retribution?
Leon was a man of few words. He grew up in a dysfunctional family. His father ran away with another woman when he was 5, leaving his mother to fend for herself and 6 other children. Leon's mother took on several jobs to feed the ever hungry mouths. Eventually she too had enough and took off with another man. Leon and his siblings were left to rot in their rented flat. Days turned into weeks and months. The kind landlady took Leon in to live with her as she was childless, Leon's 6 other siblings were cared for by the government-run homes. The last time Leon saw all of this siblings was at the age of 7 when his foster mother, the kind landlady, took him to see them during a Chinese New Year party. Leon's eldest brother was already 19 and had plans to escape from the hell he was in by working in a factory. While his youngest sister was only 5, she was crying and had no idea why nobody was carrying her. If there was anything Leon had learnt from the party was that there is nobody in the world to help you, you must fight for yourself and never let anyone stop you from your goal. In the years to come Leon grew up a tough cookie and an over achiever.
Leon never understood love. His foster mother had never really loved him. She fed and clothed him, a shelter was provided over his head and education was given. But having never gotten married and been through childbirth she had no idea why children can be such a pain in the neck. 1 incident had it that when Leon was 8, he saw his classmates bring lunchboxes to school. He saw the lovely rice-cakes that their mothers had prepared for them while Leon was only given a packet of peanuts for his break. Upon returning home, he pestered his foster mother to prepare him a box of rice-cake for break tomorrow. Instead the next day he saw only a packet of steamed chick-peas. Leon cried but his foster mother delievered a tight slap on his cheek saying "stop that crying! i had given you something at least! do you think i am so free to prepare food for you? peanuts and chick-peas are good for you. see mummy loves it too! (popping a couple of the peas into her mouth) now shut up and get moving to school." Since then Leon learnt never to ask for anything from his foster mother, anything that she likes Leon learnt to like it too even though he might hate it to the core.
Leon completed his form 8 and was the top of this class. His teachers were all proud of him and being the smart child he credited all his sucess to his foster mother. She was on cloud 9 and even bought her relatives and friends to dinner to celebrate Leon's results. The entire night she was boasting on how well she had brought Leon up and how she had successfully mothered a child without having been married or giving birth. Leon put on his 100 watt smile and nodded, occassionally gulping down big mouthful of beer. Maybe the beer had the ability to help him escape from all the noise and acting.
Leon got himself landed in a job in the local bank, from a low profile bank teller he quickly progress into having an office to himself. All this while he was still dutifully living with his foster mother whom he had called 'auntie' all these while. Although he had never embraced 'auntie' as his mother, he never had the desire to reunite with any of his nature family members.
In 1970s, Leon's foster mother was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. Not soon after that she passed away, leaving all that she had to Leon. During the time of her hospitalisation Leon had always been by her side, it was his way of repaying all his 'debt' back to this woman who had fed and housed him for the past years. Nurse Hana was the sister in the ward and she had made it a point to talk to grieving patient's relatives. That was how she gotten to know Leon.
Nurse Hana spent a lot of time with Leon as she felt that Leon's calmness in dealing with his auntie's condition was too abnormal. She thought Leon had not yet come to acceptance to his auntie's illness and was in denial. Afraid that Leon may purge into something serious when his auntie pass away, Nurse Hana would try to counsel Leon whenever she sees him in the ward. Leon always politely decline Nurse Hana's offer to talk.
3 days after auntie's funeral, Leon brought a basket of fruits back to the ward where his auntie stayed and offer it to the nurses. He thanks them for the help for the past 2 months and requested to talk to Nurse Hana. "hi Nurse Hana thanks for the time when you tried to talk to me. i am fine then and i will be fine now. i have always been curious though on 1 thing. are you attached?" Leon delievered his speech fluently and confidently. With a girlish giggle, Nurse Hana replied "i am single and very available. why are you asking me that? are you trying to matchmake me with your brother or friends?" Leon smiled and told her "i will be waiting for you at the exit of the hospital at 9pm that is when your shift ends right? see you." Leon turned around and left. All the nurses who were around had overheard it and they teased Hana endlessly.
