, He listens and knows what's best for us. He predestined us to be together. There was once I asked my Mummy, "why did you chose me?" She said, “Son, things happens for a reason.”  If you were to tell me that one becomes a mother only when she gives birth to a child, l would disagree. In my case, my mother was“born" to love me, she was a gift to me.

        Both children and adults fell easily into the arms of Mother Teresa. Why? Because she was a gift to mankind. To me, my Mummy is an angel. There is an invisible umbilical tie between us, a divine bond. We are so different physically. I am an Indian of Hindu faith while Mummy is a Chinese Catholic, but in the eyes of the Maker, we are all same and His children. My mummy tells me, “Son, I’m colour blind”.

        She didn’t change my religious belief. She let me continue in my faith while she continues to attend to her Sunday obligations. Mummy and I are inseparable. Anyone who meets her for the first time would feel comfortable in her presence at the first meeting.

        My friends have easily become her friends, and they drop by my house often and have conversations with her. Those who don't know my background so well, even go as far as to say I resemble Mummy and that I have her looks. When they say that, we just gaze at each other and nod in agreement to their remark.

        They assume my father must be Indian. Thanks to Malaysia’s multi-cultural society, we needn't explain our ethnicity. There is a saying that you can choose your friends, but not your parents. This is true, and l had wonderful parents who are no longer alive. But, God picked Emmie Cheung and sent her to me. I cherish God’s gift. Children must learn to count their blessings when are they are adopted.

        To every child, their mother is their sunshine. l love you, Mummy! You are not only my sunshine, you are my guardian angel. (Happy Mother's Day!)

Nerd , redefined
by Carolyn Low Chai Foong

The Star, 25 September 2011

 

NERD: an intelligent but single-minded person obsessed with a non-social hobby or pursuit. I love books. They're my best friends. In fact, once upon a time, the only boyfriends I had were Harry Potter and Edward Cullen, if you know what I mean. I have to say that I am perfectly content with how my life is but I'd be lying if l said that the little dreamer deep within me didn't yearn for some TLC. I'd be lying if I said I never dreamt of Prince Charming sweeping me off my feet. I'd also be lying if I said I liked being alone.

Growing up as an introvert is not the greatest thing. I rarely ventured outside my comfort zone and prefered the companionship of books to people. But yes, reading does have disadvantages. I waited for a long time for that one person to complete me. For that fabled soulmate to make me feel on the top of the world. It wasn't until I was older that I learnt there is no such thing.

My first day of secondary school was awkward. Stepping onto unfamiliar territory is not my forte. Too bad the back door of the classroom was locked or I would have sneaked in from behind. No such luck.

So l entered from the front with as much bravura as I could muster, which wasn't much considering how I shuffled along the walls and tried not to be noticed.

I touched down safely at the very end of the classroom and tried to look busy, ignoring the stares my new classmates were giving me. A guy at the same table didn't stare but the look in his eyes showed that he understood how horrible being in my shoes was.

I cannot remember the first words we exchanged but I was glad we did because we became close friends in our remaining two years of school. It turned out he was the smartest guy in class. And I didn't mind it at all because now, we love reading.

Then we went our separate ways and I thought I'd never find a companion like him again. I went about my days keeping to light conversations with acquaintances, and limited them strictly to topics related to college.

I thought that in a lifetime there was only one person who could understand you, only one person who knows you better than yourself I was prepared to be in my own world.

But the forces that govern life decided to take things into their hands and pulled the rug from under my feet. I fell hard but have no regrets whatsoever for getting a sore bum.

I met a stranger whom I never knew would become my best friend. She astounded me because we are so alike, despite her being my senior. We became joined at the hips, like sisters.

However, just as fleetingly, she completed her two years at college (with a perfect CCPA) and is currently studying at the University of Michigan in America. Thus is the reality of life. I feel there are many people who can complement us. They come and go; there is no denying that what you love the most, you cannot keep.

Friendship is like flying a kite. You have to let it soar high up in the air. If you hold the thread too tightly, it will crash to the ground. Although your kite may seem small and distant from afar, you know it's there in the sky because you're connected to it by that thread. And you're comforted because wherever the kite goes, it will return to you.

To date, my secondary school friend is the only one who dares call me a nerd to my face and every once in a while, l try to prove him wrong. My college mate has shown me how much more a person can be beyond the books we study and l hope to follow in her footstep as I prepare to transfer to the United States next year. l appreciate people who make someone smile, who take the time to know someone, who accept someone without judging her. They are no Mother Teresa or Oprah Winfrey, but in their own way, they help make the world a better place by bringing hope to those who are alone.

And to those who are discouraged, and feel useless and ever so small, I wish to say this: "You are someone. Just believe and you will be." This piece goes out to my two most awesome kindred spirits — you know who you are. Thanks for being worthy friends and teaching me that you are more than what people say you are. l know this sounds totally clichéd but l am who I am today because of your friendship and gentle guidance.

Nerd: just another noun that fails to take into account the person as a whole. .