<<Ma Ma>>

<<Ma Ma>>

Introduction:

This story was written based on some past experienced my mother had. Treasuring your beloved ones is what I learnt from my mother through her experience. In addition, I sincerely hope that a warm and hearty feeling can be brought to all of you. That's also my biggest motivation for me to start writing.

Opening:<Ma Ma>

The room was dark. A light was then turned on.

It was a storage room. Lots of dust had been accumulated inside . That's why it's time to clean the room.

Starting cleaning from a three storey-cupboard on the left hand corner of the room, Siu Ling's head was hitted by a book. She still felt lucky as for not hitted by books.

The book was heavy, old and of course, full of dust and dirt.

Siu Ling then inhaled deeply, paused and blew the air to the book. Gray dust then soonly condensed into the air and fell onto the ground. The cover of the book reappeared.

There were so many tiny yellow and grayish spot that decorated the book. Indeed, the book could be treated as an antique, but inside was thousands or even millions of unforgettable and valuable memories trapped carefully and cautiously for years.

It was a family photo album.

When Siu Ling opened it, a photo had already captured her attention.

It had been fade due to the passage of time.

The person shown on the photo, was the one who treasures Siu Ling so much in her childhood.

She was her grandma that she used to call---Ma ma.
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Chapter One: The Tomato Lady

It was in the late 70s where the chinese civil war had come to an end. At that time, thousands of citizens suffered a lot. Women had to leave their new born babies on the chinese railway, while children had to eat the leftovers for survival. Even there were lots of skeleton remained on every part of China which then all trapped underground to wait for decay.

In the war, people lost their home, their beloved ones and also their dignity.

A young girl, who looked pure and innocent , were too young to experience such cruelty from war. She lost her home. She lost her beloved brother. She also lost her dignity for survival.

She couldn't distinguish between the day light and the night time. What she only knew to do was to keep on walking on the broken railway. She had lost her direction.

An invisible scar had been craved deep down her bottom heart that could never be recovered. Time might be one of the ways to dilute her pain.

Fortunately, Ma ma was one of the survivors.
#

It's time for children to sleep. However, children were the most energetic creatures in the world who loved to play all day long. That's why Siu Ling didin't like adults
hustling her to sleep. She preferred to jump on the bed, to run around the house and to yell as a kind of fun she enjoyed so much.

As ma ma loved Siu Ling so much. She would llike her to sleep earlier.
This made ma ma thought of a wise trick on Siu Ling.

She told a story to Siu Ling before she slept.

"Once upon a time, there was a lady who was kind and gentle. She loved children very much. However, she would only protect the obedient children. For the naughty one, she would use various kind of methods to take good care of them by hustling them to sleep". Ma ma said in a soft voice.

"What's the method, ma ma? Doesn't she urge the children to sleep just like what mum and dad does?" Siu Ling asked innocently.

"No, no. It won't work on the naughty ones. She is a gentle lady who talks less. The most direct way to make children sleep is to appear in front of them...... quietly"

Ma ma continued in a low and even soft voice.

" It is because she knows what you are doing wherever you are"

"Is she...a ghost?" Siu Ling felt a bit scarry.

"No, no. Actually, she is the house of god. She knows each of us very well. Her mission is to protect the young children like you. If you do not sleep on time, she then finds you. "

"How does she......find me, ma ma?" Siu Ling said in a trembling voice.

"Don't you see the mirror at the corner? First, there will be a thin white smoke come out from the mirror. Then, layers of thick green smoke will spread out . They are all in cloudy shade. That's the time for the lady to appear......"

"Ma ma, how does she look like'? Siu Ling hold ma ma tightly but kept looking at the mirror.

"A tomato shape temples is on her head, together with her smiling face. She will keep smiling to you brightly until you are tired. Then you sleep." Ma ma pampered Siu Ling's head with tender and said.

"So, it's time to sleep. Goodnight, my little princess." Ma ma then kiss Siu Ling's forehead, covered her with a blanket and left.

What's left behind in the room, was only Siu Ling.

She slept on her bed quietly, without any movement. She kept thinking of what ma ma told her about the tomato lady.

