When I was just a little girl, I ask my mother, what will I be,
Will I be pretty, Will I be rich,
This what she said to me,
Que sera sera,
Whatever will be, will be,
The future's not us to see,
Que sera sera
Remember that song. A song which most of your mum would sing to you before bed or your kindy teacher will play it through cassette in school (in my years, cassette is something which makes people go, "wah, she got cassette ar")... Anyway, close that kindy story (I'm a nerd in kindy)..I grew up in a less-moderate lifestyle..At that time, my dad only owns an old Yamaha C60 bike ( I think so) and that's is the only mean of transport that we have until he bought a Ford Laser(more than 10 years and still is apart of the family) from my uncle. He bought it through hard-earned money way back when he was working in Kota Bahru, Kelantan. Even before he got married with mummy..Before he worked in Kota Bahru, he used to work for a optical factory in Singapore (that's where he met mummy through a friend)...Sound soooo sweet. They dated around 10 years(that's what mummy told me) then they got married in 1983 and mummy gave up everything including her career and family just to be with him despite his disabilities. Her friends and family members even asked her to rethink on the consequences. They're afraid that daddy could not provide everything that she need but she put those things a side.
Then, daddy got a job in Kota Bahru(that's where my origin comes from, sad isn't it)..Mummy stayed in Singapore until daddy got us a rented house( we still keep in touch with the landlord until today and we visited them last Chinese New Year as I insisted to). they were very nice. But the rented house that daddy got is not like what you imagined...It was a two floor kampung house. At first we rented the ground floor (it was so small, it can only fit a single bed and a tv). At that time, we didn't have a TV. TV was considered as a luxury item at that time. Mummy couldn't get used to that kind of lifestyle as she was quite well brought up. I was born in year 1984, a few months after I was born, that was the hardest time as daddy got retrenched (only chinese were retrenced as racism was normal at that point of time)..We had no money to even buy milk for me and mummy would have to lend money/milk powder from the neighbour. Luckily, they were kind enough to help us. I was the only child and luckily.. Daddy was out of job for about 6 months until a big-offer came 'knocking' at the door. His previous boss (the company which retrenched him) called and asked whether he's interested to work in a diamond company but the catch is , he would have to based in overseas ( means that he would have to be apart from the family)..Mummy agreed as we had no choice...Daddy started hard(as an under paid labor) but he never give up (for the sake of the family in Malaysia).. He worked hard thought out many years and got promoted as a supervisor...From there, recommendation came 'raining' down on him and numerous job offers just 'flew' into his lap. Then he was offered as a manager (also in diamond polishing) in Perlis (where we settled down)... So daddy brought the whole family to Perlis ( where I met my best friends, Alla). And that's when my sis was born (year 1994). She was born in Kedah actually. Daddy drove all the way to Kedah Medical Center as mummy insisted to have her labor over there...45 minutes of hell-ride...
Anyway, we rented a house at first. Then a chinese man asked my dad whether he's interested to buy his house (his house was well taken care of..lucky)..Properties were cheap at that time. Daddy agreed and used his 'years'of saving to pay for the down-payment. And paid the installment for only a few years. Then, the factory that daddy worked in, would have to shut down and everyone was retrenched. But daddy was one of the lucky ones as some of the diamond polishing companies in overseas offered him different position (but good money babe)...until today (now he's half retired,haha)...
The family used to being a way from him most of the time...But we managed to keep the bond closed with the help of today's tech (amazing isn't it)...The love between our family has never change,fade, lessen...It actually makes us even stronger.. To be honest, my dad has a disabilities. his leg are smaller on the left ( he got polio when he was small and my grandma did not know what is polio so my dad did not get any polio injection).. But I was never ashamed of that (except when I was small as I don't know what really happened to my dad, he said he got knock by a hockey stick..bad girl). Instead I'm very proud of him as he has done things beyond his capabilities and beyond what a normal person could actually do. Whether its physically or emotionally. He never gave up... I remembered when I was in Secondary 3, he beat me up because I ignored mumy's advise...It was the beaten of me life and that was the first time daddy ever got real pissed off..... Then I saw him crying to himself in the kitchen and he said sorry. From that moment
A 10 pages blog or a 300 pages book will never be able to describe how much pain our family had to go through, how much sufferings we have to feel, how much love and support our family has provide to each other...Nothing can compare a love of a father and a mother... They've given me the best of what they can afford...Daddy taught her childrn to be strong, prepare for the worst and be humble and kind...He said, sometimes, it is ok to cry. Men do cry but silently, they don't show. They are a species with high ego attitude. Daddy is a soft-spoken person while mummy is the nagging type but for our own good. Daddy has the patience to teach his children.. Basically we learnt all the good things from daddy and maybe some from mummy...Well, through my parent's effort, I'm now graduated from college and adik will be having her PMR this year. She's independent as daddy taught her that way as well...He said show good example to the younger one... And whatever happens, she's still you sister...And you can't deny that...
Daddy has always been the hero in the family while mummy is his sidekick. We learnt what is the real meaning of life basically from him. What we are today came his hard work to raise the family, to provide what's best for us and give the best of what he can. He conctantly remind us to be grateful of what we have. Never compare yourself with others. Instead try to compare yourself with those who are less fortunate...But now, travelling to overseas, having 'tonnes' of money to spent, is not something the family are striving to. We just want to spend the time that we never had for many years and put it into good use...Having lunch and dinner together, watching tv together, and other normal thing that a family do, is what we are aiming for... Daddy has never taught us to live luxuriously (we created on out own). He teaches his daughters and wife to live moderately...Never be a show-off of what you have...
My family are unique in a way where we go through ups and downs together....Whether daddy used to be poor, mummy and his children were there and will always be there...