June 26, 2013

•  

  What's amazing parenting? 

  This.

   

  "The only time you should look

  in your neighbour's bowl is to

  make sure that they have enough.

  You don't look in your neighbour's

  bowl to see if you have .... just as

  much as they do."

   

  I have a story to share from this

  morning. I'll get round to it soon.

   

  For now, negotiations are done 

  and I am going to get some sleep.

  xx

   

  edit:

  I got in to work later than usual

  this morning and while driving down

  the slope from Lobby A to Lobby C,

  saw two men walking in the hot sun.

   

  One was an old uncle with an amputated

  right leg, struggling uphill on crutches.

   

  I felt a pang as I drove past, hesitating

  slightly but needing to find a parking

  spot fast before my time-out ran out.

   

  As soon as I rounded the bend,

  I asked myself what the hell I was

  doing, and immediately turned the car.

   

  I stopped the car next to the younger

  man and asked where they were headed.

   

  "Saya baru datang dari Link," he said.

  The Link office is BNM's front-office

  for public enquiries, and was all the 

  way on the other side of the Bank.

  These men had walked a long way.

   

  "Uncle buat apa dekat Link?"

   

  "Saya punya bapak sudah bankrupt.

  Tapi orang Link cakap tak boleh buat

  apa-apa sebab tak bawak kad OKU 

  dan passport dia." He stopped and 

  looked at his dad. "Bapak saya

  mana ada passport, amoi."

   

  He handed me a piece of paper.

  "Awak tau office ini dekat mana?

  Saya kena pergi sini untuk bukak

  file bankruptcy dia. Mau clear."

   

  It was an address for the Department

  of Insolvency in Putrajaya. I explained

  that it wasn't in the Bank, and that

  they needed to get home to get the

  rest of his father's particulars anyway.

   

  The man looked puzzled all the while.

  I explained it to him a few more times,

  then gently suggested that they return

  home and get to Putrajaya tomorrow.

   

  "Ok lah. Kami balik dulu.

  Mana nak ambil train di sini?"

   

  "Uncle masuk kereta saya dulu. 

  Saya bawa pergi train station."

   

  "Ok adik. Tunggu ah, saya tolong

  bapak saya masuk pelan-pelan."

   

  I sat there with the engine running

  while he lifted his father in his arms

  and carried him into my car before

  stowing the crutches in my backseat.

   

  Ya Allah, such love in the way he

  cradled his father and spoke to

  him softly to explain what was

  going on. Bergenang airmata Na.

   

  During the short drive to the KTM

  station he asked what I did for

  work. He very kindly reminded

  me how lucky I was to be here.

   

  "Terima kasih ah amoi," he said,

  struggling to lift his father out

  at the sidewalk of the station.

  "Awak jaga diri baik-baik."

   

  "Ok uncle. Good luck besok."

   

  The old man looked at me very

  strangely, then leaned over the

  rolled down window of the

  passenger seat and said, "Doh jie."

   

  I smiled at him before

  pulling away from the curb.

   

  And then I burst into tears.

   

  Back in the office, puffy-eyed, 

  I recounted my experience with

  Lat, desperately needing someone

  else to understand what it felt like.

   

  She understood. 

  But it didn't feel any better.

   

  I really hope they're okay.

   

  • 6:12 am
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