A Good Read: Please Look After Mother

Sunday, 9 November 2025.

I went out with my favourite girls, Ainaa & Zazi after so long! It’s been a year since we actually sat down together, had a quick catchup session, cackled at each other’s stories. Thank you girls, I had a good time. Sayang korang.

Reached home, did some cleaning and found myself with nothing else to do. That’s when emptiness and loneliness crept in. Scrolling through TikTok didn’t help because the algorithm was all about finding jodoh, unrequited love, or weddings (Scary how the algorithm finds me). Nope. I won’t let myself drowned in any intrusive thoughts today. Certainly not today.

So I picked up a book. Had keep myself occupied for the better me.

It took me quite some time to finish this one, probably months, because I procrastinated, got lazy, and simply wasn’t in the mood to read. But today I finally finished the last 2 chapters in an hour.

Honestly I couldn’t remember much of the earlier parts since I didn’t read it in one seating. In summary, the story is about a missing mother, and how each chapter unfolds from a different family member’s perspective which are the eldest daughter, the son, the husband, and finally, the mother herself.

Spoiler alert.

It took me certain amount of time to actually understand and process the whole thing. I didn’t understand why the mother’s pov was rather short and barely mentioned her eldest daughter, son, and husband. The writer only mentioned about mother’s youngest daughter and a man who she met on the road, with whom she later became friends (the mother did not cheat though). 

But I realised what’s the writer intended to show is how the dead or missing soul— in this case, the mother, is only worried about the one she still cares for and has unresolved business with. The mother didn’t focus much on her other two children because in her eyes, they were already living their own lives and doing just fine without her.

The novel truly shows how we, as humans, have the tendency to dwell on the past, stroll down the amnesia lane, and begin to regret our guilt and ignorance after taking someone for granted. 

One of the parts that broke me was when the father told his daughter, “You know what’s strange? I don’t even dream of your mother anymore”. The novel depicts how life goes on after your loved ones is gone, yet you continue to live in the misery of regret and yearning.

Overall, it was a good read. It made me realise that I should appreciate the people around me more, especially my loved ones. Because once they are gone, regrets can’t undo what’s gone.

(P/s: Do prepare some tissues while reading)