[EnigmaofSorrow]

It was late morning on Saturday and I was preparing lunch for Shirley. I was making black chicken herbal soup, stir-fried marmite pork ribs and some mixed vegetable stew. Shirley had gone back to bed after breakfast and I was preparing the ingredients after playing Diablo for awhile.

I had just set the soup to boil on low heat and was about to start on the pork ribs when the doorbell rang.

I answered the door and saw two kids, both girls, standing there. The older one probably around 5 or 6 and the younger one around 3 or 4. I was wondering how they were able to press the doorbell when I saw her. The lady who I presumed was the kids mother.

She stood there, back turned towards me, dressed in denim shorts and a fitting polo tee. Her streaked blonde hair was tied in a pony-tail and what looked like aviator shades were perched on the top of her head. She took a long drag from the lit cigarette and flicked the ash over the ledge. I opened the gate and stepped out.

Me: Hey. Smoking is bad for the kids.

She turned around, and I almost could not recognize her. It was a very long time since the last I saw her. I knew she was married but I did not know that she had kids.

Her face was still sweet as I remembered, her skin still flawless. Her body betrayed the fact that she had kids, and two at that.

She flicked the lit cigarette over the ledge, came towards me and pulled me in for a hug. I recalled the times when she used to hug me. I felt safe, comforted, protected.

Older kid: Mommy? Why are you hugging the uncle?

What the hell. I did not know I was old enough to be considered and uncle, and yet the little monster was not wrong. The younger one tugged at my berms.

Younger kid: Let go of my mommy!

She released me from the hug, squatted down and gathered the kids towards her.

Mother: Girls, say hello to your uncle.

Girls: Hello uncle!

Me: Hello!

I turned to her.

Me: Wah lau eh. I'm not even 30 yet.

Mother: Well, you definitely can't deny you are their uncle.

My long-lost sister, whom I had not seen since she left more than 10 years ago, had suddenly appeared at my doorstep.

Me: How did you find me?

Sis: Mom called.

Me: Mom or step mom?

Sis: Have you even heard from our real mother in the past 25 years??? I think she's dead.

Me: Right. But wait a min. Mom doesn't know exactly where I'm at.

Sis: Andrew asked around. There's this girl called Jenny? I think he asked her.

Me: Jenny doesn't know where I'm at either. The actual address anyway.

Sis: Whatever.

Me: So why are you here?

Sis: Thought I'll come and say hello.

Me: You know what happened right?

Sis: More or less.

Me: And you still brought your kids over??

Sis: Other people's kids won't affect the grieving mother. Babies might though.

I glanced over at the sofa where the two kids had somehow invited themselves into the house and made themselves at home.

Me: Err...

Sis: Aren't you gonna invite me in?

Me: Yeah.

She entered and sat on the sofa with her girls.

I turned on the TV.

Me: Entertain yourselves ok? I'm cooking.

Sis: You're what?

Me: Cooking.

Sis: Haha! Since when did you know how to cook?

Me: I had to learn.

Sis: Oh good. Does that mean I get to sample your dishes?

Me: I suppose I could make a bigger portion...

Sis: Ok!

I excused myself and went to Shirley's room, gently rousing her from her sleep.

Me: Hey... Erm. My sister is here.

S: Huh? Your sister?

Me: My real sister. So technically it's your god-sister.

S: Huh? Why's she here?

Me: I don't know. But she brought your god-nieces here.

Shirley looked as though she was about to cry, but she held back her tears. Or maybe I was beig overly sensitive.

S: Oh.

Me: You're ok right?

S: Yeah. Just not dressed.

Me: You don't have to go out if you don't want to. I'll bring your lunch in.

S: No. It's ok. Give me awhile.

Me: You sure?

S: Yeah.

Me: Ok. I'll need to start cooking then, otherwise we'll be eating dinner instead of lunch.

I left her to get dressed and headed back to the kitchen. My sister was peering into the pot.

