My mama. (Mother's day special)

It's May. May is the month to commemorate the many achievements of people and the work they do. People of all kinds. People who work and get paid like doctors, teachers, lawyers, police, etc. and also the people who work and don't get paid, like our mums. They are all celebrated in the month of May - Labour Day, Mother's day and then Teacher's day.

But today I'm going to focus on the 9th of May 2010, Mother's Day.

Friends who know me well enough know that I always have issues with my mum. "Stubborn", "overprotective", "conservative", "old-fashioned"and "annoying" are words I often use to describe my mum. I must have been damn good at convincing people to always have my friends standing by my side every time my mum and I have a fight. They agree with me too that my mum can be a difficult mother.

Mother's day is not such a big day for me. I have not celebrated this day in 20 years - since the very day I come into this world. So, the "buying of flower", "planning a surprise party for mother" or simply the "Happy Mother's Day, mum" said on mother's day have never been marked on my yearly planner.

It's not that I hate my mum. I just don't celebrate Mother's Day. It's that I have not been brought up to celebrate these special days. I never have, except my birthday and my sister's.

So you must be wondering how I think about my mum and whether I love my mum or not since I don't celebrate Mother's Day.

Well, you are about to know...

When I was in kindergarten, I hated rainy days. This was because when it was raining, she would come. My mother, she would come to school with her old bicycle to get me home.

I didn't like it. The reason is simple. When my mum came, I was no more the cool guy all my kindergarten buddies used to believe.

They would find out that I was not as rich as I said. They would know that I didn't have a personal driver. They would be aware that the big car I said my father used to have doesn't exist.

And above all... I was not cool anymore. when my fat, ugly mum with boy-cut hair, wearing colour-washed-out T-shirt and cheap pants showed up with her old bicycle, a huge umbrella in her hand and a big smile on her face.


"Kong Zai!! I told you to stay in the class room and not to come out to the corridor when it's raining. See you have got your school shoes wet already. Tomorrow you are going to school bare-footed" speaking in her usual voice which she uses to bargain in the pasar while rubbing my hands and legs with the old rag she brought from home.

I could see my buddies all peeking from the classroom with their teasing smiles.

"Argh... didn't I tell you not to come so early when it's raining? Not before all my friends are gone." I reminded her angrily and rolled my eyes.

"You think I'm free to come any time? Mei mei is with grandmother and I still need to cook or you won't have dinner to eat tonight," replied my mum, a little annoyed and unhappy to hear what I had just said.

From the basket of the bicycle my mum took out the ugliest attire in the world. The super-large, ill-fitting, yellow rain coat.

"Now shut up and put this on already. We are going home. Hurry up!!"

I definitely was very embarrassed to get "wrapped up" in the yellow plastic. I would rather have myself all wet than to have that on.

Had struggled with the rain coat, the next humiliation was getting onto the back of the bicycle and have my buddies waving goodbye to me from inside their cars.

They were so lucky.

They had nice cars to fetch them home on rainy days.

They didn't have to wear the "yellow piece of plastic" around their bodies.

And...

They had slim and beautiful mums.

The rain was getting heavier and heavier. The extra large umbrella was not even enough to cover up my fat mother. As a result, at the back of my mum there was always a big patch of water mark. Caused by both her sweat and the rain. And she had to ride the bicycle very hard and sometimes even strained herself over her own body weight plus my weight (I was the fattest boy in my class).

I did notice that. But I didn't feel the slightest bit of sorry for her because I was so obsessed with being angry that I didn't feel anything else other than embarrassed and angry.

Now I have grown up, I no longer ride at the back of the bicycle because I can ride on my own. I am not as fat. I don't wear the rain coat anymore on rainy days. I can hold my bicycle with one hand and an umbrella with the other.

Many things are different now. Some things are still the same.

My mum still has her extra large umbrella.

When it rains, she still come looking for me in case I have forgetten my umbrella.

She still has the same big smile on her face when she sees me, just like when I was in kindergarten.

She still is fat and ugly, with boy-cut hair, cheap clothes and even older-looking now.

That's her.

The fat, blurred figure from afar in the rain holding an umbrella while riding her bicycle. That's my mum.

Every time it rains. I feel embarrassed. I feel ashamed that I failed to notice my fat, ugly mum. Instead I turned my head away and inside me I heard " How I wish had a richer and more beautiful mum."

Now I understand. I don't need a richer mum or a more beautiful mum. I like my mum just the way she is.

End of story.

You must be thinking that from now on I'll respect my mum more, appreciate her more, celebrate Mother's Day with her.

But no.

I will still fight and argue with my mum when I think she is being overprotective. But I won't stop loving my old, fat, ugly mum.

Till death us do apart.

Happy Mother's Day, Mum.

Mum and Estevan