Widow of man in fatal stabbing: I've lost the man I love most
Widow of man found dead in Yishun flat says she is heartbroken after losing the person she loved most
They were a frugal couple who didn't have much money to shop or eat out.
But when they had a bit of extra cash, Madam Teo Ah Whah, 58, and her husband would visit a temple in Chinatown and treat themselves to dim sum.
Madam Teo, a part-time cleaner, told The New Paper in Mandarin yesterday: "We spent most of the time watching television or chatting about nonsense. Now I have nobody to talk to."
Her husband, Mr William Wong, 76, a retiree, was found dead in their three-room flat at Block 114, Yishun Ring Road, last Saturday night.
Their Malaysian tenant, Woo Mui Mee, 34, was charged in court on Monday with voluntarily causing hurt with a weapon. She had allegedly stabbed Mr Wong with a paper cutter and inflicted injuries on his left forehand.
When TNP visited the flat yesterday evening, it was spotless - a far cry from the blood-splattered home after the incident.
With tears welling up in her eyes, Madam Teo said that the reality of her husband's death was slowly sinking in.
"The sense of loneliness is slowly creeping in now that he's not longer around," she said.
"My heart hurts because I've lost the person I love most. Our love was endless and everlasting."
"He's gone now but I know that we will be together again in the next life."
She said they had been married for more than 20 years but declined to talk about how they had met.
GENTLE
She described her husband as a gentle and happy-go-lucky person who would humour her whenever she teased him.
After his death, she rearranged the furniture in the master bedroom, hoping that it would bring her a change of luck.
The couple slept on separate beds but Madam Teo has no plans to remove his bed frame. The mattress that was soaked with his blood has been thrown away.
Asked about her plans for the future, she said that she wants to return to work soon and also plans to find a new tenant so she can rent out the extra room.
Madam Teo, who earns about $25 a day, had previously rented out the room for $250 a month.
She said: "My friends and relatives were shocked that I still want to rent out the room after what happened.
"But I've to accept reality and I hope I have the strength to get through this."
Volunteers help widow clean blood in flat
The walls, floors and furniture in Madam Teo Ah Whah's flat have been thoroughly cleaned and all traces of blood removed, thanks to Nee Soon town council staff and two volunteers who read about the tragedy in the newspapers.
The widow said that she was grateful that people were willing to help her.
She said town council staff went to the flat on Monday to clean the kitchen and the corridor outside, while two volunteers painted the walls that had been splattered with blood.
The volunteers, a man and a woman, also cut out sections of the vinyl flooring, revealing the concrete floor underneath, as they were unable to remove the blood stains on it.
"They said they will come back in a few weeks to replace the whole flooring. I hope that replacing it will mean no more nightmares or bad memories," said Madam Teo.
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