Mr. Foo Chee Seng is a proud man. At sixty four, he truly believed he have the world at his feet. Beginning at the ripe age of twenty two, he had conjured an obscene amount of wealth out of nothing and in doing so, he bestowed upon himself, unquantifiable confidence and an even bigger ego. His fairytale story of a lowly office boy to becoming one of the nation’s most affluent business tycoon glossed the pages of many publications. He advised would-be-taipans that sharp focus, unwavering determination and of course, hard work are the key ingredients he used in his recipe for success. What he failed to mention was that malicious shrewdness, horrifying blackmails and immoral back stabbings were utilised generously during his transcend from rags to riches.
As his business domain expanded, so did his name. That was how the once scrawny lad people in the office called Ah Seng became Raymond Foo. He chose Raymond because it rhymed with diamond. Diamonds are equated to luxury and extravagance and Raymond Foo had always aimed to live life luxuriously and extravagantly, regardless of whatever it takes to get there.
Raymond's life seemed perfect to the outside world. When he had made his first million, he also bagged himself a trophy wife. Felicia was the anchorwoman of the local news network. Charming, intelligent and gorgeous, naturally she became the prime target of countless eligible bachelors. Her list of pursuers consisted of business big wigs, entertainment artists, sons of very prosperous people and even a member of the royal family. It wasn’t long before the race to win Felicia’s affection narrowed down to two horses, Raymond and the other guy, Rob, an editor of the country’s hottest fashion magazine then. Both had their respective attributes that appealed to her, Raymond with his arrogant charisma, unshakable self-belief and financial stability while Rob was suave, highly intellectual and had his network with people in the industry. Finally, tabloid reports made the decision for Felicia as claims by a struggling fashion model that Rob had fathered her child surfaced. It wasn’t until much later that the model confessed to having lied to the media to smear Rob’s name. She admitted it was done after he turned her away when she auditioned to be featured in his magazine but a darker truth remained untold. In reality, a certain Raymond Foo had paid her handsomely enough to let the malevolent slander slip out of her mouth. By the time Rob’s image was restored, Raymond had sealed the deal with Felicia to carry his last name.
Now with most of his business ventures running like well oiled machines, raking in a combined profit enough to administer a small country, Raymond busied himself spending time with his bevy of mistresses, all of them young enough to be his daughter. He parked each of them in various luxury condominiums and would often switch from one to the other, depending on which tickled his fancy best. The one other thing Raymond was very particular with is giving back to charity. Through his Ray-Of-Hope Foundation, he frequently donated liberally to the needy. This was done not because he advocated in doing good but because he is a staunch believer in the universal laws of karma. For all the sins he had committed, Ray prayed that his benevolent nature would eventually help him escape the destined punishments decreed by the unforgiving Gods of his religion.
There is only one thorn that the great Raymond Foo isn’t able to get rid of. Tried as hard as he might, he hasn’t been able to get through to his one and only son. His son accused him of being morally corrupted, often abandoning his mother to be with his other women. To overcome her loneliness and depression, Felicia turned to the bottle and it wasn’t long before she drank to herself to death. He was wrong to assume that his son would in time, outgrow his rebellious personality and embrace Raymond as depicted by the status quo. As the boy grew, he took notice to the fact that their lavish life was being sustained by dirty monies earned through depraved methods. He made a vow never to be involved in his father’s dealings and have honoured it ever since.
Raymond realized that time is ticking and age is catching up on him. He had so far ignored his board of directors and investors to consider taking a back seat role in the company’s day to day activities. He envisioned them to be ravenous sharks, waiting to devour him whole at the first sign of blood. His strained relationship with his son was no secret to this ungrateful bunch and this knowledge only served to fuel their hunger to have him removed from the power seat. Raymond Foo desperately needed Gabriel Foo to willingly take over the reigns of his business empire before it’s too late.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Saturday, August 28, 2010
A Fairytail : Chapter 13
Cuddling against the immense trunk of the college’s angsana tree on a lazy afternoon, they tried to guess the shapes of the floating clouds against the sky’s blue canvas. A particular one caught their interest and a cheery debate ensued.
‘It’s a dog!’ Anna exclaimed. ‘Look, can’t you see its shaggy head on the left?’