Sis: Needs more salt.

Me: It's still boiling la. I'll taste it again later. And since when did you learn how to cook?

Sis: When you have kids it's second nature.

I started cutting up the pork ribs.

Me: So where have you been all these years?

Sis: Well, I got married.

Me: Er. Yeah. Otherwise where did the kids come from?

Sis: Funny.

Me: Extremely. So you're not working? So free the visit me?

Sis: It's the weekend. And let's just say my husband is a very nice man.

Me: So you're a rich tai tai now?

Sis: Not really.

Me: Meaning?

Sis: I have the resources but don't live the lifestyle.

I guessed our humble upbringing and fucked up childhood made her a sensible person.

Me: So you're a full-time housewife?

Sis: Sort of.

Me: You're speaking in code.

Sis: I haven't lived here for the past 10 years.

Me: Then?

Sis: The nature of my husbands business means we travel a lot. I've been to Spain, England, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, China, and most of the ASEAN countries.

Me: So how come your kids don't have weird accents?

Sis: Because I don't let them? Do you hear me speaking with a strange accent?

Me: Nope.

Sis: I'm still a Singaporean, so is my husband. So where better than to raise our kids?

Me: True.

Sis: So he decided to move back here and start his own firm.

Me: You brought the kids to see their grandfather yet?

Sis: Nope. Don't intend to. But they've seen their step-uncles. And step-grandmother.

Me: So now you decided to come see me?

Sis: Well, you're the only one left...

Me: After leaving me to fend for myself all these years.

Sis: Oh come on. You're a guy. And by the looks of it, a pretty fit and strong one now. Besides, you were the one protecting me when we got older. And, I wanna see the girl who managed to domesticate you!

Me: Very funny.

Sis: Well?

Me: Well what?

Sis: Are wedding bells on the cards?

Me: Siao.

Sis: Why? Because it wasn't your kid? Then why are you here? Cooking even?

Me: Good question.

Sis: So what's the answer.

Me: I don't know.

I heard the girls greeting Shirley as she stepped out. Strangely, they called her 姐姐 instead of auntie.

Shirley stepped into the kitchen. My sister gave her a hug.

Sis: Hope you're feeling better.

S: Thanks. Your kids are really cute.

My sister then did the stupid act cute thing where she flashed the v-sign next to her face.

Sis: That's cos I'm cute too!

I almost choked. Shirley laughed. And to think my sister is in her mid-thirties and yet still acting cute.

Sis: Well, let's not disturb your husband while he's cooking.

Shirley blushed visibly as they both exited the kitchen. She turned back and gave me a shy smile. I smiled back.

I finished cooking roughly an hour later and we all sat down to eat. I had made an additional omelette dish to supplement the rest of the dishes. Luckily there was still some ice cream in the freezer and we had that for dessert.

Shirley spent the rest of the day chatting with my sister and playing with the two kids while I listened rather disinterestedly. Apparently my sister had five miscarriages before she had her first kid, so she told Shirley not to give up hope. I excused myself when the discussion started getting a little to feminine for my liking and went to slaughter demons in inferno mode.

Close to dinner time, I invited my sister and her kids to stay but she declined as her husband was about to arrive. I walked them downstairs and bade them goodbye as the BMW 7-series pulled into the drop-off point. I acknowledged her husband as my sister gave me one last hug.

Sis: Take good care of her. We all need to settle down one day.

And then she left.

As I watched the BMW pull away, I wondered if I would even get to see her again.

I headed back up and prepared dinner for Shirley. She came up and hugged me from behind.

S: Your sis is really nice. And her kids are cute...

Me: Yeah.

S: Do you think our kids will be cute too?

I almost sliced off my finger.

Me: Erm. Let's not discuss this now.

S: Just kidding. But I'm really grateful that you're here for me now.

Me: Don't mention it. Now please let me cook in peace.

And that was the surprise visit from an unexpected visitor.