My Mom

August 12th 2000. It was evening, and we were waiting for bad news to ring on our phone. It was something that we were expecting, from the time it was first diagnosed, earlier that year. The phone rang at about 9pm that night. She had passed away quietly with a nurse aid by her side. At least she wasn't alone when she passed...

My mother was diagnosed with cancer in May of 2000. The doctors did not know what type of cancer because the cancer had already spread itself throughout her entire body. It was already at terminal stage when tests revealed that the cancer had eaten its way through her thigh bone. The doctors informed us that she may have 3 years left in her. We weren't prepared with 3 months. My mother was placed in a Hospice which was in the heart of the city. We were half an hour to 45 minutes drive away, north of the city.

One week before her time, my dad mentioned to her, "Should anything happen, do I have your blessing to remarry for companionship?" My mom looked at him and said "Yes..." Nothing more was mentioned after that.

On the night she passed, I said to my husband let's go and see her. We were told we could come into the Hospice anytime during the night and the next day to say Goodbye. It seemed so final. My Dad was staying with us in the house, and he told us, if the phone call came during the night, just to let him know the following morning and he would say his goodbyes then. The kids were already tucked in bed and my husband's cousin offered to watch them while we went to see Mom.

We arrived at the Hospice soon after, and walked into Mom's room. The atmosphere was incredible. It was warm in her room. She was on the bed, propped up in a sitting position with her pillows supporting her. I wish I could say that she looked peaceful, but to tell the truth, she looked so empty. Just a few days ago she was smiling through her pain, now, there was no life left in her body. Her eyes were partly opened and she felt cool to the touch. I suddenly couldn't breathe and burst out of the room. All I could think of was to go... Be as far away as I could. My husband tried to soothe me, calm my breathing down. The nurses asked if I would like a cup of tea. I politely denied their offer and asked my husband if we could go home.

We had parked our car on the street, and as soon as my husband turned the key in the ignition, the motor would sound up but then die. He attempted a few more times to start the motor, but it would not budge. The car didn't have any problems during the week or during that day, so we were puzzled as to why it would not start now. Suddenly it hit me. MOM! It seemed it was her way of telling us not to go yet. But I knew I could not go back into that Hospice and back into that room.

Hubby suggested that we will need to push start the car, so it was my choice to steer and clutch start it up or hop out and push. I offered to push. Our first attempt failed as we reached the end of the street. We pushed the car around to face the other way and made our way up to the other end of the street with my husband doing a co-ordination of ignition, clutch and gears. We must've looked a sight. "Please Mom, let us go!" I cried and as if by some miracle, the car suddenly started up on its own. "Thanks Mom," I whispered to myself. Coincidence? Perhaps.

But remember when I mentioned about Dad asking for Mom's blessing to remarry? Well, after the fiasco of her funeral and grieving, 2 weeks after, my Aunty approached my Dad with surprising news. Apparently, Mom had arranged another wife for Dad. During her last week, she asked my Aunty to find a lady over in the Philippines. All she remembers of this woman is her name and region where she may still be living. Imagine this, they were school mates in high school, and have not seen each other since then.

So, my Mom had no idea about her life, if she were married, had kids or if she was still alive. My Aunty had many contacts over in Phils and it wasn't before too long, they were able to track her down. She was a school teacher, teaching primary school aged children. She still lived at home, taking care of her own mother and had never married! We were blown away by it all.

Soon enough, my Dad and this woman started to contact each other. She then came to Australia to meet us all. How could I describe our first meeting? She was small and slim, like my Mom. She had the same hair style. From afar, one would swear it was my Mom. But the difference between her and my Mother was the affection. She was 10 times more affectionate than my mother was. She opened her arms and her heart to us and her smile lit up the entire room. My mother rarely smiled. The following year, my Dad married the woman. I now, call her Mom and the kids call her grandma.

To top this story off, whether it's coincidence or it would have some big hidden meaning to it all, my two daughters have the same birthday as my Mom. February 5th.

Mom: 5/2/1938

1st daughter: 5/2/1994

2nd daughter: 5/2/2000

If anyone has an idea about numbers or the coincidences that seem to happen during these times, I look forward to reading your comments. God Bless