After 2 years of dating Hana and Leon got married. Turned out Hana was an orphan and she had no recollection of her birth parents. All of her living memories was of her growing up in the hospital, following a French nun wherever she goes. After the nun left Singapore for France in 1968, Hana lived in the hospital hostel and had no dealing with the world outside the hospital til Leon came into her life.
Hana and Leon lived a very standard married couple life. They had dinner together everyday and whenever they had time together they would go for a movie. They never quarrel and always give in to each other when there is disagreement. Their life was not passionate but peaceful and smooth sailing. When Hana and Leon was expecting this 1st baby, Hana decided to resign from her nursing job and concentrate to be Leon's lovely wife. Secretly she had always wanted to spend more time with her baby, since she was an orphan she wanted her baby to grow up in a loving environment. 6 month into her pregancy, Hana had spent literally every day shopping for her newborn's clothes, toys and furnitures. Leon being in the management had often came home late and drunk. Hana was not bothered by it cause she had her baby to company her.
Suddenly 1 day a woman came knocking on the door of Hana and Leon's apartment. The old lady looked worned out for her age and was rather weak. Hana looked at the old lady who had just introduced herself as Ivy. Ivy said that she is looking for her long lost children and was given the address by some of her old neighbours, one of it was old man Mutha. Mutha had worked in the same hospital as Hana since as long as Hana was there. Mutha had always doted on Hana and had told Hana that he knew her birth parents well but Hana had never thought much of it. Afterall Hana was well-loved by everyone around her and her dear French Nun 'mummy'. "old man Mutha? how is he? i had not seen him for such a long time, since he left the hospital to live with his son. why don't you come in and take a sit?" Hana offered.
Ivy walked into the apartment and looked around, nodding she said "i am so glad that you are all grown up and married. you are expecting a baby aren't you? Hana dear, are you happy?" Hana poured out a cup of tea from her old fashion vaccum-flask and smiled "yes, i am very happy. but mdm how can you proof that you are my birth mother? i have no recollection of my birth mother's looks at all." Ivy pulled out an worned out piece of photo and pointed at the toddle. "that's you, my dear. you were the youngest of my 7 children. but your dad left me for another woman. i was too weak to care for all of you so i have no choice and left too. i am so sorry. i don't seek for your forgiveness but i just want to see all my babies before i die. i want all of you to be happy." Ivy sobbed in between her speech. Staring at the photo, Hana recongised herself from some of her earlier photos that her French Nun 'mummy' had taken for her. Hana was speechless.
Just at the every moment, Leon opened the door and walked in. "hi dear, i'm home. the meeting was terrible..." Leon turned his back after he had locked the door and sitting right before him was a face that he had grown so familiar yet so distant to. "dear, this mdm is called Ivy. she had lost 7 of her children and now she is here to look for..." Hana tried to introduce but was cut short by Leon shouting "get out of this place you bitch! if all you had ever wanted was to follow your personal pursuit of fun and riches, you should had never given birth to us all! you had destory all our lives. lives that you had brought to the world and never cared for! leave now before i call the police! even if you were to die in the streets so be it! Ivy Jin Ah Moi, you are a demon, now return to the hell you came from! don't you ever step into my house ever ever again!"
Ivy was sobbing uncontrollable, stood up and move slowly towards the door. Repeatly she held up her fist and slam it against her chest saying "retribution, retribution" Hana stood speechless as she watched Leon stormed into the room, banging the door as it closes. The old photo laid still on the table as if mocking the family and the drama that had just taken place.
That evening Hana and Leon had a quiet dinner and sat in the living room doing their own stuff, listening to the radio. The topic that the presenters were discussing was on mental retarded children. As the discussion progresses, Hana suddenly bursted into tears. Leon being the gentleman placed his arm around his wife "sorry about just now. i am just too..." Leon was lost for words. Then Hana pointed to the photo that was still laying on the coffee table and said "i was in the photo too." Leon's world seems to crash down in the very instant. The couple sat there in the sofa, crying.
