My Aunt

My earliest memory of my aunt was when I was about three. I remember her carrying my cousin, who’s two years younger. I asked to be carried as well, but she told me I was too old. I remember sulking for the rest of the day.

She worked at a shop that sold sewing and embroidery equipment. I’m sure that people who have been living in Sea Park for a number of years can still remember the tall, fat lady who used to work there six days a week.

She would often side with me when my mother scolded me for anything. I’d hide behind her whenever I got into trouble. I remember my mother scolding her often for spoiling me.
She would keep my cousins and I entertained by telling us stories. The one I remember best is ‘Journey to the West’, which was a favorite of ours. She never seemed to tire of telling us about the exploits of Monkey and Pig.

My grandmother lived at Jalan Kenanga, Kuala Lumpur, for over twenty years. Even after my uncle bought a house in PJ, we would go down every Sunday, just so Granny could go to the hairdresser’s there, and spend the day with her friends.

There was a coffee shop in Jalan Kenanga which belonged to one of Granny’s best friends. As they sat around talking and playing cards, my aunt would sometimes take me around to see her friends.

I remember her taking me to a big house in a village once (I forget the exact location). Her friend had a daughter who’s two years younger. I had a great day. There were plenty of places where I could run. I learnt to get water from the well (not as easy as it looks). I was ecstatic when her friend gave me a duckling of my own. She didn’t allow me to take the duckling, but I begged until she agreed. Too bad it ended up as our dinner when it grew big enough.

After her friends moved out of Jalan Kenanga (most of them to Cheras and Puchong), my aunt suggested taking Granny to Sea Park to get her hair done. Once, when I got bored waiting for Granny to get her hair dyed, my aunt decided to introduce me to the cinemas. I remember the first show we saw – God of Gamblers II. After that, whenever my mother was angry with me, my aunt and I would sneak out to the cinema. We watched a lot of movies that way, most of them Hong Kong comedies.

If she had a holiday, we would go down to Jalan Petaling, or Sungei Wang. Sometimes, my mother would come along. My aunt loved to go shopping. She would spend hours at boutiques and shoe shops, gazing at the wares on display.

She was, however, very afraid of going up escalators. She would rather find a lift or the stairs, rather than go up them. I remember holding her hand patiently every time we were forced to use the escalator.

I would wait quietly (most of the time, anyway!). I knew that I would get a treat when she was done shopping.

There’s a stall in the Jalan Petaling market that sells curry laksa. She loved the food there. I would have chee cheong fun, and then we would order ais kacang.

The only time I remember her losing her temper very badly was when my cousin brother, who was about four then, threw her high-heeled shoes, her comb, her watch and makeup out of the upstairs window. She hit him so hard that his hands became red.

I remember that most of her stuff ended up on the roof over the kitchen. As the windows of the house all had grills on them, getting back her stuff was impossible. Some of it came down during the next rainstorm, but they were already spoilt and useless by then.

When I started secondary school, I didn’t have as much time to go gallivanting with my aunt. I began having tuition classes during weekends. I used to resent those classes, as they cut into my free time with my aunt.

She was forty-eight when she met my uncle, a widower from Cheras. I remember going with her when two of her friends introduced them. I still remember that they met at a school canteen, where one of her friends worked.

After that, she had less time for me. She began to spend her Sundays with him.

Oddly enough, I never felt angry with my uncle for taking up so much of her time. I guess I was happy for her.

I also remember one memorable weekend, when I followed them up to Genting Highlands. My uncle’s youngest son also came with us. At that time, there was still a lake at the outdoors theme park. There were some boats you could rent to cycle around the lake. We rented two of those and spent the whole afternoon around the lake.
They were married when she was fifty. She moved to Cheras. From then on, I saw her during Chinese New Year, when I went up to spend a few days with them. Sometimes, she would also come up to Petaling Jaya, to the coffee house where my mother sold char koay teow, but those visits were few and far between.

As Granny doted on her, she didn’t have to do much housework before she got married. All she had to do before her marriage was her own laundry. Her first few attempts at cooking were big disasters. As time went on, however, her skills improved.

After five years of marriage, her health began to deteriorate. Her stepchildren and I tried to advise her on eating less, but she would not listen.

My aunt passed away on 15 June 2005, after a two-month illness. I went to see her at the hospital a number of times, but I usually didn’t stay long. I couldn’t bear to see her suffering so.
She had a lot of friends, as she was very kind and generous. Her five stepchildren treated her as their own mother. A lot of people turned up for the prayers that were held on two consecutive nights. Her funeral was also well attended, even though it was on a Friday.

As I look back now, the aunt I remember is not the woman lying at the hospital. It is the fat, jolly lady who used to buy me candy or soda whenever I asked for them.

This story is a tribute to Lau Mee Lai (1943 – 2005).