‘If it’s a dog, then it’s a mutated one cause it has three hind legs,’ Gabriel retorted. ‘That’s its tail, dummy,’ she laughed out loud.
‘A tail that’s longer that its legs?’ he feigned ignorance and that earned him an elbow in the ribs. ‘Hate you’, Gabriel whispered as he planted a tender kiss at the side of her forehead. This is paradise, she thought.
.....
‘So what would you like?’ Steve asked as he nervously fidgeted on the one page laminated menu, dog eared on all corners.
‘Hmmm, I’m still undecided,’ Wei Yee replied, her fore finger twirling her fringe habitually. ‘What about you?’
‘I always go for Set A,’ he said, referring to the value meal consisting of toasted bread with butter and kaya (coconut jam), eggs and a glass of iced coffee.
‘Hmmm, I might as well go for the same. It looks good in the photo here,’ she said, still scanning the menu.
Steve signalled the waitress over and placed their orders. All week he had been looking forward to this weekend where Wei Yee had agreed to go out on a date with him. Although it might have seemed weird that she suggested they meet up for breakfast because she was planning to finish her assignments in the afternoon and then visit Anna’s mom in the hospital later that night, Steve thought it would be the best to grab at whatever Wei Yee is offering now.
When the waitress left, Wei Yee was starring at the traffic outside the café. The morning rays were resting beautifully on her face, radiating what seemed to Steve like the very essence of beauty itself. His mouth felt as dry as the desert while his palms were moist like the dews of dawn.
She turned to look at him and with a puzzled expression said ‘What?’
‘Oh nothing,’ he tried to recover. ‘So what do you usually do on Saturday mornings?’
‘Well, I usually sleep in. It’s the only day of the week I get to wake up late,’ she casually answered.
‘What ‘bout Sunday? Steve continued.
‘Oh, my parents do their weekly marketing then, so I’ll help out,’ she said, squinting this time as a passing car reflected the sun into her eyes.
She looked astonishingly adorable, his mind gushed. ‘So I guess I wrecked your beauty sleep huh,’ he said bashfully.
‘Nah, didn’t they say the early bird catches the worm,’ she chipped in.
The waitress came and placed their iced coffees at the center of the table and as they reached for their drinks, the tips of their fingers brushed against one another. Out of reflex, Wei Yee instantly pulled back and Steve caught the action, causing his heart to slump down a couple of beats.
‘Sorry,’ she muttered.
‘What for?’ he replied.
‘Umm, nothing,’ Wei Yee said, suddenly feeling awkward.
Both of them were rather relieved when their food was served and they ate in an uncomfortable silence.
‘You like it?’ Steve asked referring to the breakfast set.
‘Oh yea. It’s really good and the butter is especially rich,’ Wei Yee lied.
As they resumed eating without conversing, Wei Yee surprisingly noticed how they actually ate in a similar peculiar manner. Both of them would discard the skin of the bread before slathering the butter on one side and kaya on the other and they would eat both slices separately. The eggs would be consumed last. This eating habit of hers had bugged her ex-boyfriend to no end and they even once had a silly argument over it in a restaurant.
Just then, a meow brought Wei Yee back from her thoughts. A brown and white stray feline had parked itself next to Steve’s feet and was shamelessly begging for food. Steve took the leftover bread skin on his plate and tossed it lightly on the floor. The cat moved in and was immediately chewing on it hungrily. Wei Yee took hers and bent under the table to feed the stray as well. Their gazed locked and she felt her stomach flutter, a sensation she haven’t experienced in a long time. Before she could even try to digest this newly developed emotion, she felt something else, something not good.
‘Steve, I need your help,’ she said embarrassingly.
Someone had stuck a piece of gum under the table and now it’s lodged between the strands of her hair. Steve immediately came over and he knew as soon as he saw her predicament. He tried to remove the gum by tugging it but it seems the more he tried, the messier it got. When he eventually gave up, Wei Yee’s hair was in total chaos. Patrons from the other tables were looking, some chuckling.
‘I think we need professional help,’ Steve said seriously. ‘We need to get you to a salon’.
She stared back at him blankly and then they both burst out laughing, attracting even more attention from the other people.
‘If I still look okay after my hair is fixed, how ‘bout I treat you to a movie,’ she said. ‘If you’re available this afternoon of course’.