Days had past and Hana and Leon had not openly talked about Ivy and their baby. Then 1 day over a Sunday breakfast, Hana brought up the issue. "dear, i don't want our baby to be a mentally retard. baby borned to siblings or 1st cousins have higher chance of being a mentally retard. i don't care who is my parents or yours but this baby is mine, no...its ours. i want it to be well, to be healthy." Leon nodded. He held Hana hands and replied in his gentleness "no matter what happen to this baby, he is ours. i will work hard and make sure he will never lack. don't worry too much its going to be very soon til he comes along. if you worry too much the baby will be scare to come to the world. be happy. you have me and i will never leave you regardless of anything. trust me."
Magically the baby had help pulled the Leon and Hana closer. They were inseparentable, they spent all their waking time together, whenever possible. Hana would prepare lunch and deliever it to Leon's office and they would eat together and Hana would then rest in his office til knock off time. Leon will then take Hana on a evening stroll before heading home where Leon will prepare dinner.
The big day arrived Hana delievered a baby boy, he was 9 pound and was very chubby. His cries was loud and strong. Hana never cease worrying and kept asking the doctor if the boy was normal. The doctor not knowing the background assured Hana everything was fine and walked out of the labour room.
Several years later... "Craig, look at you! You have ice-cream all over your face." laughed Leon as he wipes his toddler's face with a face towel. Hana walked into the dinning room with Joan in her arms. "Leon darling, your Joan is so naughty. She had vomitted milk over me again for the 3rd time today! argh..." Putting Joan into her walker, Hana and Leon sat down on the sofa and watch their 2 precious little one chasing one and other. Although Craig turned out to be a normal and well-formed child, Hana and Leon took no chances and adopted a baby instead. Having been through the ups and downs, Hana and Leon treasured each other more and value the true meaning of having a family life.
As for Ivy, she seems to had disappeared into the thin air. Maybe she felt that she had done enough damage into 2 of her babies and she doesn't have enough courage to seek out the rest of her other 5.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
God is fair in all His giving.
If you felt short-changed,
had you stop to take stock
and see if there are areas
where you had been granted
His grace and mercy?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
morale of the story? never forsake ur own children and if you ever get married check each other's background!
Leon never understood love. His foster mother had never really loved him. She fed and clothed him, a shelter was provided over his head and education was given. But having never gotten married and been through childbirth she had no idea why children can be such a pain in the neck. 1 incident had it that when Leon was 8, he saw his classmates bring lunchboxes to school. He saw the lovely rice-cakes that their mothers had prepared for them while Leon was only given a packet of peanuts for his break. Upon returning home, he pestered his foster mother to prepare him a box of rice-cake for break tomorrow. Instead the next day he saw only a packet of steamed chick-peas. Leon cried but his foster mother delievered a tight slap on his cheek saying "stop that crying! i had given you something at least! do you think i am so free to prepare food for you? peanuts and chick-peas are good for you. see mummy loves it too! (popping a couple of the peas into her mouth) now shut up and get moving to school." Since then Leon learnt never to ask for anything from his foster mother, anything that she likes Leon learnt to like it too even though he might hate it to the core.
Leon completed his form 8 and was the top of this class. His teachers were all proud of him and being the smart child he credited all his sucess to his foster mother. She was on cloud 9 and even bought her relatives and friends to dinner to celebrate Leon's results. The entire night she was boasting on how well she had brought Leon up and how she had successfully mothered a child without having been married or giving birth. Leon put on his 100 watt smile and nodded, occassionally gulping down big mouthful of beer. Maybe the beer had the ability to help him escape from all the noise and acting.
