She's Left

Grace's just left for Singapore

We had a good weekend together but as usual all good times have got to come to an end. Being what she is... compassionate, graceful, obedient ... hahaha ... she obligingly made her rounds around local hospitals to visit friends with me and dad.

Yesterday we visited little Josiah in Universiti Hospital and like any other MO she asked Aunty Chin Loi questions and terms that I do not understand. But Chin Loi was glad to see her; she told me that Grace has lots of weight...hehehehe...since she last saw her but the aunty doesn't know she's on the alert where food is concerned.Then both of us recalled the year 1985 when she brought her first daughter, Joy to see us in Singapore when dad was working on an underwater tunnel. We agreed how time flew and lamented that we have lost the colours in our faces too; aged. Aunty Chin Loi longs to be with us while looking after Josiah as we are very much part of her family; having known one another for 3 decades.

Today after church dad insisted that we visit an old housemate of his during his student days in the UK, Aunty Swee Fei in Selayang Hospital. When she saw Grace, she asked which one? We told her she's no. 1 and she smiled and asked who was in the UK now. We told her Sara. Dad still has die-hard friends in the UK and used to be such thick friends with Swee Fei. Though a little frail and pale looking, she shared her news and Grace chipped in here and there. I sat there hearing the conversation in silence and wondered how the years never shook the friendship you establish with people who stood by you in your students days. Do you still have such friends?

Both Chin Loi and Swee Fei are friends made decades ago and now our children are also part of their life. That should be the way with life, isn't it?

Just an hour ago, dad and I sent Grace to Bandar Utama to thumb a lift to Singapore and before she left she told me that it was strange that she found it difficult to leave home. To make her less homesick, I bought her grapes at the night market, keropok lekor and some local delicacies to be shared among friends on the ride to Singapore. Yes, it is the same tight feeling I always had when I had to leave Por and Kong for Universiti Malaya during weekends and later to leave for faraway villages to teach during my first few years. But how do we plan to be together all the time? Life has to go on.

Tomorrow Grace goes back to work, I go back to school, dad goes on his rounds and life will back to normal again.

Thank you dear God for a lovely weekend albeit a hectic but meaningful one.