Mama, budak ini amat merindui anda.

Grandmother used to dote on me most.

"Anak Anak!" she would call out fondly.

With my (very) erroneous Malay,I would engage in my daily incantations with Mama and listen to her tales of yesteryear. Mama would shield me from my immensely strict Mother who had a knack of wielding the cane with finesse precision. (She's another legend altogether).

Mama taught me traditional Peranakan games (which I've long forgotten unfortunately). Grandfather owned Fowlie Road with 12 houses and Mama spent most of her life lapping in luxury. Strolling down Katong was akin to a stab at stardom, as many acknowledged Mama, Ee or Mummy. Like the typical matriach of the Peranakan household, Mama's word was final and carried much weight.

In her sarong kebaya, Mama would frown with displeasure or beam in delight, evidently exhibiting her array of emotions. Birthday celebrations were lavish and I recall Mama's 71st & 81st birthdays at hotel ballrooms. Mama would invariably powder her nose in excitement and be decked in her berlian & intan alike in pompous preparation. Vain as she was, she would brush her hair with the golden hairbrush and angle her mirror in all seriousness. Embroidered kebayas decked her wardrobe as she selected her outfit proudly.

Every New Year was festered with a smorgasborg of edibles, courtesy of Mama's precise perfection, The entire extended family streamed in from dawn to dusk. First & Second cousins had to turn up within the first two days of the Lunar New Year to show respect. Aunt Grace would fly in from Spain/Britain/wherever she was to visit the Grand Old Dame. Fooling with the dough for the mandatory pineapple tarts, nuts, kueh bankit and other Peranakan fancies, Mama would laugh at the weird shapes I'd concocted out of the mix while Mummy would try desperately to shoo me out of the kitchen, albeit unsuccessfully.

Then.
One day, Mama went to bed at the age of 91.
And never woke up.

It's been 6 years since I've last heard "Anak Anak! Latang sini!"

Mama, kalau engkau boleh dengar,
bukan saya mahu merbahaya.
Takut dan sebat.
Mama selalu cakap manis mungukur sikit.
sekarang, ini tunggu yang silap terlalu.
saya mahu gembira.
esok - dia selalu dekat.

Mama, budak ini amat merindui anda
(Mama, this child misses you so much.)

Especially now.