OBITUARY

A Last Mark That Lives in Our Hearts

CLARISSA CHING MAY LENG

Best Choir Conductor of Megaputra, 2016
Choir Conductor of SMK Mary of Teck, Megaputra, Shahputra
English Drama Director of SMK Mary of Teck, Megaputra, Shahputra

Departed on 9 January 2017

Deeply missed by

Parents:
Caleb Ching Wei Jun and Frances Susheela Sharma

Headmistress of SMK Mary of Teck:
Madam Siti Haliza Tajuddin

Choir members of SMK Mary of Teck, Megaputra, Shahputra

English Drama members of SMK Mary of Teck, Megaputra, Shahputra

Leaving behind Uncles, Aunties, Relatives, a Host of Cousins & Friends to mourn their loss

Wake details for Saturday, 14 January 2017
Venue: Megaputra Protestant Church, Megaputra, Shahputra
Viewing: 3PM - 6PM at the Wake Room
Service: 8PM in the Church

Funeral Details
The funeral service will take place at 2PM on Sunday, 15 January 2017 at Megaputra Protestant Church, Megaputra, Shahputra and thence to Dirgantara Christian Cemetery, Dirgantara, Shahputra.

Danial Izzani read the obituary on his smartphone, forwarded by his mother via WhatsApp. Five days left before Clarissa Ching's funeral, and apparently Danial's mother would be attending the funeral.

Meaning, Danial would attend it as well.

Danial climbed down from the first floor of his house to the ground floor. He was wearing his neatly pressed school uniform. With his school bag and violin case on his shoulders. He walked to the kitchen.

Danial and Roslaina's kitchen was spacious. A round dining table of six seats could fit in it. At a corner section of the kitchen, separated by a partial wall, was Roslaina's sewing area. It had a rectangle-shaped table, where Roslaina cut the fabric she was working on. It also situated a standalone Toshiba sewing machine.

While Danial entered the kitchen, she saw his mother was wearing the white telekung. Roslaina was reciting the Quran verses from the Holy Quran at the rectangle table. She must had just performed her Subuh prayers.

Danial put his school bag and violin case on the round kitchen dining table and made himself a cup of black coffee, no sugar, no milk at the kitchen counter.

When Roslaina ended her Quran recital, she closed the Holy Quran and kept it high in a book rack at her sewing area in the big space kitchen.

"Have you performed your Subuh prayers?" asked Roslaina, trying to start a conversation.

"Yes, Mommy," replied Danial, mixing his coffee powder in the hot water, to make sure it dissolves thoroughly.

"You rarely drink coffee in the morning," commented Roslaina.

"This morning is an exception," replied Danial softly.

"You looked like a zombie after returning from the Law's residence yesterday."

Danial was silent. He was too tired to function well in the morning.

But, he did have a burning question to ask his mother after he read Clarissa's obituary.

Danial turned to his mother, leaning his hips at the kitchen counter, while sipping his hot coffee. Like a jolt of lightning, his mind turned fresher and alert.

"How come you got invited to attend Clarissa's funeral?" asked Danial.

"Clarissa's mother is my client," answered Roslaina truthfully. "I've made countless blouses and dresses for her. She called, when you were at the Law's. She asked me to create two funeral dresses."

"Why do I not know that Clarissa's mother is your client?" asked Danial. His forehead wrinkled.

"You never asked. Not like I always share every client that I have with you."

"Do I need to attend the funeral?"

"Of course you are attending the funeral with me. I don't have a husband. I need an entourage. Plus, you can wear the black suit I made for you, that you have never worn yet. An excuse to wear it now."

"Ma, it's a funeral, not a fashion runway."

"It's not everyday we can dress up to the nines for a funeral. We certainly can't do that in our own religion's funeral. But we can, in honouring Clarissa, my client's daughter. My somehow... junior in secondary school."

Danial held his forehead, pinching it. "I think I need to rephrase. Ma, it's a funeral, not a wedding."

"I even have a perfect hat for my dress," continued Roslaina, ignoring her son's lecture.

"Ma, it's the funeral of Clarissa Ching, not Queen Elizabeth II."

"Shoosh," stopped Roslaina, but still looked too cheerful to talk about a funeral. "I need to look regal during the funeral. Frances Susheela Sharma needs to look regal during the funeral. It will open a new market for me. Dressmaking for Christian funeral attendees. More future clients, more businesses, more money, more tempoyak I can buy for you during lunch."

Danial sipped his coffee again. No objection from him. As Danial was also a business-minded person.

"I want you to really wear the black suit with a suave attitude. I'm going to show you to the world during the funeral. With that, I can make more suit orders. The pricing of making a suit is higher than all the dresses I can make. When people see my dress, your suit, Frances' dress, I want them to ask, who are you wearing? I can proudly answer, Roslaina Rizal collection," said Roslaina with a vogue hand gesture. Still wearing her white telekung, though. It made her body language even weirder.

Danial had never attended a Christian funeral in his life. Could be an insightful experience. 

However, the last thing Danial wanted to do was observing Clarissa's body in a casket.

