Dumbfounded

I woke up this morning, to the sound of my lovely phone ringtone. It was a call from an unrecognised number. Having been immersed in sweet dreams only a few moments before, I reluctantly answered the phone.

“Hello?” A female voice spoke up. “I’m calling to inform Mdm Yap that her patient has finally passed away.”

I was dumbfounded, and did not know what to say. My mother’s patient had battled cancer for a long time and by the time the time he appeared before my mother, his condition was already terminal. He went through a lot of pain, and kept it mostly to himself for fear that his parents may not be able to accept his condition when they found out.

It was about a month ago when I learned of his story. That was also the time when he accepted Pure Land teachings and gained a brighter outlook towards death. He stopped struggling from then on, and instead made use of his condition to remind others of life’s transience. Something most of us Chinese tend to forget in the middle of our Chinese New Year celebration.

“I see. I shall relay this news to my mother.” was all I could say.