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1986 newspaper interview histon

This article is an interview with Barbara's mother talking about her life and opinions towards Barbara after losing her daughter. At the beginning, the author mentioned that Barbara's mother changed from an lively and active old woman to a demoralized person. It was the first time Barbara's mother disclosed the secret of Barbara's legacy in this interview as well.

Barbara's mother went to her daughter's tomb every Wednesday. She couldn't stop being heart-broken each time going there. Barbara's mother said that she really could not understand that "some people in Hong Kong reported that Barbara was not her natural child, some friends read the reports and even believed it!". The author said that after losing her beloved daughter, Barbara's mother had to use medicine to calm herself down. She, however, got muddleheaded because of overdosage.

Barbara's mother said that after Barbara passed away, she seemed to be changed to the other person. She had no interest in anything. She was looking at all old photos of Barbara and hers during the interview.

Barbara's mother said that Barbara was very excellent on all aspects as well as a very wise girl. The big mistake Barbara made in her life was that she was chasing "outstanding". Barbara's participation in "Miss Chinatown" contest was objected by her. Furthermore, Barbara also did not inform her beforehand that she took part in "Miss Hong Kong Pageant". She was travelling in Beijing at that time. After she came back home Barbara had already entered Top 15 stage. So she could not prevent her but only expected that Barbara would get back home immediately the contest completed. She could not imagine that Barbara eventually signed a five-year contract with TVB. Only after everything was done did Barbara tell her all these things. She was very surprised and told Barbara that entertainment circle was too dark for her to live in. And this concern became the fact afterwards.

Barbara's mother said that Barbara owned great talents on drawing. Barbara won a great recognition from her former boss. Barbara's mother showed a bunch of stuff, such as dresses, bed sheets, coverlets and curtains, which were wove and printed exactly by Barbara herself. All these things were still in Barbara's room in Cambridge.

Barbara's mother said that Barbara was too ambitious. She knew that she was beautiful, well-educated and fluent on both Chinese and English languages. She believed that all these talents would surely make herself outstanding. Nevertheless, in the point of view of Barbara's mother, Barbara was totally possible to get outstanding even though following her artist career path. Barbara's mother pointed to the dresses and said that those dresses were sold to "Harrods". This should be a valid proof of Barbara's potential to succeed as an artist.

Barbara's mother said that Barbara was so naive because she believed that there were no bad guys in the world. After a few years in entertainment circle, Barbara told her that she felt that there were no friends in this circle because she could not make any intimate friend there. When she felt down, all "friends" of hers just disappeared. Barbara's mother said that Barbara worked very hard to earn money but she did not know where Barbara spent them. The down payment of Barbara's house in Hong Kong was paid by her mother. Barbara was only responsible for the monthly payment of mortgage. After Barbara had gone, her mother checked her bank account, the balance was only a hundred or more HKD. Barbara's mother said that Barbara was very nice to people. Once she heard that some colleagues liked salted fish, she bought more than ten thousands HKD fish for them.

Barbara always appeared in her mother's dream. The first words she told her mother were that she was very very sorry. In the dreams of Barbara's mother, Barbara dressed differently. Once she dressed in rags, her skin became dark and the body was fat. Her mother was surprised and asked her the reason. Barbara said that she needed to work but clothes were not enough. She still let her mother not worry about her. Barbara's mother also expressed a very strong desire of how good if Barbara could work and build a family in UK.

Barbara's mother mentioned that Kent Tong only came to worship Barbara once and then he never showed up any more. Kent Tong also told journalist that he always made calls to Barbara's family, but actually he never did that.

At the end of interview, the author wrote that Barbara's mother and step father had changed their life. They had transferred the Fish and Chip shop to Barbara's uncle and aunt. Barbara's mother did not want to be involved in any worldly things since then. Barbara's step father had moved to China town in London to work for the other restaurant.