"We're not attending the wake though," added Roslaina. "The funeral costs are partially funded by the parents and teachers association of SMK Mary of Teck. The headmistress, Siti Haliza Tajuddin, already started organising the itineraries and proceedings of the wake and the funeral."

Danial took out his smartphone again to reread the obituary. "Is that the reason why her name is in the obituary?"

"Quite peculiar I would say," commented Roslaina. "A Malay Muslim name in a Christian obituary? Don't get me wrong. Not because of religious differences. It's just that names in obituaries are reserved for family members, not for a school headmistress."

"I concur," agreed Danial, still looking at the obituary. 

"So, we are not attending the wake," explained Roslaina again. "Because the wake will be full with many Mary of Teck's students and teachers. I don't want to mingle with them in the wake room."

"As if you won't mingle with them during the funeral service?" asked Danial.

"The funeral service will be in the church, with an opening statement from the pastor. With songs,  hymns, scripture readings, and eulogies. We won't be mingling. They will only see us making a grand entrance to the church, enchanted with our mourning attire, from... Roslaina Rizal collection," said Roslaina gracefully, with her hands and fingers moved graciously in front of her face in a swivel motion.

Danial emptied his coffee cup with a single gulp.

"Speaking of eulogies," resumed Roslaina. "Elment Law is giving one."

Danial looked at his mother, unblinking for a few seconds. He then walked to the kitchen sink to wash his coffee cup.

"Where did you get that information from?" asked Danial without facing his mother, washing his coffee cup at the sink.

"From Clarissa's mother of course," answered Roslaina. "She called for the second time last night, when you were sleeping. I think I'm not just her dressmaker now. I'm her therapist. She poured it all out, in regards to the funeral."

Roslaina continued, "I think she's not stepping on the real ground on earth, as everything happens so fast. Her daughter is no longer with us. She is expected to organise a funeral. Madam Siti Haliza keeps intervening in the affairs of the funeral. Frances was mumbling non-stop during that call,  I had no chance to cut in the middle of the conversation. I think she just needs a pair of ears to listen to."

"Frances said, Madam Haliza insists on her getting the best funeral dress for herself. That's why I come to the rescue. And along those lines of her rapid pronunciation of words, she mentioned about Elment Law is giving the eulogy. And then Madam Haliza forbade that. And then she screamed to me, 'Madam Haliza can control everything she wants for the funeral, but Elment Law must give an eulogy.' No exception."

"I can't even stop Frances Sharma in the middle of her rapid fire words to ask this burning question," said Roslaina. "Why is SMK Tengku Simpulan Intan's head prefect giving a eulogy at the funeral of SMK Mary of Teck's deceased choir conductor?"

Danial, still at the kitchen sink, was processing the rapid fire story his mother was explaining. His head was spinning again. The coffee was not helpful after all.

Danial turned away from the kitchen sink, facing his mother, opened his mouth to finally share with his mother what happened at the Law's bungalow, yesterday evening.

"Its seems that Clarissa's mother is the only one who knows Elment and Clarissa's relationship," commented Roslaina. "Until Elment shared it to his whole family yesterday. And to you."

"Yeah."

Roslaina continued, "Maybe Madam Haliza knew, when Frances listed down the list of names for the eulogy."

"A pretty solid assumption," said Danial. "Why did this concern you though?" asked Danial to his mother.

"I'm making your choir team's costumes, remember? I need to study and understand my subject matter really well."

"It's not like Elment is joining the choir team."

"Not that," cut Roslaina. "This can indirectly lead to knowing who is going to replace Clarissa as Mary of Teck's choir conductor."

Danial sat down at the round dining table, opposite his mother. He paused to think for a while. Clarissa Ching secretly moved to SMK Tengku Simpulan Intan, to be Tengku Simpulan Intan choir conductor. She died, leaving Raisa to be Tengku Simpulan Intan choir conductor.

But, the replacement of Mary of Teck's choir conductor was still a question mark.

"In order to defeat Mary of Teck in Megaputra District Choir Competition 2017, as a violinist, you need to strategize. First act in order is to know who is the new Queen of Mary of Teck, in the choir competition," said Roslaina, looking straight into her son's eyes.

*

It was a dark Tuesday morning at SMK Tengku Simpulan Intan. Danial did not walk to the Kegemilangan Assembly Area at 6:30 AM, like he did the day before. Instead, he went to the secluded area behind the computer lab.

Sharmila Priya Mohan texted him last night to meet at their hidden place.

Danial was carrying his school bag and violin case, when walking to the back of the computer lab. There, he saw Sharmila's back. Sharmila turned to see Danial and straightaway threw a question. "Why did Joash Law cancel the first English drama rehearsal? It's supposed to happen this evening after school."

"We need to stop meeting at this place," diverted Danial. "What if people see us, and start to speculate."

"You're doing it again. Always like to change the topic if you don't want to get confronted."

"I have no idea that the first English drama rehearsal is today," replied Danial innocently.

"What happened?" Sharmila expressed a really suspicious look towards Danial. "He did say in our group text, all Law brothers are not coming to school today."

