Mother

"For your repititive drug use, the court hereby finds you guilty as charged!", the definitive voice of the judge echoed within the walls of the court room. All subsequent murmurings within the room somehow fell silent as Mandy was handcuffed. Mandy reluctantly turned her head backwards to face the crowd. It wasn't too difficult to spot her Mother in her large floral printed Ah Soh dress. Beside her stood Mandy's two sons, aged 6 and 8.

As Mandy was led out of the court room, she stopped abruptly near where her two sons were standing. The boys' wanted so much to say something but somehow they could not conjure up the courage or ability to speak their mind. The emotional wave that's going through their fragile minds somehow overshadowed and took control of their speech. Nevertheless, the younger of the two related his feelings without speaking a word as a tear dripped down his left cheek. The elder one wrapped his comforting arm around his younger brother's shoulder as if trying to convince him that things are going to work out just fine.

A Victim to hard drugs since the age of 16, it was near impossible to part Mandy from those souless substances. When she conceived her second son though, for a brief time, she managed to go straight and avoid her drug laden friends. She found a decent job in a restaurant and brought her sons up the best way possible. Though Mandy does not earn much from her job at the restaurant, she still tried to brighten her sons' life with small gifts. Though these little gifts may seem negligible compared to the Nike shoes or hand-held games that their friends possess, it meant the world to the two boys.

The fairytale lasted only for a brief moment though before Mandy started abusing again. Her drug addict husband just got out of rehab and instantaneously, his constant drug use within their home became too much for Mandy to ignore. Mandy remembered the first time in 3 years when she stuck a needle into her vein once again, she could literally feel the substances working in her blood stream and taking her to a place near paradise. "The best feeling on Earth", she would say. Like a bad friend, the drugs just kept coming and coming her way and in no time, she was hooked.

The boys' father has since seeked refuge in one of the Indonesian islands when the narcotics people came for Mandy. In the care of their grandmother now, the boys just longed for their mother to be by their side once again. Living with the grandmother was not a bed of roses. Mrs Kim went down hard on those 2 boys for she does not want to repeat the mistakes she made with her only daugther Mandy.

The boys found the initial stages of their new life burdensome to cope with but at least, they get clean clothes to wear and good food to eat on an everyday basis. In no time, they somehow seemed to forget about their dear mother and life went on pretty well. The teachers were impressed with their improving grades and they made more friends now in school.

Every month though, Mrs Kim would receive a letter from Mandy, asking about her sons. Not once did Mrs Kim reply to them for she still kept deep inside her the grieve and hurt that Mandy has caused her all those years. Despite not getting any replies, Mandy still persisted and kept on sending those mails on a monthly basis. The boys were oblivous to those mails sent by their mother for Mrs Kim kept them stashed away in her cupboard.

There was once, in her letter, Mandy asked if Mrs Kim was ever going to come visit her with her two sons. Mrs Kim stared hard at her daugther's almost inelligible handwriting. There were dried-up tear drops all over the letter. Mrs Kim sobbed uncontrollably to herself but yet she was reluctant to bring the boys to see their mother. As ther exams are approaching, Mrs Kim did not want to remind them of their Mother and all the bad memories that comes together in big black packages.

A week before Christmas, Mrs Kim received a call. It was Mandy. Mandy was sobbing uncontrollably the moment she said 'Hello'. Mandy apologized profusely to Mrs Kim for all the years of inconveniences she has caused. Mandy lamented on how this is the last time and how she wanted to mend her ways and start life anew with her loved ones back home. This wasn't new to Mrs Kim. Mrs Kim have had this conversation with Mandy the first time she went into prison. Deep down however, Mrs Kim still had an inkling of hope for her daughter and silently she prayed for God to show Mandy the path where all good people walk on.

"Maa....Maaa...Can I speak to Steven? Maa!!...Put Steven or Sean on the phone please. I want to hear their voice.", Mandy begged her Mother. Mrs Kim held the receiver tightly to her ears, tears in her eyes. The two boys were in the living room. Mrs Kim could see them from where she's seated. Their eyes were etched on the TV screens as they were having a duel with each other on their Playstation which she bought them for an early Christmas gift.

They say Mothers have an emotional telepathic almost magical connection with their children. Mothers could recognise their sons even though their faces are hiding inside a motorbike helmet. Mothers could tell if their sons were having a bad day by simply looking at their faces when they walk in the front door after a hard day at school or work.

"Maa...Please Maa....Just let me say hello to my sons", Mandy pleaded. "They're not in", Mrs Kim lied. "They're playing football downstairs", Mrs Kim continued. "No! Maa...you can't do this to me!! I want to speak to my sons...please!!", Mandy pleaded uncontrollably. "I know they're there with you. Can I speak to them?", Mandy begged once more. Mrs Kim put down the phone without saying goodbye.

She slumped into her chair and tilted her head back against the wall. Mrs Kim sobbed silently in resentment. She did not know why she didn't call the two boys to at least say hello to their Mother. Perhaps its the anger that's built up over the years...perhaps she just did not want to remind them of their Mother just yet. As all those morbid thoughts were playing in her head, Mrs Kim felt her shirt sleeve being tugged at. It was Steven, the younger brother. "Grandma, why are you crying?", he quizzed. "Grandma...I miss Mummy", he confessed. "Are you crying because you miss Mummy too?", Steven quizzed once again. Steven climbed onto his grandmother's lap and hugged her tightly. It as been a long time since he felt a Mother's warmth and his was the closest that he could get to a Mother for the time being.

In that emotional embrace, Mrs Kim secretly wished that the one she's hugging is her daugther Mandy. Steven simlarly wished that the one he's hugging is his dear Mother. There and then, Mrs Kim vowed to take the boys go see their Mother before the year ends. As they say, its beyond words, trying to explain a Mother's love.