She is really gifted in the English language, one of the best in her time. Besides History and Pendidikan Moral, she once taught Bible Knowledge during the early days of teaching at SM St Martin Tampasak Tambunan. She had taught at SMK Bingkor, SRJK St Theresa, Tambunan and Sk Rancangan Belia Tiulon, Sook. Hundreds of students could attest to her contribution as a teacher, especially being able to predict the correct questions for History during the SPM examinations, among others.
Mum attributed her expertise to her being an avid reader...her own words, "I must have read over a thousand books!" She has always tried to instill in us the love for the written words. Somehow, along the way, I learned to imitate her...she is and always will be, my IDOL!
My mum loves her ex-students so much, and is proud of their achievements. She even considers some of them as her very own sons, especially Fr. Bruno Andau and Fr. Francis Dakun. She had prayed that one of her sons would serve the Lord as a full time ordained minister, but it was not to be so. Her consolation though, is that one of her nephews, responded to the call, namely Fr. Rudolp Joannes Asou. She never ceases to pray for all the priests and religious, and rebukes anyone who would criticize them.
A devout Catholic, mum never falter in her practice. She admitted that she started to get really involved around the age of forty. Understandably so due to bringing up six kids very diverse in character each. (Mum has knows many priests, past and present. Fr Michael Henselmans has a very special place in her heart. May he rest in peace.+) Msgr Gilbert Engan played a significant role in her 'conversion', that is, to become a great devotee to Our Lady and by giving her the responsibilities to give talks on Mary. She is very much an inspired and effective speaker. Mum is an active member in the Legion of Mary and the Catechetical Committee. She had held several presidential positions and been to several seminars and pilgrimages within the country, namely ...Kuching and St Anne, Penang. She is also a member of the Board of Trustee of an elementary school supervised by the mission. Now she attends LOM and BEC meetings regularly. She pioneered the devotion to the Divine Mercy in our parish, and also started the Bookstore which is now under the Putri Karmel supervision.
A song writer, mum had composed several religious songs that had entry into several competition and managed to emerge as best songs. The first one I remember was the song for Offertory in Dusun which was later used during a Charismatic Congress held at Sacred Haert KK in the early 1990s. The latest is Hahangai do Touvi which is included in the recently launched KBK of Keningau Diocese cds. She also loves to sing, and some of her favourite songs are oldies, which I am yet trying to find out and compile into a collection.
Mum is kind-hearted and generous to a fault, whereby some unscrupulous men had taken advantage of. She never tires of helping us her children in our financial needs, even sacrificing her own comforts and pleasures. She never take holiday trips. (Once she had gone to the Philippines to visit the Hermanas Guadalupanas de La Salle.) Instead she invested her money, always with the intention of helping her children and grandchildren improve in life. However the outcome is not always favourable.
She can also be called a thesis writer, wherein she had helped several individuals writing their thesis in part or in translation. Of course she received some cash for a job well done, but it is hardly enough. She could have graduated several times already! She also does some extra works in translation or writing reports for those who would ask her. She could never refuse anyone who approached her for help.
Mum is also an ardent 'farmer'. She could never stay away too long from her little farm. She used to plant vegetables and sell at the Sunday tamu. She also planted chillies and lemon grass for commercial purposes. Nowadays she has become a rubber tapper. "These trees are older than myself," she told me once when I accompanied her one morning. Unmindful of the many friendly flying buddies surrounding her, she continues to go up and down the hill almost everyday, in her lonely visits to her trees and gather what little or much latex they would offer for that day.
Another side of mum, which perhaps very few knew about, is her passion for soccer. She is so well versed on the updates especially on the English Football Premier League and the Europa League that she could well surpass her peers, men at that. She often exchanges goal scores and commentaries with my brothers and brother in law, and she monopolizes the astro tv channel during seasons and weekends. Her favourite team is Manchester United. Incidentally, she once played defender and fullback for her alma mater, St Francis Xavier Keningau during her teens.
Nonetheless, she has her shortcomings too. Too sensitive for one, she could get hurt easily and sometimes her judgment falter causing some emotional outburst. Being too trustful is another, wherein she had been lured to invest in some fraud business ventures in the past. A martyr, mum's married life is hardly any consolation to her. She had to undergo a lot of trials and struggles throughout her life. One of her children abandoned the faith. The early years of reciting the rosary as a family is now gone, much to her disappointment. It must have pained her to see her elder daughter, an underachiever and lacking a direction in life for many years, one whom she had somehow spoiled through being too permissive and not so strict in her upbringing. Indeed,
motherhood is bitter sweet sour and salty to my mum.
I want to thank you mum for all your sacrifices and patience, and especially for your love and understanding. So sorry for the many problems and difficulties I had caused you. May the Good Lord rewards you abundantly in the afterlife, which is unfortunately denied of you in this lifetime. GB. I love you, mum. Always!
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