Farewell Mrs. Katherine Brown

The MAS plane touched down at Heathrow and Daniel immediately embarked on the British Rail heading up north to Coventry, lugging his luggage along. When the train stopped at the Coventry Station, he quickly hailed a cabbie and rushed to the country chapel where the memorial service is being conducted for Mrs. Katherine Brown. He found that the memorial service was in progress. Kathy Brown’s body is rested in a glass-covered coffin, visibly placed in the middle front part of the little chapel. Her body has been transported from London to Coventry. She and Freddy Brown expressed their wish to be buried together in their hometown of Coventry where both of them grew up, fell in love and married. The coffin is made of mahogany, lined with plated fittings and brass ornaments, topped with a decorated velvet drape, with the words, ‘One must see God in everyone… St. Catherine Laboure’ written on top of it. Freddy Brown chose the quote, which he thought it most fitting to sum up his wife’s qualities that made her what she was when she was alive. The coffin was ordered by her son, Charles Brown, who flew back from Hong Kong with his family. Freddy Brown, Charles Brown, his wife Mei Ling and their children, Elizabeth Brown, her husband Peter and their children are all gathered together in the little chapel, sitting at the front row to mourn the loss of the matriarch of the family. The rows behind them are occupied by friends and relatives, coming to pay their last respects. They are singing the hymn ‘Here I Am Lord.’ Daniel hastened his footsteps and found a seat next to Peter. He gave him a nod and sat down quietly, joining them in singing the hymn:



Here I Am, Lord.
I, the Lord of sea and sky,
I have heard my people cry.
All who dwell in dark and sin,
My hand will save.
I who made the stars and night,
I will make the darkness bright.
Who will bear my light to them,
Whom shall I send?
Here I am Lord,
Is it I Lord?
I have heard you calling in the night.
I will go Lord,
If you lead me.
I will hold your people in my heart.

I the Lord of snow and rain,
I have borne my people's pain.
I have wept for love of them,
They turn away.

I will break their hearts of stone,
Fill their hearts with love alone.
I will speak my word to them
Whom shall I send?

Here I am Lord
Is it I Lord?
I have heard you calling in the night
I will go Lord
If you lead me
I will hold your people in my heart.

I, the Lord of wind and flame,
I will send the poor and lame.
I will set a feast for them,
My hand will save.
Finest bread I will provide,
'Til their hearts be satisfied.
I will give my life to them,
Whom shall I send?
Here I am, Lord. Is it I, Lord?
I have heard you calling in the night.
I will go, Lord, if you lead me.
I will hold your people in my heart.

I will hold your people in my heart……..


