Their unsung heroine
a son pays tribute to his mum who was a single mum, sole breadwinner and who took care of her parents-inlaw too. Her struggle in the past has paid off.
THE unexpected and appalling news left her helpless with her three-year-old and one-yearold sons. At that heartbreaking moment, she had another baby boy ...
Father’s abrupt passing left her bearing the responsibility alone to raise her three wee kids. She also had to look after her in-laws for her loved one.
She dropped out of school after Form 3. She had no qualifications to get a good job. She had been a full-time housewife taking care of her eldest son when he was alive. She had no choice but to take up the responsibility as a breadwinner.
She was fortunate to be offered a job by her elder brother. Her workplace was in another town that was about 20 minutes’ ride from hers. She rode her motorcycle to work. More than 20 years ago, the bitumen road between the two towns was narrow and not in good condition. Riding a motorcycle on that road could be risky because any large vehicle, like a lorry, passing her could create turbulence that would make her fall. Every now and then, she was drenched to the skin when it rained cats and dogs on her way back home. When she reached home at roughly 7pm, soaked, she had no time to rest. She quickly dried and cleaned herself before she prepared dinner for her three kids and her in-laws. Then, she swept and mopped the floor. She would always ensure the house was clean, tidy and comfortable to live in, although the house was not luxurious. After her family finished their dinner, she had to wash the dishes and clean the kitchen. It was a daily routine she never missed after she came back from work.
As the day grew dark, and her kids had gone to bed, she would insert a rented tape into the VCR player – that was the moment when she could watch her favourite Hong Kong television drama and indulge in her hassle-free world.
At times, she wept quietly in her bedroom at night when her kids were sleeping soundly in the same room. She did not know how long the hardship would last. She could not foresee how her life would pan out. She tried her best to bring up and educate her kids, hoping they could succeed in the future.
Thirty years have passed. Her kids are now ordinary working adults. They do not disappoint her because they are able to earn a living. She feels blessed and satisfied because her struggle in the past has paid off.
The hardship she went through might not be the worst in the world, but to her kids, she has always been the unsung heroine whom they adore and respect. Without this marvellous lady, they would not become who they are today.
Happy Mother’s Day, mum.