Steve beamed and said ‘Now let’s get you to the nearest saloon’, oblivious to the dog shaped cloud drifting above.
‘It’s a dog!’ Anna exclaimed. ‘Look, can’t you see its shaggy head on the left?’
‘If it’s a dog, then it’s a mutated one cause it has three hind legs,’ Gabriel retorted. ‘That’s its tail, dummy,’ she laughed out loud.
‘A tail that’s longer that its legs?’ he feigned ignorance and that earned him an elbow in the ribs. ‘Hate you’, Gabriel whispered as he planted a tender kiss at the side of her forehead. This is paradise, she thought.
.....
‘So what would you like?’ Steve asked as he nervously fidgeted on the one page laminated menu, dog eared on all corners.
‘Hmmm, I’m still undecided,’ Wei Yee replied, her fore finger twirling her fringe habitually. ‘What about you?’
‘I always go for Set A,’ he said, referring to the value meal consisting of toasted bread with butter and kaya (coconut jam), eggs and a glass of iced coffee.
‘Hmmm, I might as well go for the same. It looks good in the photo here,’ she said, still scanning the menu.
Steve signalled the waitress over and placed their orders. All week he had been looking forward to this weekend where Wei Yee had agreed to go out on a date with him. Although it might have seemed weird that she suggested they meet up for breakfast because she was planning to finish her assignments in the afternoon and then visit Anna’s mom in the hospital later that night, Steve thought it would be the best to grab at whatever Wei Yee is offering now.
When the waitress left, Wei Yee was starring at the traffic outside the café. The morning rays were resting beautifully on her face, radiating what seemed to Steve like the very essence of beauty itself. His mouth felt as dry as the desert while his palms were moist like the dews of dawn.
She turned to look at him and with a puzzled expression said ‘What?’
‘Oh nothing,’ he tried to recover. ‘So what do you usually do on Saturday mornings?’
‘Well, I usually sleep in. It’s the only day of the week I get to wake up late,’ she casually answered.
‘What ‘bout Sunday? Steve continued.
‘Oh, my parents do their weekly marketing then, so I’ll help out,’ she said, squinting this time as a passing car reflected the sun into her eyes.
She looked astonishingly adorable, his mind gushed. ‘So I guess I wrecked your beauty sleep huh,’ he said bashfully.
‘Nah, didn’t they say the early bird catches the worm,’ she chipped in.
The waitress came and placed their iced coffees at the center of the table and as they reached for their drinks, the tips of their fingers brushed against one another. Out of reflex, Wei Yee instantly pulled back and Steve caught the action, causing his heart to slump down a couple of beats.
‘Sorry,’ she muttered.
‘What for?’ he replied.
‘Umm, nothing,’ Wei Yee said, suddenly feeling awkward.
Both of them were rather relieved when their food was served and they ate in an uncomfortable silence.
‘You like it?’ Steve asked referring to the breakfast set.
‘Oh yea. It’s really good and the butter is especially rich,’ Wei Yee lied.
As they resumed eating without conversing, Wei Yee surprisingly noticed how they actually ate in a similar peculiar manner. Both of them would discard the skin of the bread before slathering the butter on one side and kaya on the other and they would eat both slices separately. The eggs would be consumed last. This eating habit of hers had bugged her ex-boyfriend to no end and they even once had a silly argument over it in a restaurant.
Just then, a meow brought Wei Yee back from her thoughts. A brown and white stray feline had parked itself next to Steve’s feet and was shamelessly begging for food. Steve took the leftover bread skin on his plate and tossed it lightly on the floor. The cat moved in and was immediately chewing on it hungrily. Wei Yee took hers and bent under the table to feed the stray as well. Their gazed locked and she felt her stomach flutter, a sensation she haven’t experienced in a long time. Before she could even try to digest this newly developed emotion, she felt something else, something not good.
‘Steve, I need your help,’ she said embarrassingly.
Someone had stuck a piece of gum under the table and now it’s lodged between the strands of her hair. Steve immediately came over and he knew as soon as he saw her predicament. He tried to remove the gum by tugging it but it seems the more he tried, the messier it got. When he eventually gave up, Wei Yee’s hair was in total chaos. Patrons from the other tables were looking, some chuckling.
