MY wife has to find someone else to do her hair, as her regular hairdresser was advised by her doctor to stop because of her failing eyesight. She’s 75 years old.

Salon Auntie’s deteriorating vision had been obvious because my wife would come back from a session with tiny tufts of hair untrimmed. But, she’s supportive of the old lady because her place is convenient to get to. Auntie operates out of her cosy new village house. There’s no wait time. And, she’s good company. She has an inspiring life story.

Her husband had quite a successful business, but was a chronic womaniser. He spent a fortune on “China ladies”, leaving his wife to manage the household herself. With four young children, she had to do odd jobs and plant vegetables, and finally, she set up her hairdressing business.

The old man was really mean to her – there was one time, after staying out rather late with her karaoke friends, she found herself locked out of the house. She had to spend the night on the porch.

Her husband soon died, and her children grew up. They ventured out, three of them overseas. All of them found their niches, and were soon remitting substantial amounts of money to their mother. They remain filial, having witnessed the sort of treatment their father had doled out to their mother. And, her devotion to them.

It was her children who consoled her when she found out that her sisters had written her out of their father’s will. Her kids convinced her that she would want for nothing as they would take care of her every need and ensure her a good life.

Their grandfather had told his eldest daughter – Salon Auntie is the second, and there are three others – to see his lawyer, whom he had instructed to prepare a will, with the biggest asset being a 2ha plot of agricultural land. On the appointed day, auntie was busy with something else, so she told her sisters to do the necessary on her behalf. She later found out that they had directed the lawyer to assign the property to just the four of them. When their father came to know about this, he made the four promise to split the proceeds from the sale of oil palm fruits harvested on the land equally among the five sisters. They never did.

Salon Auntie let it pass, for years. She maintains a positive attitude towards life, and has relatively few ailments, aside from mildly high blood pressure. This, in spite of her high sugar intake; she adds condensed milk to her three-in-one coffee, and drinks 100Plus every day.

Meanwhile, the eldest sister is now so bent from osteoporosis that she can hardly see where she’s walking. The sibling after Salon Auntie is at the end stage of kidney failure. The next in line has a huge growth on the neck from thyroid disease, and the doctor has advised against surgery due to the potential complications. The youngest, who never married, is battling breast cancer. All of them have a plethora of ailments that make their lives literally miserable.

Salon Auntie goes out of her way to tend to them, provide help, and look out for their well-being. “What else can I do? They are family,” she said with a shrug.

She continued her hairdressing business to keep herself occupied – and also for the social interaction. Her inability to trim hair like she used to is not going to change her lifestyle. Neither is she considering moving in with her children, who live far away.

She is happy where she is. Very self-sufficient. Very content. Very fulfilled. – August 25, 2019.

* Mel Lee earned his way to an early retirement from his car magazine business, and moved to a small town with his wife in search of an eco-lifestyle. In their exploration of new places, backpacking on motorcycles or bicycles, they are looking for the extra in the ordinary.

* This is the opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insight. Article may be edited for brevity and clarity.