Dear Josh,
Shalini wrote about a number of small things you’ve missed yesterday. I will now write about a big thing.
Yesterday, Jess’s official MBBS certificate and academic transcripts arrived in the mail. She had it sent to Ammamma’s place for multiple reasons. She had also wanted all of us to open it together.
Incidentally, Shalini and Aunty J were at home as well. So after dinner, we all opened it together. Tun was filming the event on the phone, and Shalini had Jess on FaceTime so she could watch us opening the large envelope too.
It was a beautiful certificate. I read the whole covering letter out loud. And then we got to the academic transcript, where all her grades and prizes were listed. As I went down the list, I was more than amazed at her accomplishments. And especially with all she’s had to go through during the 6 years of an already grueling course. Covid, a number of your struggles, being alone, and of course, the worst of it- losing you. Ammamma and Patta were so proud, as were Shalini, Tun and Aunty J. We clapped and cheered, but I was just milliseconds away from breaking down. I kept telling myself to keep it together.
One of her prizes, as you know, was Dean’s list. I remarked that all three of you- Jess, Shalini and you, are “Dean’s Listers”. Extraordinary!
You should have been here for this. It was you who woke me up every morning at 5am for a week to check the UCAS system to see if she had gotten in. It was you who pounced on her bed to tell her she had gotten in. It was you who convinced me to encourage her to choose UK over Singapore, adding that it will be something exciting for all of us. It was you who was on the phone with Jess when she received news of her scholarship.
You would have been so excited to open this with us and read of her million achievements. I try to think of what you would have said about this. I think it would have been something like, “what she’s done is just amazing Mum”.
And for this, I also think you have been with her, helping her along with what otherwise should have been impossible to achieve.
Love Mum
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