AUNTIE LI NA AND AMIR

The good looking boy with me in the picture is Amir.  His dad is my friend and colleague in school.  I had requested that his dad bring him to the library so that I could play with him after school.  I am very fond of children and keep bugging my friends to bring their young ones for me to hug and cuddle.

I can remember the Chinese date for Amir's birthday because it was the 19th day of the 6th month which happens to be the birthday of Kuan Yin, the Goddess of Mercy.  I remember mentioning it to my godmother that my friend's baby son was born on this special day and she told me something that I would always remember.  My godma said that those who were born on this day would have to go through a lot of trials and tribulations in their lives and they might lose one of their parents at a young age.  She said that like Kuan Yin, these people would meet with a lot of challenges and sufferings.  I didn't give much thought to what my godma told me until I heard that Amir's mother was diagnosed to be suffering from SLE when he was about a year old.  At that time I was reading for my Masters degree fulltime and was on study leave.  By the time, I finished my studies and was posted back to school, his mum was critically ill and passed away  at the end of 2006 at the age of 20.

I have a soft spot for this young boy who lost his mummy so early in life.  I saw him about a month ago when he accompanied his dad for Sports practice in the evening.  When he came into the library yesterday afternoon, it had struck me that he had grown thinner and paler.  According to his dad, he has a bad reaction to milk and is also asthmatic. To be honest, I had ulterior motives when I asked his dad to bring him to school for me to play with on my birthday.  It was because I wanted to give him one of my birthday wishes, that is, for him to grow up healthily and lead a happy life.  I also bought him a present and a Happy Meal from MacDonald.  Unfortunately, he could not drink the Milo as it would make him sick. Ribena is another taboo for him. Maybe I should ask his dad to let Amir be my godson as he was born in the year of the Monkey which is very compatible to my animal sign.  You know the Chinese believe that having a godmother or godparents would do a sickly child a world of good as the boy or girl would get extra protection from another set of parents.