Eulogium Twilight Zone

The last time I went out with her was on Saturday. Last Saturday. To Pasar Baru we went in search of upholstery fabric in one of those Indo-Indian atelier -which was already in operation before the Japanese even stepped on our land pre-WW II. I was looking for some type of imitation cocoa/ oak-brown leather to fit on my refurnished smoking chair. She then ordered some for my mom’s office, and with me she looked through a pile of curtains and beddings in thoughts for her son’s upcoming wedding gifts.

Before leaving the shop, I told her – my mom’s secretary-, “Mrs. M, I don’t think I’ll be around on Tuesday, will you be able to receive the stuffs that I ordered and just keep it in your office and I’ll pick it up later along with the bill?”. Sure she said.

A couple of days later our interior dude asked me about the upholstery materials, which frankly I almost forgot. Then I made the call for Mrs. M’s office. Her assistant, Annick, then answered politely, “Sorry Sir, I think she went to the hospital…”

“Gosh, is somebody ill? Was it Mrs. M’s husband? Or maybe her other family member? Is she okay?” I went on frantically.

Annick continued, “I am not sure at this moment Sir. Because the last news I’ve heard was just that she went home to Semarang to see her hubby and kids to make some final arrangements for the son’s wedding. And supposedly, she is still in Semarang”.

“Okay then, lemme ask Mum, whether or not Mrs. M is okay.”

I let it hang there. Meetings to catch up, supervisions to perform. Guess the same went with Mommy Dearest, the busy woman she is. By Wednesday, I got the fabrics and made some measures to be sent to the interior dude.

Came Thursday, I called another office manager, Mr. W for a totally different matter.

“I’m in the hospital,” said he. “Mrs. M has been rushed to the ICU”

“What? What happened? Is she still unconscious? She’s been there for at least the last two days no?” I asked.

“Sir, she has just been admitted in a couple of hours. Her plane just landed here at 5 PM from Semarang. She was already on the queue taking off from the plane when suddenly she had a seizure and fainted in the aisle.”

“Shit, I hope she’ll be okay soon. Do they have good doctors there?”

How come she’s just been admitted? For I was sure that she was already in the hospital. I asked my self.
Twilight Zone.

-

“Hello, may I speak with Annick?” I called her office again.

“Annick already left for home Sir, can I help you with anything?” said Diandre, Annick’s colleague.

“How come she told me yesterday that Mrs. M was in the hospital when today was the day she just got admitted there?”

“Are you sure Sir?” Diandre asked. “Annick was with me yesterday and today, the entire day for our exhibition in the convention hall!”

“What?”

Twilight Zone.
-

Annick called me almost midnight. “Sir, we spoke on the phone on Tuesday, not Wednesday, but I never told you that Mrs. M was in the hospital”

So who told me?

Twilight Zone.
-

Before I even have the chance to see Mrs. M, mom called me this morning.

“Sorry to inform you son, but Mrs. M passed away this morning at 7.20 AM. COD was heightened glucose level in her blood system causing arterial-blockage to and from her brain”

I was too busy to heed for the warning. Could anything be done even if I did? Still unsure how to answer the very question: How may one go about in acknowledging a warning that came from the Twilight Zone?

Thank you Mrs. M for everything you’ve done to us. Your presence will be dearly missed. May your loved ones and all of us here be given strength to carry on what you’ve left us with and continue with our lives with a new appreciation for life.

Dear Mum Number 2, may your soul rest in peace.