In Memory of Ing and Ben; and Elisabeth

“Death leaves a heartache no one can heal, love leaves a memory no one can steal." - From an Irish headstone

18 July 2014
The phone rang. I picked up my phone and looked at the time - 1am.

"Hello. This is Eli's colleague, Bok."
"Eli? Oh ya, Elisabeth. And Bok. Yes, I remember you are her colleague."
"Can I ask what is Eli's flight number?"
"I am not sure. But I am picking her up later."
"There is a plane crash"...

My heartbeat accelerated, my hands trembled, my body was cold but I was hot. I took out Elisabeth's laptop and checked her itinerary. MH17.

Ng Shi Ing is my second sister. When I was 10, she chased me around with a letter opener because I annoyed her so much. She is the mischievous sibling, the one with the funny expression, and antics. When I tell her jokes, she will give me an expressionless face and ask - Why is that funny? I laughed back harder. When she left for university, I cried. I missed her kicking me off the bed or making fun of me. I wrote a poem for her in English class and I cried. Ing moved to Sabah once she got married. I went to Sabah to help her during her pregnancy. Elisabeth gave me a 2 day crash course on how to cook. Ing taught me how to cook chicken soup. Ing gave birth to Ben and I said that he smelled like an egg. I was afraid to carry Ben and Ing was giving me her 'look'. So, I gingerly picked him up. Ben doesn't cries when he falls and is so obedient at the dinner table. Ben could say 'Bah'. Ben is 1 year old 29 days on 17 July 2014. Ing is 32 years old 9 months on 17 July 2014.

Elisabeth Ng is my 4th sister. When I was 7, I gave her a sour look on her birthday, and she was smiling happily. It was evident in the photograph. When I was 14, I taught her how to skip and we played hopscotch in the living room. Maybe that is why she is taller than me. We always walk to the grocery shop before going to school, to buy long beans, green leafy vegetable and occasionally, 10 eggs, or fish. When I was 18, I taught her Mathematics because she dislikes numbers. We travelled to Hong Kong and Macau together and she loves shopping. We went to Yogyakarta and Surabaya, and I gave her a taste of trekking. Elisabeth is the chef among the siblings. I call her 'ISO' because she ensures quality in the cooking and the baking. She is the most forgiving person I know. A person may anger or betrayed her, but she forgives them and accepts them back. She is the creative sibling, making bracelets and her current craze was using buttons to make a flower bouquet. She studied Masters, and I gave her a crash course on the basics of Accounts. She said that she will treat me to a Magnum Gold Ice Cream if she gets an A. When she was in Amsterdam, she showed me her results - A in Financial Accounting. I never wanted the Magnum Gold Bar, but I do want it now. Elisabeth Ng is 29 years old 7 months on 17 July 2014.

This post is not sufficient to write all my memories of them. They are beautiful persons in my life, and too soon, they were taken from this world. But they have lived an amazing life. I never regret any moments, because I have spent the best times with them. I am truly blessed to have them as my siblings.

"It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather we should thank God that such men lived." - George S. Patton