Mambo Agogo

Mambo is a name came up out of nowhere. The inventor was my dad. The person that was called, no one other than my own mom. I remember clearly, one day back then, when we had lunch, my dad blurred out "where is mambo?" Indicated busy mom wooshing around before finally sat down. Onwards from that day, we called my mom Mambo! 

Ah mambo. January 24th is her second birthday to the eternal life. Thus, in regards of her living memory, let me tell you about mambo that I knew dearly.
Mambo was in love with cooking. Kitchen was her throne. She could consider cooking as a stress reliever or in contrary, it made her stressful. Yes, my mom could feel two emotions at the same time. A libra typical. Anyway, she loved to cook and would cook enormously  and all of her dishes would be delivered to her friends or business-partners. She noted who liked what, who could not eat what, and so on. Whenever she cooked was a hell for me. Haha believe me, we did not have a good term back then. We fought often whenever she cooked at house. For those who got my mom's dishes, don't worry, it was not your fault, it was just us. I did not hate when my mom cooked, but I should be extra patient and sometimes I could not. Haha. It was not a bad memory at all. Kitchen would be smelled with Pastel tutup or what my mom called "Kentang Bakar" - baked potato, Dutch style baked potato. It was like a casserole topped with creamy smashed potato. Some other time, she would make her family tradition recipe. She called it Yuping. I think it's a dish from Fuqian where my mom's ancestor came from. You could probably only find it in Taiwan nowadays. Countless of recipes. My favorite was Yuping

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Besides cooking, she loves to go shopping! Nontheless, she's not a shopaholic unless the SALE sign was up. She bought pans to underwear with BIG sale on it. She would like to ask my dad's cousin in Jakarta to find me a ballet dress with a note "yang diskon ya Wi", discount.. discount... discount. Her destiny was with DISCOUNT. She could get many things on a big sale. It's like discount and her were calling each other. Not only because the sign Sale was up, but she had a very good networking. She could get discount from a textile shop, crab restaurant, jewellery shop, material shop, health laboratory, and her friends or relatives could literally say her name in a Japanese Restaurant and they would get a discount ;). She is indeed a Tante Diskon.
One thing that is related to her as well, was a calculator. She would have a normal-sized calculator in her purse. Hehehehehehehhee... it was taken out when she bought groceries, or met customers. Her closed friends were smiling brightly when saw me put her favorite calculator in her coffin. I know I was silly. Hehe
She was not the kindest mom on earth, but she was a perfect mom for me indeed. Reminisce her leave, I was like seeing my mom graduated proudly from university of life. She had accomplished so much. Her complex about discount was diminished a little so she was able to enjoy many things. She was a little bit hard on herself. However, influenced by my dad, she was able to spend peacefully on her happiness in her last years on earth. Such as going to a nice hotel to spend a chinese new year, ate good food without waiting to be discounted  bought me an expensive dress. She said, she did not care anymore, she wanted to enjoy. And thus, she was able to be grateful of everything she had.
Very fresh in my mind, 2 years a go in her funeral in the church, people were packed. It looked like an ordinary Sunday mass. It was an honour to have you all back then. Thank you for those who were in grief for my mom's lost. Thank you for those who smiled brightly when coming to see my mom for the last time. Most of my father's cousins and her own cousins whom she had been closed with, came to our house and smiled upon my mom's body. They told my mom... "it is done. You are free now"

This is her two years of leaving us, but let us celebrate it with joy. For she was not going in agony, but in joyful heart. She was a warrior, she still my guardian warrior. Counted as I took my first breath on earth until very now, and even until my last breath, her heart is still beating like a drum in my heart.

Copied from Phillip Phillips's song Gone Gone Gone,
She is my backbone

My cornerstone
My crutch when my legs aren't moving.

My head start

My rugged heart

Like a drum, mambo don't stop beating

Like a drum my heart never stops beating for you

and long after you're gone, gone, gone

I'll love you long after you're gone, gone, gone