‘I think we need professional help,’ Steve said seriously. ‘We need to get you to a salon’.
She stared back at him blankly and then they both burst out laughing, attracting even more attention from the other people.
‘If I still look okay after my hair is fixed, how ‘bout I treat you to a movie,’ she said. ‘If you’re available this afternoon of course’.
Steve beamed and said ‘Now let’s get you to the nearest saloon’, oblivious to the dog shaped cloud drifting above.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
A Fairytail : Chapter 12
By now, news of Anna’s mother’s illness has spread within her close circle of friends in college. They offered their genuine sympathy and tried to help her out in ways they could. Knowing that Anna would head straight to the hospital after her classes, Steve negotiated with his sister to give Anna a lift there on days which they shared the same lectures. Katie insisted that Anna take her notes for all the classes she had previously missed and everyone knows there isn’t a more comprehensive set of notes in the entire college than Katie’s. Ivan and Jung Ho recorded a Japanese / Korean get-well-soon song for Claire. Though none of the rest understood a word from this horrendously tuneless collaboration, Anna appreciated their fine intentions nonetheless. The Outdoor Society sent a huge fruit basket directly to the ward and even Maya seemed to stop sneering at Anna whenever they cross each other in the college hallway nowadays. Her lecturers were also being understanding towards her as they thoughtfully rescheduled her tutorial sessions so that she could afford more time to spend with her mother.
None of their combined efforts could match Gabriel’s as he practically committed all his free time towards helping mother and daughter in any way possible. He made himself her personal chauffeur much to Steve’s sister’s delight, ferrying her to and from the hospital. This particular action earned him many brownie points from Claire as she often worried about Anna’s safety especially when she had to commute home from the hospital late at night. Many a times, Gabriel would ensure there’s a hot meal waiting for Anna during dinner hours and the two would enjoy their meal in the hospital’s cafeteria. He would collect mails from their home and deliver them personally to Claire. When the utility and credit card bills are due, he would help pass them to Uncle Leon to be taken care off. There were also occasions where he would sneak his family’s maid into Claire’s home and have the place cleaned and tidied up before Anna could put in her rejection.
Despite everything that is keeping her fully occupied, Anna couldn’t help realising that her fondness for Gabriel has grown deeper. She was secretly delighted that they were now spending most of their free time together even if it means running her errands or simply willing the hours away in the hospital. At least she now has something pleasant to look forward to everyday.
.....
Notwithstanding how much her doctor and nurses tried to prepare her for, Claire couldn’t prevent the depression from showing when the first after-effects of the chemotherapy treatment finally kicked in. She was constantly shrouded in exhaustion. A trip to the bathroom to ease herself took so much effort that she gratefully traded her dignity for some assistance from the nurses in return. If it was even possible, Claire is looking even frailer than she has ever been. Her tremendous loss in appetite limited her food intake causing her body weight to plunge border lining a critical stage. Worse still, she vomited aggressively without fail after each and every chemo session, leaving behind only the bitter aftertaste of the regurgitated bile. Her sunken cheekbones magnified her popping eye sockets and her once healthy looking skin is now almost translucent white, radiating a sickly glow over the branching highway of her purple and green veins. The knockout punch came when clumps of her hair effortlessly came off while being brushed. It took only days before her thinning mane started revealing the obvious beige of her scalp. She began developing a natural fear to shower as the clogged drainage hole was a sight she couldn’t stomach. No amount of comfort could stop her heavy tears from gushing freely. Soon after, Claire refused any visitors apart from Anna, Wei Yee and Mrs. Chan. The three of them went shopping for a wig and found one that was more or less similar to Claire’s former hairstyle. It helped for a while before it began to irritatingly itch when worn over a long period due to sweating. In the end, Claire chose to don a cotton knitted bonnet instead and it proved to be a lot more comfortable. Gabriel still visited as often as before but courteously met up with Anna either in the cafeteria or the hospital’s garden area.
.....
Claire was napping and Anna was completing her assignments as her mobile vibrated silently. She saw that it was Gabriel calling and answered it. ‘Dinner is served my lady,’ he said with a regal tone. She smiled and said ‘Make known that the lady shall be proceeding to the royal dining chamber immediately’. She packed her stuff and left a note to her mother before taking the elevator to the cafeteria. On the way down, a pair of young giggly nurses gave her knowing looks but they had already reached their floor before she could enquire more.