Leon got himself landed in a job in the local bank, from a low profile bank teller he quickly progress into having an office to himself. All this while he was still dutifully living with his foster mother whom he had called 'auntie' all these while. Although he had never embraced 'auntie' as his mother, he never had the desire to reunite with any of his nature family members.
In 1970s, Leon's foster mother was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. Not soon after that she passed away, leaving all that she had to Leon. During the time of her hospitalisation Leon had always been by her side, it was his way of repaying all his 'debt' back to this woman who had fed and housed him for the past years. Nurse Hana was the sister in the ward and she had made it a point to talk to grieving patient's relatives. That was how she gotten to know Leon.
Nurse Hana spent a lot of time with Leon as she felt that Leon's calmness in dealing with his auntie's condition was too abnormal. She thought Leon had not yet come to acceptance to his auntie's illness and was in denial. Afraid that Leon may purge into something serious when his auntie pass away, Nurse Hana would try to counsel Leon whenever she sees him in the ward. Leon always politely decline Nurse Hana's offer to talk.
3 days after auntie's funeral, Leon brought a basket of fruits back to the ward where his auntie stayed and offer it to the nurses. He thanks them for the help for the past 2 months and requested to talk to Nurse Hana. "hi Nurse Hana thanks for the time when you tried to talk to me. i am fine then and i will be fine now. i have always been curious though on 1 thing. are you attached?" Leon delievered his speech fluently and confidently. With a girlish giggle, Nurse Hana replied "i am single and very available. why are you asking me that? are you trying to matchmake me with your brother or friends?" Leon smiled and told her "i will be waiting for you at the exit of the hospital at 9pm that is when your shift ends right? see you." Leon turned around and left. All the nurses who were around had overheard it and they teased Hana endlessly.
After 2 years of dating Hana and Leon got married. Turned out Hana was an orphan and she had no recollection of her birth parents. All of her living memories was of her growing up in the hospital, following a French nun wherever she goes. After the nun left Singapore for France in 1968, Hana lived in the hospital hostel and had no dealing with the world outside the hospital til Leon came into her life.
Hana and Leon lived a very standard married couple life. They had dinner together everyday and whenever they had time together they would go for a movie. They never quarrel and always give in to each other when there is disagreement. Their life was not passionate but peaceful and smooth sailing. When Hana and Leon was expecting this 1st baby, Hana decided to resign from her nursing job and concentrate to be Leon's lovely wife. Secretly she had always wanted to spend more time with her baby, since she was an orphan she wanted her baby to grow up in a loving environment. 6 month into her pregancy, Hana had spent literally every day shopping for her newborn's clothes, toys and furnitures. Leon being in the management had often came home late and drunk. Hana was not bothered by it cause she had her baby to company her.
Suddenly 1 day a woman came knocking on the door of Hana and Leon's apartment. The old lady looked worned out for her age and was rather weak. Hana looked at the old lady who had just introduced herself as Ivy. Ivy said that she is looking for her long lost children and was given the address by some of her old neighbours, one of it was old man Mutha. Mutha had worked in the same hospital as Hana since as long as Hana was there. Mutha had always doted on Hana and had told Hana that he knew her birth parents well but Hana had never thought much of it. Afterall Hana was well-loved by everyone around her and her dear French Nun 'mummy'. "old man Mutha? how is he? i had not seen him for such a long time, since he left the hospital to live with his son. why don't you come in and take a sit?" Hana offered.
Ivy walked into the apartment and looked around, nodding she said "i am so glad that you are all grown up and married. you are expecting a baby aren't you? Hana dear, are you happy?" Hana poured out a cup of tea from her old fashion vaccum-flask and smiled "yes, i am very happy. but mdm how can you proof that you are my birth mother? i have no recollection of my birth mother's looks at all." Ivy pulled out an worned out piece of photo and pointed at the toddle. "that's you, my dear. you were the youngest of my 7 children. but your dad left me for another woman. i was too weak to care for all of you so i have no choice and left too. i am so sorry. i don't seek for your forgiveness but i just want to see all my babies before i die. i want all of you to be happy." Ivy sobbed in between her speech. Staring at the photo, Hana recongised herself from some of her earlier photos that her French Nun 'mummy' had taken for her. Hana was speechless.
