Madam.Aw, 75 years

Date: 25.03.2014
Time: 10:00am
Venue: XXX nursing home

Second day of research. The nice lady-in-charge --- we call her Sister handed me a report of Mdm Aw.

It was a sunny day, albeit a bit of drizzling earlier. She was in a wheelchair, next to an open air well. I briefly introduced myself to her and offered a smile. The only present i bring to every old folks home. 

Sometimes that's all it takes to break the walls of another stranger.

i proceed to finish my research questions with her.

She responded well. She doesn't know most of the medications she takes. But she remembers some vitamins in it and diabetic Metformin meds. That's good enough for me, as i do not intend to interrogate further.

#her story:

She used to work as a nanny. Retired of old age. 

Her proud feat was that she helped raised three children from another Christian family. 

She started working and living with the family during her prime years.

Eventually came to Christ, because of a child's words:

"Come and believe in Christ, next time we would want to see you in heaven."

Succumbed to age, she tells me how her godchildren children 

took the responsibility to make sure she's in good hands today. 

Eventhough they were not her own, they treated her like a family.

She keeps their pictures on a wooden cupboard on display for every visitor to admire.

I remember the tiny plastic pine tree --- she says it was a present from her "children" last Christmas.

Some beautifully handmade cards adorn her bedside table, with writings of  "I love you" on it.

Those are from her god-grandchildren, she says.

Illiterate, she often resort to listening to recordings of sermons instead of reading the Bible.

Mdm.Aw jokes she doesn't have very good memories these days,

the sermons seems to enter through her right ear and exit from the left the next instant.

i can only jokingly answer that the recordings will last her very long then...

I checked with the nurse on her medical condition. Turns out she suffers from a chronic autoimmune disease. my research requires me to collect and sample her medication data. As i went through her list, from steroids to gastric pills. I recorded one by one.

And my heart ached each time.

 I grew to love her in just a short interview of 30 minutes.

I respect her. I admire her quiet perseverance. I remember her patient gaze as i fumble through my interview question sheets for the first time.

"Must pray for the right (husband) one," she cheekily adds, " if not dont get married."

Mdm Aw. insist to look at our picture that my colleague snapped for us. she smiled beautifully.