She found Gabriel by the entrance, leaning casually against the wall. When he caught sight of her, he straightened out himself and flashed her a heart melting smile and she still hated herself for feeling so flushed. When she reached him, she tilted her head slightly higher and said ‘Her highness wishes to know what’s on the royal menu today’. He gave a little courtesan bow. ‘Dinner today is a little special my lady. Shall we proceed?’ as he gestured towards the elevator. She gave him a puzzled look before saying ‘You may lead on, my good man’. She was surprised when he pressed on the 7th floor button, the highest level of the hospital. ‘Where are we exactly going?’ she questioned, a tinge of excitement welling from within. ‘Just wait and see,’ he answered, his eyes showing an impish glint. Once at their designated floor, he led her to the emergency staircase and proceeded walking upwards without a backward glance. She had no choice but to keep up from behind.
They stopped at a narrow passage way with a door at the end. He took a deep breath and swung it open, allowing a refreshing breeze to wash over them. He grinned at her reassuringly and cocked his head towards the outside. She took a step on the hospital roof’s flat surface and immediately a light source caught her eye. Like a shiny beacon, a table was laid out at the corner and a cluster of lighted thick pink candles were sitting on it. ‘Come’ he softly said. As they approached, she could see that the table was scattered with champagne rose petals and a basket laid waiting on one of the chairs. ‘May I,’ he asked as he pulled out the empty chair for her. Still recovering from the surprise, she sat down slowly but deep down, she could feel her insides performing a triple somersault, over and over again. Without saying a word, he opened the basket and took out two plates and two pairs of fork and knife. He laid them on the table like an experienced maitre’d. Next, Gabriel opened a container and immediately, a scrumptious aroma enveloped their surrounding. He placed a piece of succulent steak on each plate and drizzled brown sauce generously over it. Anna thought it looked mouth wateringly delectable. On the side, he spooned portions of potato salad and finished the presentation by arranging a few pieces of baby carrots for added colour. As for the beverage, he uncapped two chilled bottles of sparkling grape juice. Perfect.
Anna was utterly lost for words but Gabriel wasn’t done. He placed a cute pair of mini speakers on the table and hooked his Ipod onto them. Soon, the air was filled with the romantic melody of ‘Till We Ain’t Strangers Anymore’, a duet by Bon Jovi and LeAnn Rimes and also Anna’s favourite.
She could only look at him, her heart threatening to explode and her mind frantically trying to look for the perfect words to befit such a dreamy scenario. She realised then about the giggling nurses. ‘One last thing,’ he said. He carefully took out two cupcakes and placed them at the center of the table. Squiggled with icing on each of them was Happy and B’day. She was simply overwhelmed. Even she had forgotten that today was her birthday. This was an experience like no other. This was so special it was almost magical. At that moment, Anna felt like a princess in a happily ever after story.
‘I hope it’s not too much and errr ... I took the liberty of assuming that you would be available tonight. Good thing you didn’t have anything planned out,’ he bashfully said, ruffling the back of his hair, a habit for whenever he’s nervous. She could only continue starring at him and whispered ‘Thank you’. He replied ‘Hey, it’s your big day. You have every right to be treated like a princess. Besides, it was my pleasure to ...’. She cut him out mid sentence. Through glistened eyes, she lunged forward, grabbed him by the collar and put her lips to his. His was surprisingly soft and she tasted a hint of sweetness probably from some chewing gum he had earlier. They both knew this was what they had wanted all along and the sensation was purely wonderful. It’s as if nothing could go wrong and even if it did, it didn’t matter. After a while, they pulled away breathless. They couldn’t help but to exchange smiles shyly and he grabbed her hands. Lacing his fingers between hers, he said ‘Now try my cooking. I laboured the entire day for this’. But she couldn’t remember how the food tasted as every part of her body is bathed in a delicious warmth of love.
