The 'Friendly' Visitor-Updated wirh pics!

I must admit it, I'm a coward by all accounts and in every sense of the word and get spooked easily by things that go bump in the night and all those everyday creepy-crawlies. That is why I was glad I was away from home when this particular incident that I'm about to relate took place.

First, the basics.

My mom had a cousin who emigrated from Brunei to Canada in the late 80's. I'll just call her Aunty W. She was an affable, generous lady who had friends wherever she went. The trait that I admired most in her is that she made it a habit to stay in touch with many of her old friends.She also didnot let lttle 'hicups'like a bad knee stop her from travelling. My mom and her shared a close bond I guess because of some similarity in their life's experiences. They would keep in touch mainly by phone calls and also annual visits. If Aunty W was in town, my mom would fly back here from KL and they both would go traipsing off to old familiar haunts especially in Miri, where both had close relatives and in Brunei where not only did Aunty W have children still living there but both women had husbands buried in the same cemetry in a place called Kuala Belait. If my mom was visiting her sister in Vancouver then she would make it a point to fly to Edmonton to spend time with Aunty W who would delight everyone with her prowess in cooking, especially nyonya dishes.

In february of 2004, Aunty W visited again and we had an absolutely marvellous time with her. There was the usual happy chatter, jokes, cooking and lots of laughter-the works! The two sprightly ladies also made their familiar trips to Miri and Brunei. I remember the last dish that we cooked up in my kitchen was some delicious " tenggiri assam pedas." At her insistence, Aunty W was chef for the day-we only assisted. She also showed me how to steam salted duck eggs, nyonya-style. One day, just before she left as we sat around talking, she said-"this might be my last trip here" to which had my mom gently chiding her in response for saying "such things."

The phone calls continued when she got home. One day, she calls to tell me that she's been calling my mom at home but can't seem to get hold of her. I tell her that my mom's probably at my brother's place. She lets me know that for the past two weeks she had fallen really ill that she thought she was going to die. We find out later that she had secondary brain tumour and she breathed her last on the 2nd of december 2004. That trip in february was really her last after all.

Now for the spooky bits!-(no disrespect to Aunty W with this reference, bless her kindly, friendly soul)

About a week before she passes away, my family and I, minus eldest, fly off to KL on the school break. My mom, coincidentally is in Kuching on a visit and is supposed to fly back later. While we are there, my mom calls with news that Aunty W has passed away. About three days later, my mom flies back and we pick her up from the airport. On the way home, I receive a text message from Jeremy, that reads "mom, Aunty W's here!" That's around 1030pm. My spooksmeter goes into overdrive immediately so I call him to demand what's going on. He tells me that he has a few friends over and while one of them is washing up at the kitchen sink earlier in the evening, she looks out into the garden and sees a figure bending over looking at my plants, and it's Aunty W! This friend had met her at my house on that february visit. Later that night Jeremy and another friend are in the family/tv room playing on the PS when his friend looks up and sees someone walking in from the living room and going right to the back. He asks Jeremy whether there's any old lady present in the house. Jeremy's response is of course negative, as the only old lady that was in the house,my mom, had left hours ago! Our tomcat then starts meowing something crazy. Thinking that the cat's hungry Jeremy goes out, bends over to feed it and lo and behold! as he looks up,there is dear Aunty W again, this time at the kitchen sink!! Them kids rush out off the house as fast as their legs can carry them! That's when he sends me the message.

My guess is that she only came to say her final goodbyes.

PS-I called up my mom a short while ago to verify some dates etc and she tells me that she'll send some pics of her and Aunty W on that last trip they took together so I can post it here. I'll add on the pics as I soon as I get it. I know my mom misses her old friend.

Just got this in the mail this morning and since I told mom I'll blog the pics, here they are.


Mom, left and Aunty W, right.


Having fun together.