Just at the every moment, Leon opened the door and walked in. "hi dear, i'm home. the meeting was terrible..." Leon turned his back after he had locked the door and sitting right before him was a face that he had grown so familiar yet so distant to. "dear, this mdm is called Ivy. she had lost 7 of her children and now she is here to look for..." Hana tried to introduce but was cut short by Leon shouting "get out of this place you bitch! if all you had ever wanted was to follow your personal pursuit of fun and riches, you should had never given birth to us all! you had destory all our lives. lives that you had brought to the world and never cared for! leave now before i call the police! even if you were to die in the streets so be it! Ivy Jin Ah Moi, you are a demon, now return to the hell you came from! don't you ever step into my house ever ever again!"
Ivy was sobbing uncontrollable, stood up and move slowly towards the door. Repeatly she held up her fist and slam it against her chest saying "retribution, retribution" Hana stood speechless as she watched Leon stormed into the room, banging the door as it closes. The old photo laid still on the table as if mocking the family and the drama that had just taken place.
That evening Hana and Leon had a quiet dinner and sat in the living room doing their own stuff, listening to the radio. The topic that the presenters were discussing was on mental retarded children. As the discussion progresses, Hana suddenly bursted into tears. Leon being the gentleman placed his arm around his wife "sorry about just now. i am just too..." Leon was lost for words. Then Hana pointed to the photo that was still laying on the coffee table and said "i was in the photo too." Leon's world seems to crash down in the very instant. The couple sat there in the sofa, crying.
Days had past and Hana and Leon had not openly talked about Ivy and their baby. Then 1 day over a Sunday breakfast, Hana brought up the issue. "dear, i don't want our baby to be a mentally retard. baby borned to siblings or 1st cousins have higher chance of being a mentally retard. i don't care who is my parents or yours but this baby is mine, no...its ours. i want it to be well, to be healthy." Leon nodded. He held Hana hands and replied in his gentleness "no matter what happen to this baby, he is ours. i will work hard and make sure he will never lack. don't worry too much its going to be very soon til he comes along. if you worry too much the baby will be scare to come to the world. be happy. you have me and i will never leave you regardless of anything. trust me."
Magically the baby had help pulled the Leon and Hana closer. They were inseparentable, they spent all their waking time together, whenever possible. Hana would prepare lunch and deliever it to Leon's office and they would eat together and Hana would then rest in his office til knock off time. Leon will then take Hana on a evening stroll before heading home where Leon will prepare dinner.
The big day arrived Hana delievered a baby boy, he was 9 pound and was very chubby. His cries was loud and strong. Hana never cease worrying and kept asking the doctor if the boy was normal. The doctor not knowing the background assured Hana everything was fine and walked out of the labour room.
Several years later... "Craig, look at you! You have ice-cream all over your face." laughed Leon as he wipes his toddler's face with a face towel. Hana walked into the dinning room with Joan in her arms. "Leon darling, your Joan is so naughty. She had vomitted milk over me again for the 3rd time today! argh..." Putting Joan into her walker, Hana and Leon sat down on the sofa and watch their 2 precious little one chasing one and other. Although Craig turned out to be a normal and well-formed child, Hana and Leon took no chances and adopted a baby instead. Having been through the ups and downs, Hana and Leon treasured each other more and value the true meaning of having a family life.
As for Ivy, she seems to had disappeared into the thin air. Maybe she felt that she had done enough damage into 2 of her babies and she doesn't have enough courage to seek out the rest of her other 5.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
God is fair in all His giving.
If you felt short-changed,
had you stop to take stock
and see if there are areas
where you had been granted
His grace and mercy?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
morale of the story? never forsake ur own children and if you ever get married check each other's background!
posted by estlxlan at
4:53 pm
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