"The police came to the Law's residence after school yesterday," informed Danial transparently.

Sharmila covered her mouth with both of her palms. "Oh, no! What happened now?"

"Clarissa was dead in Joash's father's car."

"Did Mr. Law..."

"No, he's not."

Danial explained again, what happened yesterday at the Law's, just like he did to his mother before he came to school an hour ago. He was getting tired repeating the same story.

"Madam Dayang is right," commented Sharmila. "He should not court a lady from Mary of Teck. Especially the fact that Elment is our head prefect. They always have hidden agenda. Those sneaky girls."

Sharmila crossed her arms over her chest. "And you are also right, Danial. Elment was trapped in the name so called love. Clarissa was a narcissist. She would never be able to love anyone except herself. I know this. You know this. You were her victim two years ago. Elment was her new victim."

Danial squeezed the strap of this school bag below his shoulder. He bit his lips from inside his mouth.

Sharmila continued, "It's all pure acting, whatever love she displayed to our head prefect. She was the best actress in the English drama competition last year after all. Surprisingly, it was not mentioned in her obituary."

"Are you going to her funeral?" asked Danial.

"Yes. My mother and I, together with Clarissa's mother, are in a Bharatanatyam dance class together."

"That's news for me." Danial stared at Sharmila curiously. "By any chance, Clarissa was in that class too?" asked him.

"Clarissa Ching might be half Indian, but her blood was 99.99 percent Chinese," revealed Sharmila coldly. "Mrs. Sharma said she was never interested in learning the dance. She didn't want to force her daughter to do something that she didn't like."

Danial gulped. Sharmila examined Danial's uneasy face expression. "On what grounds do you need to attend Clarissa's funeral?" asked Sharmila, as if she knew.

"My mother is Mrs. Sharma's dressmaker. I need to put on my mother's best black suit, in her effort to promote the Roslaina Rizal collection during the funeral."

"It's a funeral, not a fashion runway," interpreted Sharmila.

"That was what I told her," concurred Danial.

"Are you strong enough though? To attend Clarissa's funeral?"

"I don't have a choice."

"I'll be there for you," supported Sharmila.

"What if he knew?"

"Who knew what?"

"Elment. The unspeakable thing that Clarissa and I did two years ago?"

Sharmila opened her mouth to speak, but she couldn't.

Danial said again, looking extremely anxious, "Clarissa might share what happened between me and her to Elment. What if he knows? Sooner or later, Joash will know. My mother will know. Oh, I can't let Joash discover what I have done!"

Sharmila grabbed Danial's side arm, below his shoulder. "Danial, breathe. You're overthinking this. Even if Elment knows, what can he do? Nothing. Because his relationship with Clarissa was forbidden to begin with. It was a taboo. Because he's our school's head prefect. He was insane to form a relationship with the most important student from Mary of Teck. With his own brother Jared being a casanova there. What was Elment thinking? It's like he's a Romeo, trying to court a lady from the Capulets. It's a matter of time until the whole Mary of Teck knows our head prefect was dating Clarissa. We're doomed as students of SMK Tengku Simpulan Intan, with the scrutiny that will come after that from Mary of Teck."

Danial confessed, "The cat's out of the bag. Elment is going to deliver Clarissa's eulogy this Sunday."

Sharmila gave a sharp stare towards Danial's eyes. She slowly released her grip from Danial's side arm. "No. No, no, no. He's walking to the lion's den if he's going to do that. All Mary of Tecks choir and English drama team members will be there. They will throw eggs at him."

"You said Clarissa was a good actress. Too good, she already becomes Elment's most precious diamond that got away. Of course he wants to deliver a eulogy for her. We should be lucky that Elment didn't drink the poison, like Romeo did."

Sharmila and Danial's conversation went silent for a while. They didn't know what to say further in regards to the matter. Sharmila tried to decrease the tension by changing the topic.

"How was the encounter with our new hot Malay language teacher," asked Sharmila suddenly.

Danial, who was looking extremely anxious previously, turned to smile. A wicked smile.

"I entered the computer lab." Danial began to explain, and then with a pause.

"Yes?" asked Sharmila.

"I didn't see him walking towards the door of the computer lab," continued Danial.

"Alright, carry on."

"You know how slippery the computer lab's floor can be."

"What, did he fall?"

"I fell on top of him," smiled Danial naughtily.

"What?"

"My cheeks grazed his hard rock chest."

"Eeewww, Danial!" Sharmila slapped Danial's arm.

"Are you jealous?" giggled Danial. "I thought you wanted to know every detail about him?"

"I just want to know the civilised details about him. Not about you being on top of him."

"Oh, and then Felisa, Nora, and Anastasia caught us lying on the floor."

"Oh, super awkward!" commented Shamila.

"My backside was exposed to them."

"What? How?"

"I was on top of Mr. Mifzal."

"Okay, enough with the story. You're just teasing me at this stage."

"I'll meet him again this evening for the first choir team meeting before we commence the audition. I can share you more juicy stories after that."