Farewell….Aunty Moi Moi
My Aunt just passed away last week. I was not that close to her but I did have some feelings for her. I mean, i was kindda sad over her passing. She was my mom’s younger sister. I did not have much to talk with her but I knew she did care for me and I cared too for her and am also grateful to her for the things she did for me especially since I was a kid.
She died of cancer. The last time I saw her was during Chinese New Year, she was very sickly already during that time. I knew her time was nearly up but i did not really take it seriously. My mom called last Monday to say that she had died…….so I drove down to ipoh, took wednesday off and attended her funeral on Thursday before driving back for the holy week tridium…….that I thought was the least I could do for her.
She was not married, so her family would be her siblings, nieces and nephews and her adopted daughter. She led a simple life, took care of my grandmother throughout her life until my grandmother died in 2001……she had no friends…..and we her relatives were her only friends….some of us might say that what a sad life she led but…..I’m not sure if she would have agreed with us.
Her funeral was grand, it was the taoist type of funeral, prayers were held every night from the day she died till her funeral, they bought her paper house with servants and all the material things in it and a paper made mercedez benz (of which the car number came out as the 3rd prize for 4D)……and she had a band that led the funeral procession.
Being a cradle Catholic, I found myself lost in most instances, to make things worst, I could not speak hakka neither could i understand fully the language. I found myself in the way most of the time….but I was happy to be there….
I’ve attended funerals of people I know…..and I cry most of the time because thoughts of these people being gone forever makes me so sad. I nearly cried again this time but I managed to control my tears….the saddest part during the funeral was when they told us to go and see her for the very last time before they sealed the coffin….it struck me that very moment that she was gone forever…..the feeling was bad, believe me…..I wondered how did my mom feel, especially since she had lost a sister.
In the Chinese custom, only people who are younger than the deceased can attend the funeral. My mom was elder to her therefore she could not attend the funeral. I’m sure it must have been awful for her not to be able to send her sister off…….
Coming back from Ipoh, i learned that 2 close relatives of my sister’s in-laws had passed away and both the in-laws were pretty depressed. Then yesterday, I was told that a friend’s bro had died suddently while exercising….kindda sad to see how people suffer because they have lost a loved one…..but I guess death is just something we, like it or not will have to acept…..
