Almost immediately I gave my beloved mother Charissa and aunt Cathy a hug.
"You're growing up so quickly," She proudly exclaimed to me, her radiant face gleaming with joy.
The three of us shared dinner that night, and as it traditionally was the case for much of my childhood life, it was Cathy who prepared the dishes.
As Charissa witnessed my aunt cook some yang chow fried rice and beef brisket, she couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction that Cathy performed her duties very well in her absence.
Cathy is now 42, the youngest in her family that also included her sister Charissa. As a kid Cathy was shy and sometimes reserved, and only had a few close friends in school.
Nevertheless, Cathy proved to be an intelligent and talented student. She was a member of her school's glee club and her five-octave vocal range made her the talk of the class. Cathy also learned how to play the piano and was invited to perform at her school's concerts every year.
But my aunt never desired for attention; she only wanted to remain low-key. In fact, Cathy never intended on becoming a legendary composer or recording artist because fame was not on her DNA.
Despite that, Cathy still took a music degree in a prestigious college and graduated with honors, simply because she loved to play the piano and sing.
After college, Cathy stayed home with her parents to tend to their restaurant business. She remains unmarried to this day, yet Cathy always envisioned for that moment when she would experience an opportunity to raise a child.
As fate would have it, a call from my mother changed her life. Charissa was preparing to leave for Hong Kong when she called Cathy and humbly asked her to take care of me. Cathy happily obliged and eagerly rushed to my room to cordially greet Charissa.
"Good evening sis," Cathy greeted Charissa as she arrived at the room. They greeted each other with kindly kisses and pats on the back, but after all the pleasantries, their cheerful demeanor turned serious.
"You're leaving, right?" Cathy asked Charissa a question.
"Yes sis," Charissa responded. I had no choice. My company asked me to fly to Hong Kong and work there. I couldn't pass up the opportunity, which is why I called you."
Just before Charissa left she made one last request to Cathy.
"Sis take good care of my six-year-old daughter Christine. Tell her to behave well."
Cathy then reassured her by saying "I understand. I'll try to be a good adoptive mother to your daughter."
With those final words of encouragement, the two lovely sisters embraced and Charissa left home, never to come back for the next 17 years.
From that point on, it was Cathy who took over the household, doing almost everything from laundry to house cleaning and even cooking. She was her own nanny inside the unit.
Over time, I started to consider Cathy as a second mother, and in turn she began to treat me like a real daughter. Our bond grew stronger as time passed. Even as I matured and became more independent, Cathy would still come to our unit and check on me from time to time.
There were also times when Cathy acted like a guardian angel in case things turn wretched. I previously wrote in my blog about my first day of school, and I mentioned how Cathy tried to cheer me up after that first horrible encounter with the school bullies.
On the night Charissa, Cathy and I shared dinner, and we talked about some of the moments Cathy and I had while my mother was away.
"First of all, thank you so much for taking care of my daughter," Charissa politely told Cathy.
"It was no big deal," Cathy responded. "I did what you wanted me to do, helping your daughter grow into a strong, hard-working and independent woman. I'm proud of that."
"I'll always remember the times I spent with your daughter Christine. Whether it was a fishing trip with family, a trip to the beach or the mountains, or helping out in the household, Christine and I would always get along great. And when she had problems with her personal life, whether it was here or at school, Christine would always turn to me for advice."
Genuinely pleased with Cathy's words of wisdom, I took time to graciously thank my aunt for all the remarkable things she did to me.
"Cathy, thank you for being a terrific substitute mother. I'll never forget the countless days we've spent together; whether it was good or bad, I'll always keep that in mind."
But if there was something I sorely wanted to relive from my dear aunt, it was undoubtedly her love for music.
"Remember when you always sang an uplifting song to me when I felt terrible?" I questioned Cathy.
She then replied, "Oh, I almost forgot about that. Hold on for a minute, I have something in my bag."
Cathy retrieved her bag and picked up a mobile phone. She then played the song 'Don't Cry Out Loud' by Melissa Manchester, and as the music blared through the speakers, I began to cry.
That song reminds me of my troubled past. Cathy would always play and sing that song to me in times of trouble and during the final chorus she would hug me tight in order to lift my spirits up.
Cathy sang the chorus of 'Don't Cry Out Loud' that touched my heart.
Don't cry out loud
just keep it inside and learn how to hide your feelings
Fly high and proud
And if you should fall, remember you almost had it all
I concluded by saying "Thank you for playing that song again, auntie. It makes my heart warm and cozy whenever you play that beautiful music. Thank you so much."
As aunt and niece once again hugged, Charissa realized that the moment has finally come for mother and daughter to compensate for lost time. Her day off can't come soon enough, and I'm excited for my mother and me to renew acquaintances.