“I am so sorry to hear of Mum’s passing away. I wasn’t at home when you phoned. My father told me you called. I flew back to be with you as soon as I heard the news.”, Daniel rushed to embrace a sobbing Freddy Brown sitting amongst his children and grandchildren in the family lounge, after Kathy Brown was finally laid to rest. “What happened? She was in good health and spirit before I left for home ”. Freddy Brown was fighting hard for words, he still feels the pain. Then Charles steps forward and explains. “Mum was murdered Dan!”, he said it with extreme hate and anger in his eyes and on his face. “Oh my God! I can’t believe it. How did it happen? Tell me please!”, Daniel is in a state of real shock on hearing Charles’s revelation. “She was mugged and stabbed by a bloody scumbag hooligan!” “Wait a minute! But how did it happen?” “Mum was going to the grocery shop down the high street to buy some vegies and confectionaries. On her way back, she was waylaid by this bloody hooligan in the secluded part of the pathway. He was hiding in some bushes and suddenly sprung out and demanded money from Mum. Mum said she didn’t carry much money with her and there was little left after she had spent the money in the grocery shop. The bastard then grabbed her purse and took whatever money was in the purse. He was not satisfied with small amount. He became abusive. Mum dropped her shopping bags and started walking briskly for home. That scumbag went after Mum and when he caught up with her, he took out his dagger and started stabbing Mum!” “Wasn’t anybody there at the time?”, Daniel enquires. “No. Not a soul! The thug ran away leaving Mum fighting for her life lying on the lonely village road. Someone eventually walked by and saw her. He took her to the hospital. But it was too late. Mum was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital, due to massive loss of blood from her chest wounds .” “What about the hooligan? Was he caught?” Daniel was feeling the hatred himself. “How could such heinous crime be committed on an old lady such as Mrs. Kathy Brown?” he tries to make sense of it all. “Well, his so called friend who is probably also his enemy informed the police. The bastard bragged about his dark deed to his friend. They later felt out of each other’s favour because of a girl and that’s why his friend came forward to report him to the police. They found the dagger on him and the test showed that it was the dagger that stabbed Mum.” “So, what did the police do to him?”, Daniel wanted justice for his adopted mother. “The thug was brought to court. They heard that he was a school dropout, coming from a broken home and mixing with the bad company. He was neglected by her biological mother who had eight children and he was given up for adoption. His adopted parents later divorced and he was hanging out with the homeless in the streets. He peddled drugs and became an addict himself. To feed his drug addiction, he often stole and extorted from the neighbourhood. The police found out that he was drunk and high on drugs on the day he mugged Mum.” “Ok. But what did the police do to him?” “The police charged him for murder. But the judge sentenced him to only three years jail!” “What? Only three years for taking an innocent life? I can’t understand the British judicial system! ”, Daniel wanted revenge on the killer. “Yes. That bastard deserves life! But, the judge said they took into account his age and his background!”, Charles punches his fists into the air, shaking his head, feeling the injustice. “I hope he rots in hell!”, he screams. Daniel is overcome by emotion himself. He sees fleeting images of the Browns in his mind’s eyes when he first met them in the Westminster Park. He sees a pair of loving elderly couple with slivery hair taking sandwiches lunch on the park bench. Kathy Brown is feeding her husband Freddy with sandwiches from her lunch box. Freddy takes his time to eat but could hold the large chunk of bread in his mouth and coughs out a slice of tomato in the sandwich. Kathy Brown takes out some tissues from her handbag and starts to gently wipe away the loose breads hanging from Freedy’s mouth. Kathy notices Daniel is sitting on the bench opposite them and she is aware of Daniel observing them. She walks across and offers Daniel her sandwich stuffed with homemade roast beef with lettuce and tomatoes. That’s how he met the Browns. Daniel and his university mates often visited the Browns in their country home during semester breaks. They had forged a trusting, happy and lasting relationship in the ensuing years. The Browns adored Daniel and adopted him as their own son. They were kind, loving and generous toward him and made him feel welcome in London. Daniel is immensely grateful to Kathy and Freddy Brown. “Yes, three years sentence for taking an innocent life is far too lenient.”, Daniel is still feeling the anger in him. “We should appeal for a harsher sentence!”, he pleads. “Don’t bother Dan. Once the judge has decided, there is no way we can change his mind!.”, replies Charles with a stern voice. “Don’t worry. I can wait. Three years is a short time. I will know where to get the bastard when he gets out of jail!”, Charles threatens revenge on the youth. “You two, please stop it!”, Elizabeth who has been listening quietly to the conversations between Charles and Daniel, decides to speak up. “ Surely revenge is not what Mummy would want. The murderer has been caught and punished. Justice has been done, although it’s not to the scale of what we expected. Mummy taught us that there are so many things in this life that we don’t have the answer to. Everything happens for a reason and God does not have to give us His reason. She taught us to embrace forgiveness and move forward. If we hang on to anger, resentment and thoughts of revenge, our sufferings will be amplified and we will be entrapped in our own sufferings. Haven’t you learnt anything from her? I couldn’t understand then but I do understand now. “, Elizabeth does not share the hard line views of Charles and Daniel. Her mother has taught her well. “I am worried for Dad now that Mum has gone. He has aged a lot recently. We wanted him to come and stay with us but he says Hong Kong he does not want to burden us. He wants to go back to Coventry. ” Charles changed the subject; he thinks Elizabeth is being naive. “Well, Dad could come to stay with us. I have already discussed this with Peter and the children. They don’t mind. The children love to have him around.”, Elizabeth quips. “He is going to miss Mum.”, Charles replies. “You know my Mum and Dad have known each other practically all their lives.”, Elizabeth turns to talk to her husband Peter. “Yes. You told me that your parents already knew each other when they were babies.” “That’s right. Their parents were best of friends and they used to visit each other’s homes. They threw birthday parties in each other’s home and the families went for holidays together. Mum and Dad went to the same nursery school and later to the same college during their teens in Coventry. They were childhood sweethearts. Later, they got married and moved down to London. I don’t think they ever had any other relationships. They went through much hardships during the two world worlds, but their love for each other kept them together and strong.”, Elizabeth repeats her parent’s story to Peter. “If it’s not because of Mummy, Charles and myself would have been burnt alive in that rundown flat from the German bombings in September 1940. My biological parents died from the bombings. Mum was the head nurse attached to the Hackney Hospital at the time where an injured man told her that we were trapped inside the flat. She went home and told Dad about it. Both of them came to take us away. They saved us.”, Elizabeth is overcome by emotions and starts to cry uncontrollably.

Few days passed. “You still want to consider Hong Kong, Dan?”, Charles repeats his offer. “No. Not now Charles. Maybe in the future. Who knows? I am going to get married and settle down in KL. Make sure you and Mei Ling come for my wedding. Janet and myself would be so happy to have both of you attending our wedding ceremony.” “And of course you too Dad. You can join Charles in Hong Kong first. Enjoy your holidays there and then fly down to KL with them. Ok?”, Daniel turns to speak to Freddy Brown. “Ok. Sounds great. By the way, there is a letter for you from Ringano. I think he sent the letter to my address because he doesn’t know your Malaysia address.” Freddy Brown then stood up and went to the fireplace in the family lounge. There is a letter on top of the fireplace. “Here it is. Let me know how is the chap doing in his country Son.”, Freddy Brown hands over the letter to Daniel.