None of their combined efforts could match Gabriel’s as he practically committed all his free time towards helping mother and daughter in any way possible. He made himself her personal chauffeur much to Steve’s sister’s delight, ferrying her to and from the hospital. This particular action earned him many brownie points from Claire as she often worried about Anna’s safety especially when she had to commute home from the hospital late at night. Many a times, Gabriel would ensure there’s a hot meal waiting for Anna during dinner hours and the two would enjoy their meal in the hospital’s cafeteria. He would collect mails from their home and deliver them personally to Claire. When the utility and credit card bills are due, he would help pass them to Uncle Leon to be taken care off. There were also occasions where he would sneak his family’s maid into Claire’s home and have the place cleaned and tidied up before Anna could put in her rejection.
Despite everything that is keeping her fully occupied, Anna couldn’t help realising that her fondness for Gabriel has grown deeper. She was secretly delighted that they were now spending most of their free time together even if it means running her errands or simply willing the hours away in the hospital. At least she now has something pleasant to look forward to everyday.
.....
Notwithstanding how much her doctor and nurses tried to prepare her for, Claire couldn’t prevent the depression from showing when the first after-effects of the chemotherapy treatment finally kicked in. She was constantly shrouded in exhaustion. A trip to the bathroom to ease herself took so much effort that she gratefully traded her dignity for some assistance from the nurses in return. If it was even possible, Claire is looking even frailer than she has ever been. Her tremendous loss in appetite limited her food intake causing her body weight to plunge border lining a critical stage. Worse still, she vomited aggressively without fail after each and every chemo session, leaving behind only the bitter aftertaste of the regurgitated bile. Her sunken cheekbones magnified her popping eye sockets and her once healthy looking skin is now almost translucent white, radiating a sickly glow over the branching highway of her purple and green veins. The knockout punch came when clumps of her hair effortlessly came off while being brushed. It took only days before her thinning mane started revealing the obvious beige of her scalp. She began developing a natural fear to shower as the clogged drainage hole was a sight she couldn’t stomach. No amount of comfort could stop her heavy tears from gushing freely. Soon after, Claire refused any visitors apart from Anna, Wei Yee and Mrs. Chan. The three of them went shopping for a wig and found one that was more or less similar to Claire’s former hairstyle. It helped for a while before it began to irritatingly itch when worn over a long period due to sweating. In the end, Claire chose to don a cotton knitted bonnet instead and it proved to be a lot more comfortable. Gabriel still visited as often as before but courteously met up with Anna either in the cafeteria or the hospital’s garden area.
.....
Claire was napping and Anna was completing her assignments as her mobile vibrated silently. She saw that it was Gabriel calling and answered it. ‘Dinner is served my lady,’ he said with a regal tone. She smiled and said ‘Make known that the lady shall be proceeding to the royal dining chamber immediately’. She packed her stuff and left a note to her mother before taking the elevator to the cafeteria. On the way down, a pair of young giggly nurses gave her knowing looks but they had already reached their floor before she could enquire more.
She found Gabriel by the entrance, leaning casually against the wall. When he caught sight of her, he straightened out himself and flashed her a heart melting smile and she still hated herself for feeling so flushed. When she reached him, she tilted her head slightly higher and said ‘Her highness wishes to know what’s on the royal menu today’. He gave a little courtesan bow. ‘Dinner today is a little special my lady. Shall we proceed?’ as he gestured towards the elevator. She gave him a puzzled look before saying ‘You may lead on, my good man’. She was surprised when he pressed on the 7th floor button, the highest level of the hospital. ‘Where are we exactly going?’ she questioned, a tinge of excitement welling from within. ‘Just wait and see,’ he answered, his eyes showing an impish glint. Once at their designated floor, he led her to the emergency staircase and proceeded walking upwards without a backward glance. She had no choice but to keep up from behind.
They stopped at a narrow passage way with a door at the end. He took a deep breath and swung it open, allowing a refreshing breeze to wash over them. He grinned at her reassuringly and cocked his head towards the outside. She took a step on the hospital roof’s flat surface and immediately a light source caught her eye. Like a shiny beacon, a table was laid out at the corner and a cluster of lighted thick pink candles were sitting on it. ‘Come’ he softly said. As they approached, she could see that the table was scattered with champagne rose petals and a basket laid waiting on one of the chairs. ‘May I,’ he asked as he pulled out the empty chair for her. Still recovering from the surprise, she sat down slowly but deep down, she could feel her insides performing a triple somersault, over and over again. Without saying a word, he opened the basket and took out two plates and two pairs of fork and knife. He laid them on the table like an experienced maitre’d. Next, Gabriel opened a container and immediately, a scrumptious aroma enveloped their surrounding. He placed a piece of succulent steak on each plate and drizzled brown sauce generously over it. Anna thought it looked mouth wateringly delectable. On the side, he spooned portions of potato salad and finished the presentation by arranging a few pieces of baby carrots for added colour. As for the beverage, he uncapped two chilled bottles of sparkling grape juice. Perfect.
