“Cleaning may seem like a daunting task, but remember: a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”
– Chinese philosopher and writer, Laozi
ALAMAK! My younger sister, Ah Lan, from Johor Bahru, and her daughter, Ah Hong, from Singapore, and my elder sister, Ah Moi, from Bintulu, will be in Kuching soon for a short holiday. And I haven’t cleaned and decluttered my house! I have not swept the floor and dusted the windows and furniture as well.
During the recent short Hari Raya Aidilfitri holidays, I wanted to do all these things but never got to doing them. Instead, I spent the first day of Hari Raya visiting a former colleague with a close friend and the second day, window shopping and napping.
How I wished my sisters were here to help me clean and declutter my house! Ah Lan is very strong; she can easily sweep and mop the whole house in the wink of an eye. In the restaurant where she works, she effortlessly carries heavy trays of food from the kitchen to the tables with one hand.
When she was still in secondary school, she used to help me carry all the vegetables, fish and meat we bought whenever we visited the Padungan wet market. One day, she caught the attention of a woman shopper who was apparently so amazed by Ah Lan’s strength that she offered, on the spot, to employ her as her maid.
Once in a while, Ah Lan and I would laugh until tears ran down whenever we recalled the funny incident. “She thought I was your maid because I looked very simple,” said Ah Lan.
As for my elder sister, Ah Moi, she reminds of a super vacuum. Long ago, when I was in Primary Five and just before an important school examination, Ah Moi, decided to clean up the tiny room where my family lived.
One day, I was shocked to find all my important Geography notes missing when I returned home from school. I was, of course, very distressed. How could I sit for the examination and pass without my notes?
In the end, I had no choice but to walk all the way from my home at Foochow Lane in Sibu to my geography teacher’s house at Tong Sang Road just to borrow the notes from her.
There were no buses along that route and I could not afford a taxi ride because my family was very poor in those days.
Everytime I recall that incident, Ah Moi just keeps quiet. And it has been like that – for decades now.
Now that I don’t have to sit for any big examinations, I don’t mind if my elder sister throws away all waste paper or notes she sees in my house.
When Ah Lan and Ah Moi are here this weekend, I don’t expect Ah Lan to say anything about the mess in my house.
You see, she understands my situation. Like me, she is still working and her hours are long; she clocks in at 10 am and does not leave her workplace until 10 pm. On her only day off, there is nothing more that she enjoys than taking a well-deserved afternoon nap.
She always tells me, ”The housework can wait. Sleep is important. Health is important. If you are tired, just rest.”
And with that, I happily postpone my cleaning to tomorrow and more tomorrows.
However, I’m not sure about Ah Moi. She might say something like, ”How can you stay in such a messy place like this? You should throw away all the things you don’t want.”
Do you know that Ah Moi was “specially flown” to Johor Bahru at the end of last year just to help Ah Lan clean her rooms in the house she rented there?
By the time Ah Moi was done, three lorries of rubbish had been thrown away. That’s how thorough a cleaner my elder sister is.
But this time, Ah Lan and Ah Moi are not here to clean or declutter my house. They are here to take part in the happy birthday celebrations of Ah Hong and my grandson, Raidon.
My niece will turn 29 soon while my grandson wll be five. Both were born on the same day.
Despite the difference in age, both are very close. Both are Rats in the Chinese zodiac.
Ah Hong, who’s taking a break after working very hard in the Lion City, also plans to bring all our family members to a retreat near Kuching City for a well-deserved gathering. There, we will stay for a night, reconnecting and strengthening ties, while enjoying a BBQ prepared by Ah Moi. Yummy!
Besides being a superb house cleaner, my elder sister is also a fantastic cook and has promised to cook many delicious dishes for us to savour.
When I told Ah Lan that I had downloaded a “rendang beef” recipe I used to cook, she said “Forget about it. Ah Moi is an expert in cooking the dish. All that you and I have to do is to look after Ah Tip.”
If you are wondering who Ah Tip is, well, that is Ah Moi’s ten-month-old energetic grandson. Childminder? I have no problem with that. For me, playing with a baby is certainly better than cooking. Don’t you agree?
The views expressed here are those of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of Sarawak Tribune. The writer can be reached at adelinel888@gmail.com.