A pair of big pretty eyes could not help closing anymore. Finally, they closed up. Siu Ling was too tired and frightened to sleep.

From this moment onwards, Siu Ling slept eariler and woke up eariler. She could see the soft and harmonious twilght from the sky. She could hear the articulate singing voice from the day time birds. She could breathe in fresh and harmless air around her.

At that time, she knew how to distinguish the day time and night time. She knew the benefits from sleeping eariler and waking up eariler.

It's also a way for people to regain their energy and to forget all their pain in life.

That's even what ma ma opted for in her adolescence. For she couldn't trace back the day time and night time in the past anymore.

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Chapter Two: The train

In children eye's, train is regarded as a lovely company. It brings them lots of fun. Such fun as the tooting sound made when it was moving. Such fun as the long and sessional body swayed when it was turning left and right. Such fun as the big and queer face appeared when it was first arriving at stations.

But to Siu Ling, train brings her bad luck.
#

The weather was fine. Wind blows softly and mildly. Sun shines brightly and warmly. Even pretty birds praise for such a beautiful day in joyful voices. Everything seems to be fine.

Then ma ma had an idea. She decided to go out for a walk with Siu Ling. It's the best method she could think of not grinding such wonderful day away.

"Hurrah! Hurrah! Ma ma was the best!" After hearing Ma ma's idea, Siu Ling can't help jumping and yelling. She went into rapture.

At that particular moment, she thought she was the lucky one.

Outside the street, there was a plain railway. Trains sometimes passed by. Sometimes not. Fragile trees silhouette barely loomed Ma ma and Siu Ling's frame house. They formed layers of coverage to the house perfectly.

Siu Ling's parents were busy people. All in their mind was to earn money as much as possible. They work through days by days, and they were seldom at home. They just lived in the staff halls, the railway staff halls.

To most of the time, Ma ma and Siu Ling stayed at their own simple blockhouse. That's why Siu Ling felt extremely happy when Ma ma went out with her.

Two of them was then passing through a store where snack, toys and raffle tickets (or what you may call "mark six lottery tickets") were available to people. Some people called the store "paradise of children" or "railway's spectucular, while some of them just called it"grocery". Although there were lots of nicknames given to the store, they all had the same meaning. They all meant a place where people could find dreams and hopes that they 've ever thought of.

Today, Ma ma bought Siu Ling to that"paradise of children".

This "paradise" was not a huge place that most people thought of. In fact, it was a tiny wooden house just liked what Ma ma and Siu Ling lived. It was simply decorated with iron nails, natural wood and fellen leaves. A man was standing in front of the door of "paradise". He was the owner of it. Everyone called him Mr.Bold.

Everytime when Mr. Bold saw Siu Ling, he usually gave her a big smile. It has no exception on this time. A big hug was always followed after the smile.

To Siu Ling, it was the most happiest time in her life because she could taste different kinds of snack free of charge. She was full of satisfaction.

To Ma ma, it was also the most happiest time in her life because she could bring some happiness to Siu Ling, although she thought that was a tiny one.

To Mr. Bold, it was a special moment to him because there were people to come and visit his shop. The cold air accumulated in his shop was warmed up again.

A train arrived at the station suddenly. Siu Ling realized that and stopped eating immediately.

"Stop! Stop please!" Siu Ling was yelling to the train at first. But it seemed that no one on the train could hear her soft voice.

This time, Siu Ling made a foolhardy attempt. She begun to run on the railway, kept chasing after the train and yelling at the same time. Her loud yelling voice was conveyed high up to the navy-blued sky.

A big echo was formed in the sky. Birds could even feel that powerful vibration made by this little girl.

"Stop! Please, give my parents back...Please!" After a long marathon, Siu Ling panted hard. Both of her hands was on her knees. Even her chest movement was a vigorious one . She finally gave up. She had already used up all her energy. She was nearly exhaused.

The train was gone. The station remained silence again.

Ma ma putted her hands on the girls'shoulder as a kind of solace, without saying a word.

Tenaciousness could still be seen from the girl's eyes. The only thing she thirsted for was to meet her parents just once.

