Affinity

The bus moved on ...I set off on an aimless destination.  I had the earphones on and the music was interrupted by an incoming call.

My handphone screen showed “coffee lady”.  I was surprised and yet wonder if Josephine (Jo, in short) had spoken to her about our conversation the previous night.

I pressed the button to take the call.  “Hello! Do you know who is calling” the caller asked me.  I said, “Yes – you are Auntie Mary”.  I heard her laughed merrily over the other end.   

Auntie Mary said in Mandarin – “shēngrì kuàilè” which means “happy birthday” then someone in the background corrected her to pronounce: “Shèngdàn jié kuàilè” – that says “Merry Christmas”.  And she pronounced it correctly.  What a lovely effort.  Auntie Mary is 69 years old.  I thanked Auntie Mary for her well wishes.

“Have you found a job?” auntie Mary asked.  I told her I have not.  Then she said “Màn man lái” in Mandarin, which means – slowly or take it easy.

Auntie Mary asked where I was and what was I doing.  I told her I am on the bus and on the way to the church.  It was a lie or half-lie, because I set off looking for “Holy Spirit” church in Thomson Road.  The bus rode past the church, I saw the whole compound packed with cars. I didn't alight, because I felt intimidated by the crowd and the packed compound with cars and nobody was outside.  (I told myself, never mind, go back to the Novena, then).  The Novena church is where I usually visit at night to pray privately.

That was last evening, it was Christmas Eve.

I met Auntie Mary when I joined the company recently to handle the company’s accounts.  When I left the company barely 38 days into the job, we hugged each other so very tightly.  The bosses’ secretary was at my workstation then and Auntie Mary said to her – “she is my daughter”. I can sense that Auntie Mary was very sad, she likes me.  I cannot believe the natural attraction between the two of us - Auntie Mary and me for we had only known each other for 38 days, only seeing each other for 3 hours each day.  I love her coffee she makes me every day.  How nice if she is my mother, I don't mind.  (I missed my own biological mom, she had passed on and I am as good as all alone in this world now.)

And I know, Auntie Mary can never be my mother.