In the late-sixties and early-seventies, Mum and I used to lived in a rented room in a big plank house in the outer suburbs of Ayer Itam. The house had a big compound. Mum reared chickens and cultivated bananas. We had a raised platform that was bed. Mum would cook in the kitchen and we ate in the room. At night, a large mosquito net was strung over the platform that we slept on.

Mum would lullaby me to sleep while patting my buttocks. Night after night, she would hum the same tune that comforted me so much. As I grew up and we moved out of the rented room to a brick terrace house, I would still catch Mum humming the tune while she was sewing or doing some other chores. Mum liked to sew. She would make dresses for herself and those that she knew. She would also make pyjamas, quilts and curtains.

Sometimes, I would unconsciously hum the same tune that Mum used to lullaby me with. I did not know the significance of the tune. I though it was one of those old songs that Mum liked. Whatever it was, the tune seemed to make Mum happy while she was humming it. It did the same to me.

During Mum’s Funeral Mass at the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit, the congregation sang a very familiar tune. There and then, I realised that all these while, Mum had lullabied me to sleep with a very popular Christian hymn titled What A Friend We Have In Jesus. It took more than thirty years for me to realise what Mum have been inculcating in me all those years. I am sure Mum was very comforted wherever she was when the hymn was sung in her honour.

Mum’s ashes were placed in a beautiful Sri Lankan marble urn adorned with engraved gold leaf lettering on the seventh day. The urn was then taken to the Mount Erskine Columbarium where she had a niche next to Dad�s.

The Prayer Group from the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit came to sing hymns and offer prayers to lay Mum’s remains to rest for eternity. Gently Rest Beloved Mother, for you are home with your Lord now.

Angels lined the road leading to the crematorium. Was it to bid a final farewell to Mum or to welcome her back to their folds? I have never seen so many angels before, not that I have seen any until now. They looked exactly like the angels that had led Mum up during the prayer session just before Mum passed on � serene faces and an all encompassing radiating white aura.

The hearse arrived at the Batu Gantong Crematorium at 2pm. Relatives and friends had already gathered there after adjourning from the Funeral Mass. The Prayer Group from the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit sang hymns in preparation for Mum�s cremation that was followed by blessings with the Holy Water by a lay minister. The minister then led the mourners round the casket as a final sign of respect and farewell.

Peter, my cousin, held me up to see Mum for one last time. I was totally overcame by sorrow and cried and cried. That was the last time I will ever see Mum. The Prayer Group from the Church of the Holy Name of Jesus recited Hakka hymns as the casket was wheeled into the crematory. When the heavy metal door to the crematory clanged shut, I can only pray that Mum will be happy and well wherever she had gone to. Farewell Mother….. until we meet again.

The Funeral Mass for Mum was held at the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit at 1pm after the funeral procession around Taman Pekaka. It was celebrated by the Reverend Father Stephen Liew. There was not a dry eye in the cathedral when Amazing Grace was sung. The Reverend Father gave a very poignant sermon about Mum having selflessly taken care of her disabled child for 18 years that manifested her devotion and love. The Reverend then went on about Mum having done God�s will and has returned home to be with her Lord again. One day, we will all return to the fold of our Lord and meet again.

On one part, I am happy for Mum that she has finally been released from all her worldly sufferings. On the other, I am aggrieved and extremely sad at having lost the woman who loved me most, the woman who had breathed life into me and the woman who had looked after me most of the entire thirty-seven years of my life. This lost is irreplaceable and the void can never be filled.

In her lifetime, Mum was a simple lady who made sure that her hair was properly set and her clothing matched the occasion she attended. Her clothes were not expensive but it made her looked elegant by the way she carried herself. When she spoke, she spoke gently and politely. By that account, Mum was placed in a white casket with unassuming trimmings. I am sure she would have liked that.

The three-day Vigil saw relatives and friends coming to pay their last respects. Mum was well liked by those who knew her. She was always ready to lend a hand to those who seek her help. Long lost friends who saw her obituary came and spoke of how helpful Mum had been to them.

The first night of the Vigil, the Heavens wept. Heavy rain coupled with strong winds threatened to blow away the shelter that fortunately stood fast. Prayer groups from the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit, Green Lane, and The Church of the Holy Name of Jesus, Balik Pulau came to offer prayers and sang hymns.

The Vigil was packed on the second night as more relatives and friends streamed in to pay their respects. Providentially, the sky was clear and the crowd spilled onto the road. Prayer groups from the same Churches came to pray and sang hymns.

Mum�s funeral procession that began at 12.30pm was preceded by English, Hakka and Mandarin hymns and lay ministers blessing the casket. The cortege circled the apartment block where Mum had spent four wonderful years and then the hearse proceeded to the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit for a Funeral Mass.