[ilikeoldchangke]

I left King’s place and went back home.


Nothing short of the word miserable could be used to describe everyone’s situation.




Gabriel used to distribute a modest dividend to all the elders every quarter, base on their contribution to the organisation’s funds. That too has been stopped till further notice.



As the news of Fungye’s inauguration banquet spreads, everyone dreaded the arrival of that day.



My parents and I worked harder than before, toiling away at the noodle stall everyday.


We started work 2 hours earlier, trying to catch the crowd in the wee hours of the morning and we ended 2 hours later too, desperately trying to grab onto a few late lunch goers.


Gabriel initially refused to accept the extra money the hawkers put together for him, but as the months went by, he had no choice but to take it even though it was barely enough.


Gabriel : I swear….. I will return all of you…. Every single dollar…

Auntie Geok waved Gabriel off.



Auntie Geok : I so old already… bring with me to die ah…. No need la…


Gabriel wanted to laugh but instead I saw him tried to choke back his emotions.





9th August 2015

It’s our national day.


Our golden Jubilee.




2.30pm


I could see families decked out on red and white, smiling as they made their way to the train stations, no doubt to join in the celebration.

I was tired, really tired.



My parents had gone straight to bed upon washing up but I could not sleep.

I could not close my eyes no matter how tired I felt.


That fatigue of working such long hours was beginning to take it’s toll on me.



Even Kate lost weight as she rotated and manned the coffee stall together with Orh pao for 24 hours on weekends. The family or organisation depending on how you call it, has fallen onto it’s knees.


It’s pathetic no matter how you look at it. Morale was low, hardly anyone smiles anymore.


It’s like the elders fell so hard onto the ground that they could not pick themselves up again.


No schemes from Lucy.

No naughty plans from Roland



Nothing from Gabriel as well, he’s burning himself out trying to cope with the finances.



I walked across my place to the bustling mall and ordered myself a cup of coffee for take away.


I walked around aimlessly, Staring blankly at the cup in my hands, I just zoned out until I was snapped out of it by a commotion in front of me.



A toddler had fallen down, and she was sobbing away. Someone was playing with those soup bubbles and she was happily bursting it until an older boy came along and they fought for the same bubble.


The older boy shoved the little girl to get the bubble and she fell, bawling away.



I saw her elder brother rush forward, a young kid of about 5 years old.


He shouted to his parents that his Meimei ( sister ) had fell because the other boy had pushed her. The commotion attracted a few onlookers but they soon lost interest.




The older boys’ parents came and apologised, scolding their son for being naughty. The girls parents just smiled and said it’s fine. They’re just kids.

The boy pulled his sister up and helped to brush her hands and knees.



A few steps behind the parents, a old man with a head of grey hair and wrinkles on his face came to the little girl as well.



The little girl ran to her grandfather, complaining to him that the boy pushed her.

Little girl : Ah gong… ( grandpa ) korkor ( elder brother ) push me.. …. Sob.. sob…


The old man laughed and he bent down to the little girls height.


Grandpa : It’s ok.... hahaha.. it’s ok… just pick yourself up when you fall…



It was a pretty sweet scene , grandfatherly advice for his precious granddaughter, and I smiled as I sipped my coffee until something happened that caught me totally by surprised.



The grandpa turned and checked to make sure the parents are out of earshot before he gave more advice to his grandchildren.



Grandpa : If someone pushes you…. You push back… heee.. hehe…


He giggled in a naughty manner and so did the kids.


Grandpa : You push them back so so hard….. that they would think twice about coming near you again…. Hheee.. heheh.. ahha… ssshhhhhhhhh….



He put his finger to his mouth as the kids giggled, as if trying to tell them it’s a secret between them.


The kids ran off again to play and I locked eyes with the grandpa. He gave me a smile and walked back after his grandkids.



I went back home and sat down at my desk.


I took the pen I had kept in a wooden box out and stared at it.



For a good 30 minutes, I just stared at that pen as countless thoughts raced through my mind.


The fatigue, the lack of sleep.


The miserable state of affairs.


Everything that happened within the past few months just kept coming into my head as I stared at that pen .



The longer I looked. The angrier I got.



The angrier I got, the more irrational I became.



My breathing got faster and I could feel my heart thumping away.




I closed the wooden box with a snap and I looked up and out of my window at the same time, talking to myself in the empty room.




Jake : You want a banquet …… I’ll give you one you’ll never forget…




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