(translated by Nelson)

source: https://weibo.com/ttarticle/x/m/show/id/2309404584331443045291 and https://m.weibo.cn/detail/4584331445552422

 

翁美玲逝世周年 翁媽媽英國訪問

12-20 22:07 阅读 1187
翁美玲托夢第一句話 翁母怒揭百元遺產內幕 ~城市周刊 1986年
 

城市周刊 136期 1986年

 

夜夜回魂床前報夢 聲聲喚母我做錯了

翁美玲逝世周年地府打工還孽債

翁媽媽揭發愛女生前送大禮秘密

 

芳魂渺渺,音容宛在,翁美玲逝世周年,「城周」駐英特派員,除了到過阿翁的墓地,獻上鮮花,還在她的故居訪問了翁媽媽。這位平時活躍好動的老人家,變得意志消沉,言談間,首次道出愛女遺產的秘密……

 

四月的劍橋變幻無常,一陣驟雨漂走後,又是藍天白雲。駕車駛過著名的劍橋大學和康河,來到近郊,便見大片大片青綠草地,遠遠近近皆分佈着小平房。

阿翁(翁美玲)就安葬在這兒的一個墓園。

 

常服鎮靜劑

 

踏着微濕的黃土,我走近芭芭拉白雲石的心形墓碑。墓前放有一束絹花,幾朶白菊,還有一瓶黃蠟燭;碑上則是她一幅笑靨如花的照片,新雨後出落得更清晰,雖然差不多事隔一年,我心頭仍不禁湧起一陣強烈的痛错,更何況是撫育了她二十多年的母親呢?

「我逢星期三就去探阿女,同佢『傾偈』,但每次都忍不住又傷心起來,」翁媽媽一提起女兒,眼眶馬上微紅,「最激氣香港竟然有人說芭芭拉不是我生的,有些朋友看了,還信以爲眞,説我不會傷心的,可憐我這眼睛都快哭盲了……」她咽哽着,掏出手帕,揩拭那早已腫浮不堪的眼睛。

我輕拍翁媽媽手板,不知該如何安慰,老來喪女已是天下慘事,她卻還要面對各式各樣的傳言,諷刺,世人未免太狠心了。自從芭芭拉逝世後,已屆六十的翁媽媽便得靠藥物鎮定情緒,否則睡不着坐不穩,可是藥吃得多,人就整天混混沌沌,反應遲鈍。

 

娛樂圈黑暗

 

「阿女死後,我跟以前變成兩個人似的,什麼都提不起興趣做,哎,心淡呀。」她翻着舊相簿,裏面有一、两年前樂觀好動,到處旅遊的翁媽媽,當然也有在劍橋河畔划艇的芭芭拉,那時的她,天眞純樸,嘴角永遠帶一個挑戰式的微笑。

「阿女樣樣都好,人又聰明,一生人錯就錯在要『標』要『叻』,翁媽媽操着安徽口香對我說:

「她参加『華埠小姐』選舉我已不贊成,後來又返港選『香港小姐』,事先也不告訴我,我那時正在北京旅行,回來後她已進入十五名,我無辦法,只得着她玩完就馬上同來,可是她後來居然同無綫簽五年約,簽了才說給我聽,我好嬲,勸她:娛樂圈不是你應該入的,這地方太黑暗啦。哎,果然就是這地方害死她……

「芭芭拉畫畫好有天份,以前的老板十分賞識她,你看,這些圍裙都是她畫稿然後印製的,有床冚,被單,窗簾布,全是她親手編織和印製的。」翁媽媽含着淚,帶我上樓,踏進芭芭拉生前的閨房,一一指示給我看。

芭芭拉的房間小而雅緻,一串風鈴,一件小擺設,都顯出她纖細的少女情懷,望出窗外,是屋外的小花園,兩隻可愛的獅子狗仔懶洋洋的躺在草地灑太陽。劍橋,眞是太平靜太舒適了。

 

身穿破衣服

 

「她就是不甘平靜,覺得自己又靚又有學識,中英文流利,沒理由不出人頭地的。哎,其實假如她繼續做下去,一樣前途無限的,你剛才看到的圍裙,是賣給「HARRODS」的,將來也會出人頭地呀。」翁媽媽感慨的說。

「HARRODS」是世界聞名的百貨公司,英國皇室最喜到這裏購物,能夠放上橱櫃的貨物,當然有一定份量。

「可是她就等不了,好勝害死她呀。阿女以前當個個係好人,以爲這世界沒壞人的,但在娛樂圈幾年後,終於對我說:『阿媽,娛樂圈冇朋友做呀,我一個知心朋友都冇。』有事時,那些一齊玩一齊食的朋友就個個失踪,不理她。阿女辛辛苦苦賺來的錢都不知花到那裏了,樓是我給首期的,她只負責供樓,阿女死後,我査一查她的銀行存摺,只剩百餘元。」

