Mum is Unwell

Living by myself, faraway from family and kinsfolk, I've possessed a habit of never turning off my mobile phone. Even when I go to sleep. I set the 'Do Not Disturb' mode to be automatically on from 12 a.m. until 8 a.m., meaning my phone will be on silent mode during that time and only my family can reach me through phone calls. Other than my family, well, all the calls will go to my voicemail and any other notifications will be silenced. Reason is, just in case something bad happens at home and I need to be informed, that's why I never turn my phone off, while at the same time I do still need my beauty sleep.

You know, for years and I still jump whenever my phone rings or beeps or even vibrates and turns out It's from my family. Ever since I moved out of the house, it's always been me calling them. So, whenever they ring me, in my head I think it must be a bad news. It doesn't always a bad news whenever they call or message me, I know. Like a couple of nights before, I received a message from Mum right before I went to bed. I didn't call her that night as I got home really late and thought she was in bed already. But when I saw 'Mum' on the screen, my heart skipped a beat. I frantically clicked on the message and read it. Apparently she was just asking where I was and after I replied saying I just got home and about to sleep, coming her reply saying to have a good rest, remember to pray before bed and take vitamins. I was relieved and realised that I was holding my breath while waiting for her to drop the bomb. Turned out no bomb that night. 

But one afternoon, it was about last week, there was indeed a bomb. I got a call from my uncle and he dropped the bomb as soon as I picked up. My heart didn't even have the chance to skip a beat. He told me that Mum was in a hospital as we speak. I turned limp. My knees felt like jellies I had to hold on to the table and slowly take a seat. Seemed like my worst nightmare just came true. I asked for details and he told me briefly about what happened as he was on the way to see Mum. He said, "your dad punched her in the chest and ran away." That should have explained enough of why Mum was hurt. As my brain started processing everything, my blood was boiled into lava. I was definitely in rage I wish I could fly back home at the second and find Dad for what... a vengeance? I don't know. But I couldn't and all I did was calling Mum and waiting for updates. 

How did my family turned into this? Well, to tell you the story, I have to go a few years back of my life and my family's. It was three years ago, around mid 2012, Dad filed a divorce paper to Mum. After twenty-five years of marriage, he wanted to divorce Mum for the most dubious reason. I was there with Mum on the day she received the paper. She knew nothing about it before and receiving the paper was a bit likely a shock. I took the letter from her hands after she'd done reading it. I read something about 'couldn't get along' somewhere in the lines. Twenty-five years and he said they both couldn't get along? I nearly laughed at the statement if it weren't for Mum's distress expression. There was a faint of heart-broken in her face, too. Maybe, she couldn't believe that Dad would do it. Maybe, she thought they both could get through the shock wave. It's a family after all and they both had been through a lot. They had zero nothing when they got married until we had almost everything; houses, cars, lands, and all kind properties that I didn't even know we owned.

After that day, Mum's life had been spent in court, defending what being her and us, the children's, rights. Even until now, this matter has not yet been resolved. 

I'm not going to go into tiny little details because it will be a 1001 tales if I do. It will probably bore you to death. Let's just say that my family is not the same after the divorce. In a bad way, Dad is now out of our lives. In a good way, well, I'm not sure if there's any good about this, actually. But to see the bright side, Mum is happier now, despite the things that burdened her as a single parent. She single-handles everything without having to concern Dad. She's now the captain of the ship. (She's always been even before they got divorced, frankly speaking.) Earlier I called her, asking how is she now. She's still a bit unwell but she's being medically treated. And I know I can't rest assure until she is well.

Then, how does this event affect my relationship with Dad? Well, it's something that I will tell you some other time. Right now, my mind is too occupied with Mum's health, deferred exams and my visa renewing process. I can't let whatever feeling I have about Dad to stress me out even more than I already am. Besides, I still have to figure it out. In the meantime, my only concern is Mum and only Mum.

Until next post.