Love To My Grand-Auntie Yee Por is written by Sandie May Joyce in tribute to her Grand-auntie whom she loved and treasured when she was a little girl. She still loves her auntie and missed her to this date.
Last night, my Grand-auntie Yee Por (my grandmother's sister) came to comfort me once again in my dream.
It all began yesterday when I had so carelessly crashed my face right onto the corner of a wall while walking and looking down at my cellphone, it had caused a small bump to appear on my left forehead and a bruise on the side of my nose.
"OUCH!!!" I cried out loudly. Immediately I touched my forehead and sensed that a bump had already surfaced on the left side.
For a moment my vision darkened, and I could see stars. I stood there in a daze.
After I gathered myself, I went to meet my friends at the Mandarin Restaurant. We were supposed to be there to celebrate my friend's birthday. I didn't even know I had the bruise on my nose and my forehead until my friends asked me about it. I laughed as I explained to them about my crash on the wall earlier.
We all had a great time! The food was plentiful because Mandarin was an all-you-can-eat restaurant. The service from the waiter and the waitress was the best I have ever experienced.
After dinner, I suggested putting the bill on my credit card so I could get the cashback and the bonus cashback as well. I told my friends to pay me the cash directly. They all agreed so I had earned some special savings on the bill. One of my friends insisted that he would pay for my portion of the bill, so I earned more savings on that too. I tipped the waiter and the waitress generously because I thought the service was excellent! We all left and went home with a happy heart and a full stomach.
I went to sleep and slept well. That's when Grant-auntie Yee Por came to see me in my dream. She lifted my bangs to look at my forehead. In my dream, I walked over to the mirror to look at myself and found that my bump had gotten a lot larger, and it seemed to have a lot more bruises around it. My Grand-auntie placed her hand there to comfort me, but I don't remember her saying anything to me, I just knew she was there to make me feel better.
Grand-auntie Yee Por had always comforted us even when we were young children. I remember whenever I got hurt, she would be the first one there to tend to me. Unfortunately, for some unknown reason, she was not getting along well with my mother. I don't understand all of that because there was just too much politics within our large family that the kids did not know about.
I remember when I moved back to live with my mom and dad and my grandparents (on my father's side), I was almost seven years old. The family hired a young teenage servant girl to look after me and to keep me company. Mom and Dad were not home most of the time. Dad was probably going to work everyday, but I did not know where mom was. She was always out somewhere, and she was not there whenever I got hurt. My Grand-auntie Yee Por was the one to tend to us whenever one of us got hurt.
I remember once I was really sick and almost died, it was my Grand-auntie Yee Por and others who came to the hospital's emergency room to keep me company. They had also stayed with me inside my hospital room. They slept inside my room on a cot provided by the hospital to keep me company. My uncle also came to see me and bought me a plastic toy tea set. I drifted in and out of consciousness. I stayed in the hospital for more than 9 days until I got well enough to go home.
Growing up with my mom and dad not being there with us most of the time was hard, but I was lucky my grandmother (my dad's mother) took me back to her house as if I was her treasure. Grandma shared all her good stuff with me. Now you know why I always favour older folks in my life. It was because of my two sets of grandparents who were always there for us when we were kids. I was nicknamed the “Lucky Star” by my Grandfather (my mom's dad).
My Grand-auntie Yee Por was like another kind of extended goodness. So, it only seemed natural that I would dream of her when I bonked my head and nose.
As far as I can remember, Grand-auntie was married once, and she had one daughter. Then later, she divorced and moved back into my grandparents' house. We were one large family then, living in a large four-story house, with ample rooms in it for everyone. Our house was up on a terrace. I remember having to walk up and down the slope everyday to go back and forth between my school and our house. Some aunties and my uncle were still living there before they got married, so add them to the eleven kids, and you had one full house of people.
I still remember when Grand-auntie Yee Por had to move out, we were instructed not to go to see her. But I, despite the conflicts that went on between my mother and Grand-auntie Yee Por, was quite capable of travelling by myself within the Hong Kong and Kowloon territories. I don't remember how old I was, but I know I was very young and little and was not even allowed to travel anywhere alone by myself. However, I managed to sneak out of the house, and somehow I was smart enough to hop onto a public transit (thanks to my own well-researched work beforehand) and followed the address all the way down to my grand-aunt's place.
Grand-auntie was surprised to see me visiting her, for as much as she knew, she told me she had a kind of illness that was deemed to be contagious and that was why my mom did not want any of us seeing her. I stood at a distance inside her tiny apartment to talk with her. I didn't know how she would feel, like moving out from a big house into a tiny little apartment, but she seemed to be rather content.
Grand-auntie was happy to see me, but was very cautious, because I know she thought my mom would get mad at me for seeing her. But I have no regrets for visiting my grand-auntie! I told her I missed her because that was the truth, and I told her how much I loved her too. I was concerned because there seemed to be no one else inside the apartment. I asked her to always take care of herself.
I left with a heavy heart and a lot of worries. I have no idea how Auntie Yee Por would care for herself at all. Up in my tiny brain, I reasoned myself - perhaps her daughter is living there with her, but she must be at work at the time I visited.
Some months later I heard Grand-auntie Yee Por had died. I don't remember if all of us kids had attended her funeral. I was too young to remember any or all of this, but I was relieved that I did have the chance to tell Yee Por how I missed her and loved her before she died.
I just want to let you all know that how grateful I am to have had my Grand-auntie come into my dream to comfort me when she knew I had a bump on my forehead and bruises on my nose. Now I know, with certainty, that there is another level of life – someplace that we, the good people, will go to when we die. I'm so glad that Grand-auntie Yee Por is pain-free, illness-free now, and she is there up in heaven, watching over me!
Thank you, dear Auntie-Yee Por, for visiting me in my dream!
In my own opinion, it is never a good idea to suddenly separate children from the ones who love them and whom they love.
After we moved from the big house, we suddenly lost all our cousins to play with, and then later we lost our Grand-auntie as well. The children would not understand all the details as to why everyone has just disappeared while we are in a totally new environment. However, I know that's part of life's process and we all have to deal with it.
What a beautiful tribute to you dear grand-auntie! You were a brave little girl to have made the journey to search for her but I do understand the longing that you had for her.
So interesting and a fine tribute to your grand aunt, Sandi. Thank you for sharing. Some dreams are unforgettable. Love and best wishes.
Regis
Reviewed by Danny Underwood
10/12/2018
This is different from the tales you have been writing, and I am happy to have read this.
Your grand-auntie must have been pleasantly surprised that you've made the journey to look for her. I'm glad you did.
I agree with Ron Hull's comment - don't drive while you're on your cell phone, the effect could be more than just a bump on the forehead and a bruised nose.
Please don't go driving while on your cell phone. The result could be much worse than running into the corner of a wall at your home.
I think your great aunt may have had tuberculosis, typhoid or even, cancer that your parents feared could be passed on to you by being with her. She sounds like an angel, while suffering much on her own accord, still had compassion for everyone especially grand nieces like you.
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