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When the postman arrived at my doorstep with a parcel from
my sister, I couldn't contain my excitement. As I unwrapped the package, I
found a beautiful book that chronicled my mother's journey through life. The
book had 50 pages, each one dedicated to a year of her life. It was a
precious possession that I will always cherish.
The book began with my mother's birth certificate and pictures of her
childhood memories. The following pages depicted her life from kindergarten
to her primary and secondary school years. There were photos of her
participating in sports, school excursions, and science projects. I even
found candid photographs of her teenage years.
After completing her secondary education, my mother pursued tertiary
education in Kuala Lumpur, where she met my father. I was thrilled to see
pictures of their wedding ceremony, complete with their traditional Malay
attire. I read about her early teaching career and her letters to family and
friends during her posting to the interior of Pahang. It was fascinating to
learn about her experiences as a young teacher.
The book also had pictures of my siblings and me, from the oldest to the
youngest. I appreciated that my sister had picked the best photos that
captured our childhood memories. There were photographs of my brother's
graduation, my sister's entry into the medical profession, and my other
brother's accountancy firm. The book was a reminder of the milestones that
we had achieved as a family.
My parents' pilgrimage to Mecca with my grandparents was also featured in
the book. I could see the serenity on their faces and could sense the
spiritual journey they had embarked on. My siblings and I sponsored my
parents' first overseas tour to the Western world. Although we couldn't be
there, we enjoyed being armchair travelers when they showed us the candid
shots of their tour.
The book ended with the celebration of my parents' 25th wedding anniversary.
It was a joyous occasion, and the emotional outpouring from the family was
evident in the recordings made on the CD. The final page read, "The saga
continues -- Happy Mother's Day!" along with another CD of messages from her
children.
I wrapped the book with batik cloth and tied it with a ribbon that read "We
love U!" I knew my mother would cherish her chronicles of "Mama's walk of
life" in her "Chronicles of Ina." It was a treasure trove of memories that I
will always hold dear to my heart. |
