三婆 。張明月女士

Saam Po 三婆 - 張明月 女仕 (1912 - 1999)

My dearest Saam Po (三婆) brought up my elder brother and me since birth. She was so close to us that, instead of calling her Saam Po, we always called her "Alaam"** at home. Alaam lived with our family for over 20 years starting from 1965. We treated her as a family member, and in fact, she was our relative because she was the wife of our granduncle. We also called her "the history textbook of the Tam family" due to her strong memory of the past. She could remember the birth years of all family members and their past anecdotes.

She retired and lived with her son, Uncle Ying, after I went abroad to study. In 1997, she was diagnosed with symptoms of Alzheimer's. In 1998, her family decided to send her back to mainland China to live with her daughter, where she could be well looked after. Since then, I frequently traveled to Jiangmen (江門市) to visit her. In the later stage, she could not recognize most people she had known before, including her grandchildren or relatives. However, she could always remember my brother and me because we meant so much to her.

In her last year of life, I felt she was happier than she had been in Hong Kong, with a better appetite and being well cared for by her daughter, Auntie Shiu Ping. On January 1st, 1999, the day my whole family was celebrating the opening of Hui Min Road (惠民路) in our hometown, Shang Ling (上淩), she had a stroke and was sent to the critical unit in Jiangmen People's Hospital. She was in a coma for almost a month. One day, she managed to open her eyes again. I couldn't help but burst into tears. However, from then on, she could hardly recognize anyone or speak. She suffered in this condition for eight months and finally passed away peacefully on August 21, 1999, at the age of 88.

She was an "unusual" person in her way of life. We always said she could be a fairy from heaven because she could survive on very little food and drink. Her care for us surpassed even that of our parents. She shaped my life, gave me insights and hope. I cannot imagine the person I would have become without her care and love. She remains the most beloved person in my life. **The word "Alaam" is believed to have transformed from Ah Saam (阿三) when we first learned to talk.

** the word "Alaam" is believed to be transformed from Ah Saam (阿三） when we first learned to talk.  

Her Many Bedtime Stories -

三婆的枕邉故事 口述歷史

Revival of Saam Po's voice recorded between 1987-88