Anna was utterly lost for words but Gabriel wasn’t done. He placed a cute pair of mini speakers on the table and hooked his Ipod onto them. Soon, the air was filled with the romantic melody of ‘Till We Ain’t Strangers Anymore’, a duet by Bon Jovi and LeAnn Rimes and also Anna’s favourite.
She could only look at him, her heart threatening to explode and her mind frantically trying to look for the perfect words to befit such a dreamy scenario. She realised then about the giggling nurses. ‘One last thing,’ he said. He carefully took out two cupcakes and placed them at the center of the table. Squiggled with icing on each of them was Happy and B’day. She was simply overwhelmed. Even she had forgotten that today was her birthday. This was an experience like no other. This was so special it was almost magical. At that moment, Anna felt like a princess in a happily ever after story.
‘I hope it’s not too much and errr ... I took the liberty of assuming that you would be available tonight. Good thing you didn’t have anything planned out,’ he bashfully said, ruffling the back of his hair, a habit for whenever he’s nervous. She could only continue starring at him and whispered ‘Thank you’. He replied ‘Hey, it’s your big day. You have every right to be treated like a princess. Besides, it was my pleasure to ...’. She cut him out mid sentence. Through glistened eyes, she lunged forward, grabbed him by the collar and put her lips to his. His was surprisingly soft and she tasted a hint of sweetness probably from some chewing gum he had earlier. They both knew this was what they had wanted all along and the sensation was purely wonderful. It’s as if nothing could go wrong and even if it did, it didn’t matter. After a while, they pulled away breathless. They couldn’t help but to exchange smiles shyly and he grabbed her hands. Lacing his fingers between hers, he said ‘Now try my cooking. I laboured the entire day for this’. But she couldn’t remember how the food tasted as every part of her body is bathed in a delicious warmth of love.
Sunday, August 22, 2010
A Fairytail : Chapter 11
The next couple of days whizzed by in a blurry daze. Anna soon became accustomed to the punishable routine, often using the bitter sorrow to numb her fatigue. By 6:30 a.m., she would have already collected the piping hot porridge Wei Yee’s mother had generously prepared. Anna wanted her mother to have at least one proper meal a day. She tasted the soupy macaroni served once at the ward and likened it to eating rubber pellets soaked in diluted bleach. After breakfast, she would read her mother the daily news hoping to take both their minds off the horrible fate that has befallen them. Her mother would then take a nap or watch chinese soaps on the fuzzy tv while Anna used the time to search for potential curing methods for her mother’s illness on the web. She soon became very familiar with the medical jargons and was comfortably applying them when speaking to the doctors. By 5:15 p.m. Anna would rush home for a quick shower before heading to the nearby coffee shop to buy her mother’s dinner. She would have Aunty Ho, the noodle seller to specially cook her mother’s noodles without oil or too much salt, usually just a dash of pepper in the aromatic chicken broth and sprinkled with some finely chopped spring onions. Fifteen years of patronage granted Anna this exceptional treatment from Aunty Ho. On the rare occasions that Claire is blessed with a better appetite, Anna would take away instead steamed rice topped with stir fried bitter gourd with chicken and black beans. It is her mother’s favourite but it pained Anna to see Claire being able to finish no more than half of what is served. By the time Anna reaches home at night, it is usually close to 11:30 p.m. and she goes to bed with an aching back from sitting too much on the unforgiving plastic chair beside her mother’s bed. She’s thankful that her exhaustion serves also as her nightly lullaby.
