| Porridge
cooked ... add the cooked sliced pork into the porridge...
"Don't add the pine nuts too early: President Cui does not like
them soft..." Chef No has reminded me a few times...
Ommo.. Where did I place the pine nuts? .. Yes, here it is..
Stirring.. Emm.. this looks fine.
Yes, Chef No’s recipe should work..
Jenny teased that I am learning to be your good wife.. Poor you, have
to put up with me..
Quickly bathed and changed.. Packed everything into a thermos flask..
Mdm
Cui did say it tasted nice the last time, “Zhen Yin, this is nice. Didn’t
know you can cook?”
Running
late... got to run!
...
...
Ring…
Dig and ...
“Yes. GM Han"
“Zhen Yin”
“Yes?"
“Zhen Yin”.. Tai Jun repeated..
“Yes? Quick..
No, wait.. I am getting off the bus. I don’t want to trip!
Wait..
Yes? Quick..”
“LISTEN
to me. “ Tai Jun sounded solemn.
“Yes??”
“Mdm
Cui has just left us...”
“What?
.. What did you say?” … I let go of my flask..
She
was fine yesterday.. we were talking..
She said she liked the pine nut porridge I prepared... jokingly she
said, “it is better than Chef No's...”
And how are things going between Tai Jun and me recently...
She has so much life in her - the doctor’s diagnosis must be wrong...HOTEL
is doing so well after the launch of the extension... why is she leaving
us now?
Silently,
I walked towards Sapphire..
Rong Qi and Tai Jun are there..
I walked inside..
Mdm Cui.. little by little, I walked towards her..
Felt a slight pat on my back..
She
looked calm, a subtle smile on her face..
I kneeled down ...
She has been so good to me.. like a mother, like a mentor...
never reprimands me.. even when I act on impulse.. “Mdm Cui”..
Slowly, others arrived..
I walked away …
Aimlessly…
the vision in front started to blur..
In
the empty office, my head on my desk.. saw the phone.. and found your
phone number on the post-it, pasted on my computer screen
“Ring,
Ring.. Ring…”
“Hello?” .. I swallowed..
“Hello?” .. I heard the voice that I wanted to hear..
“HELLO??”.. Yes, that’s you.. I sobbed..
“Don’t cry, dear… ”
I don’t know.. don’t know what to say…
Instinctively, when a HUGE stone had just dropped heavier into my heart
and mind..
I just called .. wanted to hear your voice..
I
.. I…. “Dong Xian…”
“Yes,
dear, I am here…”
“…passed…
away…” .. sniff.. sniff..
“Calm
down first … I am here, tell me what happened...”
I
couldn’t control myself..I heard you.. but, “Dong Xian, sorry…
I will call ... later…”
My
head on the table again…
Although
I know this may be coming, I feel too sad..
I just saw and spoke to her yesterday..
She looked pale but fine.. I thought she is getting better..
Although she must be feeling somewhat uncomfortable..
But she fought..
My heart and mind being all tied up and squeezed.. head hurting.. kept
crying..
Sniff..
sniff..
“Ring … ring… ”
“Sorry, Dong Xian…”
“Dear, feeling better now?”
“Sorry…”
“Silly girl, why are you apologizing? Feeling better now? Can you tell
me what had happened?”
Took a deep breathe, "…Mdm Cui just passed away..."
“Mdm Cui? You mean President Cui?”
“Yes..
I
saw her just now.. and called you.. but was too sad, I couldn’t talk..”
“...This
is rather sudden.. Was that heart attack?”
"Dong
Xian, please forgive me..."
“Regarding?”
“Please forgive me.. ”
“For I have been hiding something from you in the last few months...But
I couldn’t tell you.. I promised that I can’t... I found out Mdm Cui
has terminal cancer just before you left for US... She had asked and
wanted me to stay, to help in our HOTEL.. Not to leave.. I can’t ..
I can’t refuse... She was so good to me.. almost like a mother..
I am bad.. You asked me.. I can’t tell you, and I can’t leave with you..
I am bad…
But I love you..I confess to you.. I have been hiding these from you.
I am bad..
I
am bad.. ”
“Silly
girl, you've done nothing wrong. It must be a tremendous burden to you...
I only wish I know earlier so that I can share it with you...”
"Sorry..."
I found myself repeating..
”No need to say sorry. When you say you can't leave with me, but can't
give me a reason, I know you must be in a difficult position.”
"Thank you..." Dong Xian, you .. thank you.. you understand..
“How
is the funeral arrangements?”
"Don’t know.. Too confused.. but Mdm Cui has requested to be buried
next to late Mr Cui, … They’ll be together"
"Dong Xian..."
“Yes?”
"I missed her so much..." tears started to fall again..
I just saw her.. I cooked something for her..
She is so elegant, so wise.. Rong Qi must be so hurt..
She kept working till her last day... but she must be in so much pain...
Looking at the pill bottles and jabs she had.. and the coward me is
so afraid of pain..
Such
a graceful and kind lady.. why is this happening?”
“Dear,
I know... even though you don't see her anymore, she has gone to a better
world where there is no more sufferings... so you should be glad for
her...”
"Yes... no more pain.."
A long silence.
Sniff,
sniff…
"Dong
Xian..."
“Yes?”
"Will she go to Heaven?"
“Yes, all good people go to Heaven...”
"Dong Xian..."
“Yes, dear...”
"Can you say a prayer for Mdm Cui?"
“Yes, dear. I will ... All powerful and merciful God, we pray for
Mdm Cui. In this world, she has died but let her live with You and rejoice
in Your kingdom forever. Amen.”
"Thank you... Dong Xian..."
“Dear, feel better now? ”
A long silence.. I nodded.. Seemed to feel your warm arms around me...
"I
got to go. There is a conference banquet tonight at Diamond Villa...
I
have to work harder now as Mdm Cui is no longer with us. ”Before
I go, "Dong Xian..."
“Yes?”
"Thank
you..."
“For?”
"Listening..."
"Will
you forgive me?"
“Forgive
you for? If it is about lying to me, yes... If
it is about the fact that you woke me up at 4am, no... ”
Ha..
my mind and heart feel lighter.. with your voice.. Thank you .. Sniff..
Have
to hang up now but ...“Dong
Xian..."
"Yes?"
"Dong
Xian .. Madam Cui had terminal lung cancer b’se of long-term smoking...
“
"Do
you want me to give up smoking?"
"Can
you try? For me?"
"Cannot
promise ... but I will try...
...
"Take
care... I miss you...”
"m...i...s...s... you too...” Thank you, dear.. for listening,
for understanding, for being here..
...
Stared
at the phone for a while..Wiped off my tears..Touched my name-tag..Need
to touch-up and be at the conference venue..
Mdm Cui, Zhen Yin will not disappoint you.. |