Unexpected Saturday

It started out to be a relaxing day. Sleeping late, prata for breakfast and maybe a little shopping at Orchard in the afternoon. Then my sis called in the late afternoon and ask us if we want to have steamboat dinner at my sis's brother in-law's home.


I thought that it's the usual dinner and mahjong session, so I suggest that we eat dinner, hang out for ONE game and go jalan jalan at Orchard as planned. I was surprised that my parents were going too but then again, I just thought that sis want to have a family dinner, that's all.

Look at all the food...!

Sis preparing even more food...

Mom works her magic on the babies...

What a great spread and we were all tucking into the steaming hot food when sis suddenly stood up and said that she had something to announce. My first thought was that she was going to have a baby.


Boy was I wrong...


She said that she has been promoted and that she would be posted to Hong Kong.


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Other than the children making noises and the bubbling of the steamboat, there was a moment of silence as we absorbed in the news. She blabbled on about how she should be going over in January and she's given an apartment and how this is a great opportunity for her. She also tried to sugar-coat the news abit on how she can work a FEW YEARS there, resign and come back with a great boost to her resume. Dad was supportive as ever, he agrees that it is a great opportunity and she made a right choice to go. Everybody else just went back to their dinner, chatting as if nothing has happened. Me, I was just stunned.


Err... am I the only one that is hearing this?? She's moving to another country!


I honestly didn't know how to respond to the news. I suddenly lost all appetite, along with my ability to laugh at the jokes dad was cracking. She's leaving! My mind was blank except for that voice that kept repeating the words in my brain. She's leaving! I stopped talking, cause I don't know what to say or feel.


I felt so angry that she could decide to just leave her family and life here and go to another country. Yet, I feel happy for her because career wise, this is good news. But most of all, I felt an atmost sense of grief. The last time I felt this way, Connie was leaving me. I left the dinner table early and sat in the living area. After dinner Sis tried to engage in a conversation with me, asking me if I've watched Bee movie, offering me a candy, as if she didn't just announced that she's moving to another country. I just mumbled some reply but I cannot speak or even look at her due to all the emotions that was bubbling inside of me. After a short while I suggested to Cobby that we go off early and offered to drive my parents home. I didn't say goodbye to the people. I just can't stand it.


As we were driving my parents home, in the darkness of the car, tears started falling down as the voice in my head spoke.


I'm losing my sister...


No more bored phone calls in the afternoon, no more ktv sessions with her, no more shopping outings with her, no more staying over at her place, sleeping in the same bed, no more breakfast outings on weekends. No more! She would be miles away and seeing her would require a plane ticket and who knows when will we see her? Every few months? Few times a year? Once a year? This is not a temporary posting ok. She will be there until she decided to quit her job and come back. Who knows when would that be? Will she have become a stranger by then? How many milestones in my life would she have missed?


My brother and I had drifted apart so I was very close to my sister. Now that she's decided to leave, I feel as if I'm losing the only sibling I have. I'm going to miss her so much!


Only one month left before she departs. There's nothing that I can do to stop her from leaving.


Help! I'm losing my sister...!