24 Jan - A day to remember. A history not forgotten.

This is the second consecutive week where I had visited Mary and Mdm L. For those whom have yet to see them in person, they are our (relatively) new beneficiaries that joined us in the latter half of 2014. I was with Joelle and Yen Sin the week before and last week I was with Hui Ping. As usual, both Mary and Mdm L are both very cheerful and even though I'm supposedly there to accompany them, they never fail to entertain me and keep me company instead! 

Over the two weeks that I've visited them, I have gotten to know more about their past and present. With each new story that they've unearthed, my affection for them grows stronger each time. Mdm L is a devout christian and a very compassionate woman. When she was younger, she used to be a volunteer like us even when volunteer corps used to be almost non-existent back then. She also used to work in an old folks' home as well. When she heard from her friend that the elderly around the Geylang Bahru area were lacking volunteers to take care of the elderly residents, she took up the mantle and braved all odds to be there for them. She was a source of motivation and inspiration for the elderly beneficiaries and volunteers alike. Even now as old age has caught up to her, I can still feel that aura emanating from her, her exuberance almost contagious. There were numerous occasions where she would get overly excited in recounting her tale that she would unknowingly revert to cantonese even though we do not understand. But after seeing how recounting her memorable events made her laugh and be happy, it made us happy too! :) 

Mdm L is also an avid singer with a powerful voice even at her age! I must say that I was astounded and impressed when she demonstrated her vocal prowess when I first met her. She has had many dedicated vocal instructors when she was young and had put her beautiful voice to good use. The video below is just a preview of how well she can sing and it is also her favourite song. The lyrics are actually found in a framed picture that she hangs just above her bed! 

Of course not forgetting our cute and huggable Mary! :D Even though Mary and Mdm L are room-mates, their shared history goes much deeper and longer than that. Ever since Mary's foster mother passed away when she was young, Mdm L has been her guardian and taken care of her even up till now. Since young, Mary has had a difficult childhood, but that didn't stop Mdm L from casting away her fears and doubts to raise her as her own child. Instead, through much guidance and resolve, Mdm L was able to overcome all odds and nurture Mary such that she is now able to look after herself. Now that Mdm L herself is not as fit as she once was, Mary takes it upon herself to take care of the person who used to take care of her and painstakingly raise her up. As I'm typing out this post, this moving tale of 'Mother and Daughter' has touched me dearly, and I can't help but feel my skin tingle every time I pause to think about it.

Apparently Mary is still quite vain even at her age. Every time after we take a wefie, she would request to see how she looks like in the photos. Two weeks back, after she returned home, we saw her combing her hair. When she saw us eyeing her, she immediately became self-conscious and put down her comb. We could tell she was very pai seh when she realized we were watching hahaha... 

Mary is also an animal lover and keeps pet fish at home! If I'm not mistaken, she used to keep cats at home too, but couldn't continue to own them because somehow Mdm L's nose doesn't agree with cat fur :( 

Now that Chinese New Year is almost here, both of them also seem to be switching to the festive mood as well! They were very delighted when some other volunteers came by their home another day and made them some DIY goldfish. Mary was so lovable when she told us that she dared not display it for fear that it might somehow get damaged, so she keeps it in a box to safeguard it. We must really mean a lot to them for her to take out their precious goldfish and show it to us! ;) 

Finally, nearing the end of the post! The picture above is the water plant that the chinese like to grow during CNY. Mdm L says that it's tradition and that growing it will bring prosperity and good fortune in the coming year. With that, I also hope that T.H.E.S will continue to prosper and enrich the lives of both our elderly as well as volunteers! Yay! :)

- Andy