翁媽媽激動得很,頓一頓,又説:

「不過,阿女對人很好的。她登台後,聽見有些同事喜歡食鹹魚,就買了萬幾元鹹魚寄過來,又買首飾給他們,她托夢回來,第一句便是:『同媽,我對唔住你。』」

原來,自從芭芭拉的骨灰運回劍橋安葬後,翁媽媽常夢見她,有時穿白色裙子,有時恤衫西褲,有一次則穿着破爛的衣服,皮膚黝黑,人也肥胖了。翁媽媽吃一跳,問她:

「你怎麼變成這樣子?」

芭芭拉說她要做工,又說不夠衫着,却仍然安慰母親不要担心,好好保重身體。

「阿女常回來的,晚上總喜歡坐在我床邊,有時喚着我睡,拍拍我,不過,我不敢張大眼睛,怕一看她,她便得走,所以装作睡着。」翁媽媽深情的說。

「我好想阿女回來,有一次想錫她,阿女話:『阿媽,我依家晤係人啦,你唔可以錫我呀。』我就話:『你係我個女,我唔怕。』如果芭芭拉乖乖的在英國做工嫁人,你說多好。」翁媽媽說着,涙水又不住的流了。

 

阿湯失踪影

 

「後天就是清明了,湯鎮業會不會來拜祭芭芭拉呢?」我問。

「我怎知道呢?他在阿女下葬後來過一次,以後就沒踪影了。」翁媽媽有點不開心。

「他不是說常常打電話來的嗎?」

「沒有,那是他向記者說的,我沒接過電話。不過人都死了,我不想再提這些事。」

是的,人已死去,了無牽掛,可憐的却是日日以涙水洗臉的白髮高堂,希望老人家不再受傳言的騷擾和剌激吧。

目前,翁媽媽與阿翁的後父生活方式有了重大轉變,在HISTON的外賣店,已交由阿翁的舅父母打理,翁媽媽則意興闌珊,無心過問世事。

至於阿翁的後父,亦結束在蘇格蘭的店舖,轉而往倫敦唐人街的「鳳凰燒臘店」,替人打工。

願劍橋碧草常綠,清水常流。讓芭芭拉重歸平靜。

 

*本刋駐英特派員

圖:

 

鮮花伴芳魂

阿翁永不死

 

翁美玲離開我們快一年了,然而,在許多人的心中,阿翁的笑臉仍然常記,為了紀念芭芭拉去世一週年,「城周」以第一時間派出特派員往英國採訪了翁媽媽及其家人,給各位讀者報導有關翁美玲家人的近况。

 

快一年了,芭芭拉的墳前仍時有迷送來的鮮花及祭品。「阿翁,你在我們心裡永遠不死!」

睹物思人,看看這些阿翁親手製作的床單枕袋,不免叫人惋惜一代紅顏,就此遠去。

 

翁美玲的設計天才,盡在這張圍裙中表現出來,左方繡花者,爲其前英國老闆娘,右方小女孩便是阿翁的自畫像。

 

 

圖:

 

一段不愉快的記憶已漸淡退,翁媽媽臉上笑容復現,擁著弟郎兩個兒子一起拍照。

 

阿翁當年就曾在這所「FISH AND CHIPS」店子帮手做外賣。

 

從籍籍無名的小女孩到聲名漸起的藝術設計家,再而至紅透半邊天的紅藝員,阿翁的一生轉變,只能在架子上的照片中重溫一次。

 

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4
zz
5 years ago
Chines mothers all want their daughters to be stable and happy, which you didn't do at that time. In her mother's opinion, you are a cynic. So it's impossible to agree with you.
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2
zz
5 years ago
Barbara always appeared in her mother's dream. The first words she told her mother were that she was very very sorry. In the dreams of Barbara's mother, Barbara dressed differently. Once she dressed in rags, her skin became dark and the body was fat. Her mother was surprised and asked her the reason. Barbara said that she needed to work but clothes were not enough. She still let her mother not worry about her. Barbara's mother also expressed a very strong desire of how good if Barbara could work and build a family in UK.
~~Rob,If you prove your efforts to her mother and you have the ability to make her happy, her mother will agree with you. From her mother's point of view, you are too fond of playing, a little unengaged, and you are not mature enough to give her a sense of security and long-term happiness. These are things you should confess.
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