Underrated

 My mum is the most underrated contributor and most of her works go uncredited. If my mum is someone who does nothing, how will she knows so many things. She used to carry gas tank for cooking. She knows how the old gas tank worked. She drove a lorry and one time with me in it. Forgotten why she has to drive but while going down the hill, she forgotten how to stop. We were rolling down the hill with my soul nearly out of my body. In front of us, was the main road and then Shell and then Tutong River. There were a long queue of cars on the main road as the mosque also there and it was the busiest road ever. But she stopped in time and we were almost touching the car right in front of us. She knows how to fix a lamp and pipe. She knows how to sew. Mum sewed Dad’s underwear. He complained to me it was all torn and loose. Not one he can wear because it has been repaired many times… She is frugal. We used to have sewn underwear and pillows. In the end I bought like a dozen new ones for Dad. Dad’s shoes already torn with the bottom coming off. He has been continuing to wear it for almost a week or two until I realised. I brought him to Sketchers. He refused to buy mew shoes. Sketchers Brunei is really expensive. Anyway, Dad paid for it. Mum chose for Dad. Only the one she chose mu Dad likes. Mum used barehands to wash clothes before washing machine. Mum borrowed a camera from my Aunt so that she can take a photo of us when we were still babies. Mum also the one who took care of home when Dad not around and whether she pregnant or not. Sick or not. Mum still wash certain clothings and socks by hands for Dad. Mum is still the one who took care of my elderly Dad. Massaged him or bath him. She is 4 years younger than that. If Dad needs help since he was 76, so does my Mum. I am always scared of the Dark, or the bugs or whatever it was. When Mum is around, she will catch for me. She knows how the water piping works. One time, no water. I was showering halfway. Just took a towel and walked out of the bathroom. I saw my Dad sitting there and told him there is no water. Dad made a few phone calls and then just sit there. I walked out to the living room and couldn’t find my mum. Then finally found her and told her there is no water. It was night time. My mum went to the water tank outside and I didn’t follow since I only wrapped in towel. Mum worried her towel stolen probably and the towel I have was really small. The ones I bought also not found. I just moved back not long ago. I grew fatter during the new year. She didn’t come back but was trying her best to figure out. Raining too so it wasn’t the best time. Sometimes there are snake or scorpion over there. She just walked there without fear. I find a torchlight for her. She took it and hadn’t come back for a while. I was so worried so I stayed by the door. Then she figured it all out. The water tank has been turned off. Maybe by someone intentionally. She said the water also not filled so need to wait till the tank filled then there will be water. I waited for the water to fill up which will be at least half an hour. I was in a small towel and should I just sit there and wait? Well, I continue with my work. Someone probably passed by and made a comment. The one who benefits from all of us but act like yaya papaya. Anyway, once again, my mum at 76 (birthday soon but not yet) saved the day. For electricity someone does something again. Thanks to the internet. I found out how to pay electric bill in Brunei. All you need is internet and. credit card. Acted like it was so sophisticated to understand… Well. Old styles Mum knows it all because she is the one doing it. Techno stuff some not really under her control. Thanks to the guy who tried to make the internet down like whole Brunei internet down. Not only once but quite a few times. So, I applied for a new mobile line in Brunei. Purchased Data plan… and thank God because of that I can pay Electric bill because they purposely made it go unpaid. Few times while I was doing work but well, thanks to my boss, I have a laptop. If that was my previous few companies, all gone and which the person above has been intending to cause. Back to the story. My mum helped me while my Dad made calls and tell me to check the main meter and asked other people if it was due to government. The guy also not home. I can’t see current usage or any details on the electricity. Well, I got all the perfect tools and manage to figure out how to pay it. We also bought candles because we are preparing for a natural blackout or the man-made ones. Probably all went too well, I now can see usage and bills. We worked late to rush out orders because we have rentals to be paid. We have school fees to be paid. We have everyone who needed money. Mum always go shopping and never buy what she wanted. Mostly for home use she bought a lot. She has a lot of pots but she doesn’t cook after I was in my teens. She liked soup and because she is too health conscious, there is always herbs in it. She made soy sauce vege eating raw. Eat raw sweet potatoes. Milo pancake or more like roti prata texture. That was my favourite. Baked bread with butter or mayonnaise. I then kept doing it myself. Mum climbed heights too. She can crawled up a tree… Yesterday, she dug out the dead durian tree by herself. I only knew it after Dad asked me to go buy another Durian tree. It is a small one and the second one. The rainless month has been one of the culprit. I bought back while Dad chose the tallest tree. Taller than me by a foot. The previous one was chosen by my Mum. Under the hot sun, I dug the hole a bit bigger. The old one has been removed. I helped mum to plant and put the new one in. Buried the roots and watering them. 11th May 2026. Trees planted. 5 months after the last. A day before, during Mother’s day, my mum has been clearing the grass. I am doing lawn mowing. She pulled them from the roots. Under the hot sun for a long period of time. I wanted to bring her to eat steamboat but maybe she heard it was expensive, she said she didn’t like. I wanted to let her experience it but she chose not to. In the end, I saw another restaurant and told her it was almost the same price as the other one. This was something new and only then she walked in after I brain washed her the price is similar. Well definitely cheaper than the steamboat but a bit more expensive than the one she chose. We ordered salad and chicken. ABC desserts. Morning, we went to Hong Yun but the lady boss not around so our fen gan dan not available. Dad’s favourite. Then somebody came to give out free carnation. It was someone from politics and I realised it was an old course-mate’s Dad. I still asked my Dad who is he and I realised they weren’t regular guys. They gave one flower to Mum and about to give me but I said I am not a mother. This course mate, was in our product design team. He has the same birthdate as me. Same year, month and day. We only know after taking out our IC for filling some form. Memory became vague as I grew older. He also born in Miri Hospital. One of my competitor since born I guess. Haha. Anyway, same day different life. I born poor, he born rich. I just told Dad about it not long ago and who knows the father turned up. The conversation is about chinese zodiac. If it can be followed, shouldn’t I have the same life as this person? Dad also same age as Trump and Brunei Sultan. Back to story again. A good beginning with a carnation flower. We returned to Brunei and got dinner. They gave us another free gift of key chain. What a good day. Then I realised, if it is always like this, how nice life will be. Even Mum also felt better with the free gift. I remember the bad times but also the good times. Mum kept all the photos and if it weren’t for her, probably we wouldn’t have any childhood photos. She kept our used pillows. It was all moldy and she didn’t want to throw it all away… Not only that. Anything broken, she still kept them. It was all habits because earning to buy those were really hard back in those days. I understand but I cannot stand all the broken stuff. One day, she brought out one or two things and asked me if I know how to fix. Or find back the old ones or similar one. She asked if I have anything broken and should give it to her because she wants to keep it. She kept containers from Sugar Bun, KFC etc because nowadays, it is buy and throw away utensils. She doesn’t want to waste it and wanted to bring it back. She said it is wasteful. She can use it to store seeds. Of course, I have to scold her some times so she listened. Well, some times, to no avail. She brought it back like the hamster keeping the food in the mouth. No matter how I try to take it out but the hamster refused. I think these habits have been carved into her skin. She was the one going through the worst. The reason why we have a house.