At the same time, ma ma had a regret. For she could not bring more happiness to her own grandchild.
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Chapter Three: The photo

A stranger came to the framehouse where Ma ma and Siu Ling used to live. A scream was created loudly.

"Ma ma! Ma ma, a thief has come to our house! He is very big and tall!" Siu Ling kept screaming to Ma ma until she found Ma ma in the kitchen.

"Oh, my dear! You must be so scared. Ma ma 's here, no need to scared" Ma ma told Siu Ling in her language with the combination of Chinese and English. She then touched Siu Ling's little head with tender and hold her tightly.

After a while, Siu Ling became normal again. She looked at Ma ma calmly with her big eyes.

"Actually, he was not a thief. He will not going to harm us, my dear!" Ma ma said.
"He is a...photographer..." Ma ma continued.

"You are correct, Wong Tai Tai" answered by the stranger politely. "And nice to meet you too, little lady" the stranger was talking to Siu Ling with a brillant smile.

Siu Ling begun to look up to the stranger. What Siu Ling perceived was that he was a very handsome young man with short brown hair. An oval shape hat was on his head. On his shape face outline, there was a pair of round navy blue eyes and a stiff nose. Together with a huge and tall-tinned figure. He was wearing a tidy dark brown nylon suit at that time. The suit was liked some kind of uniform. What he was wearing on his foot, was a pair of black leather shoes which were polished shiny, not even a dust was allowed to stick on them.

"Wow!" Siu Ling responsed shyly. Her face then turned red as an fresh apple that everyone would like to squeezed her face when they first saw her .Then she turned her face to Ma ma immediately.
#

"Could you move a bit leftward, Wong Tai Tai?" the photograher said to Ma ma.

"Like this?" Ma ma moved to the left and said. Siu Ling was just standing in front of Ma ma.

Ma ma and Siu Ling went outside of their frame house. As ma ma felt that she had no time to wait anymore, she got to do something to prove her existence and happiness as fast as possible.

The weather was quite hot. Wind was rarely blowing in the day. Only the sun was burning hard. Siu Ling started to feel tired.

"Ma ma, I feel pain on my legs" Siu Ling rubbed her legs continuously with bare hands. She couldn't stand straight anymore under such a hot and humid day.

"It was almost done, my good girl. After that, Ma ma bought you to Mr.bold to have a rest, okay?" Ma ma gave Siu Ling a kind smile and said.

"Okay, Ma ma." Siu Ling said. "Because I'm Ma ma's good girl" Siu Ling said proudly with a secret smile.

Ma ma had made lots of preparation for this big big day. All could be shown on Siu Ling's wearing. A pink dress was worn by Siu Ling. It was decorated with flower lace on the edge of sleeves. In the middle of Siu Ling's waist was a rose pink ribbon which just fitted her size. At the bottom was a pair of plain white colour shoes which had beautiful rose embroidery. What's more was the two long tassels knitted neatly on Siu Ling's head. The image of a sweet princess finally appeared.

"That's such a nice gesture!" the photographer said to Ma ma. "Okay, ladies please face to the front. Say 'cheese'!" After that, a white flash was made. White smoke came out from the photo-taking machine operated by the young photographer. Siu Ling and Ma ma both felt a prompt stimulation came to their eyes. But soon, they were fine. They looked at each other and did not know what happened just now.

A black and white photo was created.

To Ma ma, it was the first photo she took with her grandchild. It was also the only photo she took in her life.
#

Siu Ling still holds the photo tightly, touches it with her sensitive fingertips, and gives it a broad smile.

In the photo, Ma ma was just standing on the left hand side. Althought she just wore the plain clothes mixed with dark brown colour, her imaga was still an elegant one. What's more, she offered an amazing smile on her face which symbolized peace and sophistication in life.

Yet, the photo had been fade in yellow colour due to the passage of time. The impression of Ma ma is so blur and unclear.

Even Siu Ling can't even regconize what's ma ma is like. But, in her memories, she is kind and tender. Every act she took would not be washed away.


END OF THE STORY
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