// A month later - Bangkok, Thailand //
Not only did I sense the aroma of myrrh, with Anthony by my side, but the scent of renewed family bonds, as well. Today, my mother, Yvonne, and Steve joined us in the most serene temple in Bangkok.
And in a few hours, we’ll be heading to Kuala Lumpur and reunite with my father’s Malaysian roots. And invite everyone to our respective weddings.
At last, Mom has agreed to reconnect the bridges she once burned in my father’s side. After all these years, she’s ready to make amends again.
***
// In the late afternoon - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia //
Forgetting and forgiving are not always correlated. They don’t always go hand in hand, but when done together, life is so much easier. So much peaceful. And carefree.
That’s what about to happen when we finally set our foot on my father’s home in the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur. My Auntie Carmena, Dad’s older and only sibling, welcomed us along with my Grandma Tam, who I haven’t seen in the last couple of years.
The first few minutes in the house were pure hellos and introductions of Anthony and Steve, but neither Mom nor Grandma uttered any word to each other. They were silently hiding the tension of their past turmoils. Grandma has always been half-hearted toward Mom as her daughter-in-law. So was Mom to her.
On one hand, Auntie Carmena, as easy-going as she has always been, got rid of the black smoke and led us to the family room. She was the most talkative person around, entertaining us in and out of the classic Malay house.
It was dinner time now, but Anthony and I managed to roam around the house. Grandma’s tropical garden is now installed with sprinkler system because, according to Auntie Carmena, Grandma has now difficulty watering the plants on her own on a daily basis. Her increasing age of eighty has slowed her down dramatically and put her more in bedtime.
Anthony and I paced to the center fountain and the foliage of various ornamental plants and lacy ferns. We breathed in there for a while. And I remember... Dad used to call this area the oasis of the house.
The house is not that small but large enough for Grandma and Auntie Carmena. And the land and green vegetation around are vast and refreshing for a tropical paradise, away from the hassle of the city.
The dinner table was filled with Malaysian recipes: Beef rendang, sambal fish, fish laksa, even wonton noodles with choy sum. The entire meal was done the Malaysian way, and Auntie Carmena even convinced Anthony and Steve to eat with their bare hands, especially when the platter of Malaysian prawn in tomato and tamarind curry arrived on the table. And in between the conversations, Yvonne and I were at our utmost to speak in Bahasa Malaysia, in the hope of lifting the spirits, especially Grandma's.
After a while, Mom began dredging up Dad's happy memories, especially the times we visited Malaysia with him. Slowly, Grandma and Auntie Carmena were in sync reminiscing about Dad. Soon after, Mom and Grandma finally exchanged words, something about Dad’s favorite cuisine, fish laksa, and Auntie Carmena went on to share that Dad was skillful in fishing and that the fishes he once caught were their meal for the entire day. Grandma and Auntie smiled the widest at those memories.
Yvonne and I could only watch them in awe. So did Anthony and Steve. Not long after, Yvonne and I inched closer to Grandma… and then Auntie Carmena, giving them our warmest embraces.
Mom joined us after that. The five of us women, we were Dad’s precious gems. Surely, he was the luckiest man.
***
// December 31, 2018 - Boracay Island, Philippines //
Anthony and I decided to spend New Year’s eve at the place where I felt lost on the first day of the year. Sometimes, the place where the pain roared the most could be the place where it could be silenced, for good.
As I cupped Anthony’s smiling face and palmed Junior’s hair in the hotel balcony, I could feel the breeze of bounty in the air. We visited the Philippines for a short vacation and will head back to Australia in a few days to finalize our custody of Junior.
Anthony looked at me dearly, collected me and Junior in his arms, and caressed the curve of my belly. He could only smile and feel the precious fruit that he and I share.
We planned on calling her Sydney, named after the place where our love story began. Where we found our second chances.
And the phone call that Anthony received after a while was the confirmation that our new home, a lake house in Melbourne, was now ready for occupancy. It was the place we chose to embark on a new journey. We’ll have a dog named Van Gogh, which in my sight, is being chased by our little Sydney and her bigger brother, Junior. And they’ll be running around the white-painted and glass-walled three-storey house and open garden. That Anthony and I are watching them, with a cup of hot choco in our hands.