Yesterday morning, I took my younger sister, C, to a coffeeshop at Kenyalang Park here for breakfast. It was a special treat for her because she had never been there. I ordered iced cof fee and Char Kway Teow (stir-fried ricecake strips) while she ordered Belacan Bee Hoon and iced tea; later on, we shared the food we ordered. Since it was Sunday, almost all the tables at the coffeeshop were occupied. My sister, a widow, lives with her children in a village not far from my house.
On her day off, she loves to drop by, bringing with her food. Although she studied up to Primary Six, she did not master the alphabets and as a result, cannot get a motorcycle licence. She travels around mostly by bus. If there is no bus service, she will walk.
Yesterday morning, as we enjoyed our breakfast at the coffeeshop, I pointed out to her tht we never went out for breakfast together when we were younger. “But you did not have extra money to spend then,” she replied. I totally agreed with what she said. Indeed, when I was younger, I never thought of having fun and enjoying life.
Because life was hard and I had to support myself and my family, I was thrifty. I was always thinking of my family and others and not myself. Now that I am older and quite stable financially, I realise the importance of treating myself well and caring for myself. I enjoy listening to top Western, Chinese and Korean hits and had a good time selecting them at a shop at Kenyalang Park yesterday.
I also bought a few movies and promised C that both of us would watch them together during the next public holidays. I was glad and thankful for the opportunity to be close to C yesterday morning. When we were younger, we were not close. Perhaps one reason was the big age difference between us. I am six years older than her. I guess it is better late than never, that it is better for C and I to be closer now than never.
As I go through life, I discover I need C – to help me mop my floor, listen to my complaints and enjoy simple meals together. Now wiser and more conscious of the shortness of life, I try to stop and smell the roses along the way. Recently, when I opened the pages of a newspaper, I was surprised to see a familiar face in the obituary column. A former colleague, who retired a few years ago, had pas sed on.Somehow, I never thought he would die so soon.
In the past few years, besides this former colleague, a few other colleagues had also passed on. I took the passing of the first colleague badly. The heart became immune to pain and heartbreak after a while. Some of the colleagues died before their time while for others, it was perhaps time to go back to the creator.
I think when I was younger, I worried a lot about what other people thought of me. Now, I am older and wiser, I do not worry that much as long as what I do does not hurt anyone. Now and then, after a hard day’s work, I reward myself in front of the computer, watching movies online. I used to laugh at friends who were addicted to Korean dramas. Now, my son is laughing at me because I am watching a lot of Korean dramas. There are a few lessons that I have learnt from the dramas.
Firstly, don’t take life too seriously. Sometimes, it is good to laugh at yourself and have fun. Secondly, the sun will always come out after the rain. Life can be better tomorrow. And last but not least, love and live well. Since we can’t escape death and we don’t know how long we may live, we must cherish life and live it to the fullest.
