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THE WIND PHONE
That One Aunt We Have a Complicated Relationship With
Remembering my ‘Makcik’ and her unsung story
Makcik means aunt in my mother tongue — Bahasa Melayu or Malay. When buying food at a hawker’s stall, we usually refer to the lady as Makcik. It’s a polite and informal way of addressing a lady.
Makcik also refers to a specific aunt in the Malay culture — namely, the fifth sibling of your parents.
And I have a complicated, confusing, head-butting relationship with my Makcik. She recently passed away, didn’t have any children, and never got married. I hope by sharing her story, her memories will live on.
Makcik is the fifth of eight siblings on my mother’s side and seven years younger than my mom. She stood out among crowds because of her height. She must have been around 5ft 8 — rather tall for Malaysians. When I think of her, warrior comes to mind. Tall, strong, and majestic are how I would describe her.
Despite her intimidating outer appearance, her favorite activity was singing. She had a beautiful voice that the world didn’t get to hear. I remember visiting my grandma and hearing my aunt sing while cooking. What a charming and idyllic time. She tried entering a few singing competitions, but my grandparents didn’t support the…
