Dad

The clicking of his walking stick woke me up from my sleep. I was hoping it's not what I think it was but dad was indeed trying to get downstairs on his own to my horror at 4.30am. His legs had been extremely weak lately. He fell three days in a row two weeks ago when we came back for a visit. Not off the stairs thankfully but terrifying enough and the possibility is no doubt very high if no one watches him.

As I sit here observing him trying to nod off, I find it so disheartening to watch a loved one in this state. I wonder if the dialysis procedure in the last five years had hasten up the deterioration of his body but we see so many others still very much their normal self in the hospital during regular check-ups.

I put it down to his mental state. Right from the start, he had given himself a death sentence. He knows that a person on dialysis will not live as long as he wishes to. So instead of making the best of whatever time he has left here on Earth, he just gave up altogether. Along with the depression, there's mom's constant nagging as the primary caregiver which probably further discouraged him from wanting to do any better than he already is. I don't want to blame Mom because everyone knows how much she's been through. She had been sticking to him through thick and thin and I can only give her credit for what she is doing.

I dread THE day but worse still, no one knows who will actually go first. We human are so dependent on one another without us even realizing sometimes. Without one or the other, life will be tough but it goes on. It always does. So it's only best to pick up the pieces soonest possible and move on.

I am thankful that I have come to know Jesus in my life. That makes living a little easier sometimes knowing that Someone out there is watching out for me. Life is still tough but there's also plenty to look forward to and be thankful about...

Art

I remember there was once we were asked to draw and paint. I was probably still in primary school then. Maybe something like Primary Three? The theme must have 'Your House' or something to that extend. Mom had helped me with the painting. Ok, she drew and painted it! The very next day in school, I gladly took it out of my bag to hand it up. My classmate next to me immediately asked me if I had done it myself and I said 'yes' without hesitation. It must have been obvious that I wouldn't have produced wuch work. Well, the teacher didn't say anything and that's what mattered then! Hah...

Half Boiled Eggs Tool

This morning I was thinking of the yellow half boiled egg equipment that we used to use to get the perfect half boiled eggs! There are markings on the container and you just have to pour the desired amount of boiling water in, leave it as the water drains to the bottom half and voila! The perfect half boiled eggs! Gotta go ask Mom if it's still around and then nick it!

Taken from http://www.chocolatesuze.com/2010/06/07/soft-boiled-eggs-kaya

School Bus Part Deux

Bro and I used to compete all the time. We both always want to win and this almost always leads to a fight. One competition occurs after school. Uncle Bus will drop us off at the end of our street and bro and I will run for our lives to reach our house, heavy school bag on our backs and a water bottle in one hand. I can just imagine the scene - two school kids scrambling along the street. The last one to reach has to close the gate which somehow is something that we dread. Silly I know but I guess at that age, closing the gate feels like a chore and no kiddo likes chores! Hrmph...

School Bus

Taken from http://www.pbase.com/bmcmorrow/image/83101013

This morning in bed, I was somehow brought back to the time we went to school in a school bus that looks something like the picture above. We sort of have our own reserved seats. There were pros and cons for the bus driver to pick you up first or last. If you are first, then you get the best seats but you have to be ready hours before school starts. If you are last, you don't need to board so early and have more time in bed or to finish up that last minute bit of homework but you will probably have to choose a sit next to someone. Hopefully someone nice enough to last the short remaining journey to school.

Usually on the way home is when we usually get a little more rowdy. The students from our bus are considered quite well behaved. I have seen some kids from other buses throw empty packets of water or scrunch up pieces of paper over through the opened windows. (We used to buy drinks (and other nick-nacks like kacang putih) scooped into plastic bags from a vendor outside the school for about 20sen!)

Taken from http://practicality.wordpress.com/2007/08/01/sgh-coffee-sources/

We used to call the driver Uncle Bus... (!!). He was a medium built man who had a bald spot in the middle. I wonder if he is still around. It has been about 20 years now.

Gardening

Before the major renovation of the house about five years back, we used to have a plot of land about 10x10 feet at the back. I used to plant everything there and watch them grow by myself - peanuts, corn, long beans, hibiscus... I tied sticks together using the knots I learnt as a Girl Guide for crawling plants like the beans or ladies fingers. I must have been in secondary school then.

Broken Glass

We had a settee set that came with a glass coffee table and side tables. Mom probably didn't know better not to have glass stuffs around with two rascals constantly biting each other's tail. One of those days, it must have been a hit and run situation - I hit you, you run after me and try reciprocate. While weaving through the living room, I can't remember how I landed on the glass side table and the next thing I know, pieces of thick glass shattered across the hallway. Thank God no one was hurt.