Mama and Old Folks' Home

(front view of the old folks' home, blocked by two buses)

Although Mama is no longer the chief caretaker in the Old folks' home, she still misses her friends there.

Mama keeps receiving phone calls from them every now and then, complaining about their having no one to take them to hospital and their having very little to eat. She has often told Uncle David, director of the shelter home, about their predicament but he does not believe a single word she says. To him, the present group of caretakers are good Christians who treat the old residents with kindness. He is the one who forced Mama to resign through dishonest means. However bad he is, Mama still loves him.Uncle David is her younger brother. She looks up to him as the first overseas graduate of the Teo family. She looks after him when he is sick. She cooks for him when his wife is busy with church activities. She never harbours any grudge against him.

Uncle David always shows a perceptible contempt for Mama. He lours when Mama describes how insincere the caretakers are in her emphatic language. They are his lapdogs. He'd rather believe in their flattery than listen to Mama's advice. He seems to have forgotten the fact that Mama was one of those who rendered him financial support when he was studying in England. He likes hinting to our relatives that Mama is not a good Christian but she never takes umbrage.

I am not sure if Mama has ever realized that she is doing an invidious task of seeking justice for the elderly. Uncle David is fed up with her endless reports. At one time he blew a gasket when Mama told him that some caretakers had a habit of embezzling public donations. He accused her of calumniating his noble-hearted employees without a grain of proof and threatened to dispense with their relationship if she went on inciting hatred. Mama was hurt and reduced to tears. But she still stays by his side when he needs support. I don't understand why Uncle David has such an innate distrust of Mama. When Mama was hospitalized last December, the whole town was rife with rumours that she had decided to stop working for Uncle David. Mama was unable to cope with the pressure and finally sent in her letter of resignation. To this day Papa and I still suspect that Uncle David and the other care-takers were the source of the rumours.They had wanted to get rid of her for a long time.

Three months ago, Ah Ngo, a retired teacher who stays in the old folks' home had a row with the cook of the old folks' home.Despite receiving a consistent supply of fresh meat and vegetables every month, she and her husband had always given the old folks canned food to eat.Ah Ngo wanted them to give the old folks better food but the cook's husband, Mr. Henry, asked her to mind her own business by threatening to bludgeon her to death. Traumatized by the threat, she complained to Uncle David but he ticked her off for being unreasonable instead. After a week, Uncle David gave her a three-day notice to move out of the shelter home. Ah Ngo, having no children and relatives in Brunei, became depressed and had to be hospitalized. She told Mama that she kept receiving death threat phone calls from Mr. Henry. However, the man was in a denying mode when Mama asked him to explain himself. Uncle David did his best to vouch for Mr. Henry's attitude, insisting that he was a selfless man who cared for the aged in the old folks' home. In Uncle David's opinion, Ah Ngo is a demented spinster full of spite towards men. The longer she stays in the old folk's home, the more trouble she will cause. Is he aware of the fact that Mr. Henry was a triad member in his youth?

Ah Ngo is still in hospital. She is beginning to show signs of senility. The poor woman is often seen mumbling to herself. Last week, Uncle David remarked in a cold, impassive voice that Ah Ngo had finally got her comeuppance. Mama begged Uncle David not to kick her out of the old folk's home but he told her with vehement firmness that nothing could change his decision.Mama's eyes become wet with commiseration whenever she thinks of Ah Ngo's plight.She cannot do anything to help Ah Ngo at all. I suggested her report the matter to the welfare department but she did not want to put her brother's good name at stake.He is a well-reputed lawyer in the oil-rich country.The locals call him the pride of Chinese.

Mama's face becomes sad every time she talks about the old folks' home.She hopes Uncle David will come to his senses one day and improve the lives of those in the old folks' home. Although she lost her job last year, she still takes it upon herself to take some residents to hospital. She even buys them food and gives them money. Poor Mama.With Uncle David and his accomplices around, people like Mama and Ah Ngo will continue being bullied. How I wish I could do something to change the situation.I hope they will run the gauntlet of public anger one day, with all their ugly deeds exposed to the media.They are cankered in souls.

If I were a rich man, I would definitely have asked a well-known writer to ghost write a novel for me. Its most suitable title is 'The Pharisee and his prison for the aged'.