Five Days Together, Family For A Lifetime

My biggest fear prior to coming to Bario was that I will not be able to fit in. But I was totally wrong, meet Tepuq Ulo (pictured below), the sweetest person I have ever known. I never had the chance to feel a grandparent's sort of love growing up because my grandparents were either not around anymore or bedridden. But from Tepuq Ulo, I think that how she treated me is exactly how a grandparent’s love will feel like.

Tepuq Ulo 

I was supposed to be working with Tepuq Ulo for all my three weeks in Bario but we only worked together for five days because she had a personal emergency to handle in Kuching. However, those 5 days meant a lot to me. When I first met Tepuq Ulo, she was really shy and nervous (I think) and so was I, so things were really awkward. I actually thought perhaps she didn’t like me. But I was so wrong. On my first day of work, Monday (honestly, every day I spent in Bario was really not work to me), Tepuq Ulo and Tepuq Ribed decided to work together to plant each other’s paddy fields. Shannon and Jacky were working with Tepuq Ribed so the five of us actually worked together in the same paddy field. We sang songs, made jokes, I got bullied by Shannon a lot and the tepuqs loved it. But yeah, after the first day, Tepuq Ulo started opening up to me and told me many stories. Our tepuqs really care about us, below is a picture of Tepuq Ulo and Tepuq Ribed taken when it was drizzling. They ordered us to go back to the hut to take shelter so that we don’t get sick while they continued to work.

Tepuq Ulo and Tepuq Ribed working hard even through the rain

On Wednesday and Thursday, Tepuq Ulo and I worked with Tepuq Bulan and two of the other WHEE! participants, David and Iman. David is a really good singer and we all sang together. To our surprise, Tepuq Ulo actually sang too. It was really encouraging that she sang along because it meant that she was comfortable with us.

Me, Tepuq Bulan, Iman and Tepuq Ulo

Now for the really sweet side of Tepuq Ulo I found, but first, here is a picture of our feet in the paddy field.

Dirty feet

Whenever we went for a lunch break, we would clean the mud and clay off our feet. I was just doing what I usually did and tried to wash as much dirt off my socks. Suddenly, Tepuq Ulo asked me to take off my socks. I didn’t know why, but she took them and washed them for me! After that, I was cleaning my feet, she finished washing my socks then she said in Malay, “it’s really shallow where you are standing, come where I am standing, it’s deeper so you can wash your feet better here.” 

She stepped aside, gestured for me to stand where she was standing and washed my feet with me. I was really, really touched. But that was not all, when we walked back, we had to walk on the road that had some rocks on it. Tepuq Ulo pointed to her slippers and said in Malay, “wear my slippers, it is rocky there.” 

Even though I insisted I was fine going barefooted, her reasoning was that I am from the city so the skin on my feet are thin. *face palm* She was really insistent and I gave up in the end. I wore her slippers to the hut while she went barefoot. I was so touched, I really couldn’t have asked for a better Tepuq.

After wearing Tepuq Ulo's slippers, we arrived at the hut

Then Friday came. Tepuq Ulo had to leave for Kuching. I was actually really sad that she left. Her emergency was really worrisome and I could see it in her eyes, all of us (WHEE! batch 7) prayed with her and her husband for safety and hoped that everything went well. She got teary eyed and I nearly cried for her.

Now I still had two weeks left. I still had a blast in Bario, I met so many people and created so many amazing memories. What I did not know was that Tepuq Ulo actually called Tepuq Ribed and Tepuq Bulan and asked them to take care of me in her stead while she was away. I was so shocked when Tepuq Ribed told me about this, I got a bit teary eyed. (Yes, I’m weak to kind gestures like this.)

In my third week, Tepuq Ulo’s daughter, Aunty Priscilla actually came back to Bario to help with the planting while Tepuq Ulo was away because there is a season for planting and it cannot be delayed for too long. I felt so bad that I wasn’t helping Tepuq Ulo’s daughter with the planting but I had other jobs to do. One day, Aunty Priscilla actually asked to speak with me, I was honestly a bit worried because I felt so bad. But what came next really surprised me, she asked me, “Do you want any pineapples or rice to bring back? My mom (Tepuq Ulo) asked me to make sure you bring some back.” 

I was dumbstruck. Even though we worked together for only five days, she made sure I brought some gifts back, made sure I got taken care of. My heart really melted then. I also got a Kelabit necklace from Aunty Priscilla during cultural night, the day before I left.

Kelabit necklace given to me by Tepuq Ulo's family

On the day I left, I was just remembering Tepuq Ulo, thinking how unfortunate it was that I couldn’t spend more time with her. But I was lost for words once more at Miri airport, Tepuq Ulo came all the way with her family to see me. I think the shock of seeing her there was too great, although I was crying on the inside from being so touched, I got teary eyed in front of her. We talked a bit more before she went back home in Miri. I was still in shock after she left.

All the way in Miri airport, she came to look for me

The day I returned to KL, Tepuq Ulo actually called me just to see how I was doing. I really cannot describe how many times I nearly cried because of her. The amount of love she has given me even without her actually being around, words just cannot describe it. She will forever be my 'grandmother’ that I will always love. Even though we only worked together for 5 days, we’ll always be family.

Hliang (Innu)