There wasn’t a day where Claire didn’t have any visitors. They comprised of distant relatives (some Anna had never met in her entire life), close friends (they are only a handful), neighbours (less than a handful) and Claire’s colleagues (Anna lost count but suspected they came as only an excuse to get away from work). By the fourth day she was warded in, Claire already had 3 standing bouquet of flowers by the corner of her room, all well wishes of a speedy recovery punctuated in bold. Anna hated the aroma of the daisies and gerberas because it reminded her of the same smell emanated in the funeral parlour when her grandad passed away. She beared with it since the colours added a certain vibrancy to the otherwise dull and depressing room.
Wei Yee and her mom came as often as they could for which Anna is grateful. Sometimes, Mrs. Chan brought along double boiled herbal soup which is supposedly good for revitalisation of the mind and body. Mrs. Chan being Mrs. Chan wouldn’t leave until Claire swallowed the very last drop.
To take care of her mother, Anna had missed the first three days of the college’s second semester. Although she was sure she’s falling way behind in class, it couldn’t be helped. No one needed her more than her mother now. Uncle Leon is trying his best to source for a part time maid to relieve Anna of some of her duties so she could attend classes but his limited income is making his search especially tough. Wei Yee would make copies of her notes and pass them to Anna by the end of each day but they weren’t sharing all the same classes. As far as Anna’s friends from the other classes are concerned, she wasn’t ready to share her recent family tragedy with them yet.
One day, Anna was washing up the dishes in the ward’s bathroom and she heard a male voice speaking to her mother outside. She assumed him to be one of her mom’s colleagues and didn’t give it a second thought as she began skinning an apple. When she was done, she walked out of the bathroom and was utterly stunned to see Gabriel sitting on her plastic chair, chatting animatedly with Claire. ‘What is he doing here!’ her thoughts screamed. They both looked at Anna’s bewildered expression and smiled. A few seconds passed before Gabriel spoke up ‘So … you’re just going to stand there all night?’ Anna blushed and quickly came over to the bed and said ‘What are you doing here? And how did you know?’ ‘Well, I didn’t see you in class and you’re not answering my calls. So I asked around and everyone’s as clueless as I am. So left with no other choices, I cornered Wei Yee and my boys threatened to scar her pretty face unless she spilled the truth,’ he joked. ‘You did what!’ exclaimed Anna. ‘Woah, I was just joking, silly. I simply asked her very nicely and she told me what happened. Besides I figured you needed the notes from all the classes you’ve been missing,’ he replied. He then looked over to Anna’s mother and said ‘Aunty, I asked the shop keeper and he said all you have to do is to boil it for three hours with the rest of the herbs and it’s ready’. Anna realised then that Gabriel was referring to the very big box of American ginseng he had bought for her mother. ‘Aiyo, I can’t possibly accept something so expensive from you. Please take it back,’ Claire said embarrassingly. ‘Don’t worry Aunty, that shop keeper is a family friend and I got a very good discount. So it’s actually not very expensive,’ Gabriel graciously countered. Anna wanted to say something but the door opened and Mrs. Chan walked in. The inquisitive lady immediately said loudly ‘Waaa Nana, who’s this hemsem young man? Your boyfriend ar?’ ‘Aiyo Aunty! No la! He’s just a friend and he’s here to pass me some notes,’ she replied very quickly as blood rushed to her cheeks. ‘I didn’t know they thought you all how to make ginseng in college. Waa! And look at the size of it, surely not cheap eh,’ Mrs. Chan replied as she playfully nudged Gabriel. ‘Eh Claire ar, looks like your future son-in-law is treating you very well hor,’ she continued teasing. ‘Who are we to control these young people nowadays,’ Claire said with a smile. Gabriel looked at Anna and a mocking grin was plastered on his face. ‘Nana?’ he silently mouthed.
Just then Wei Yee walked in and said ‘Ma, I parked the car on the street opposite the main entrance. The hospital’s car park is full already. Oh, you told Anna yet?’ ‘Tell me what?’ Anna responded. ‘Oh, nothing la. Just that from tomorrow onwards, I’ll be your mother’s full time caretaker. I’ve already arranged everything with Uncle Chan. So you can go back to college okay,’ she said seriously. ‘I can’t trouble all of you this way Aunty. You’ve already done too much for us as it is,’ Anna replied. ‘Don’t talk nonsense la. It has been decided. Next week onwards, your mother will be undergoing chemotherapy. She will need banyak (a lot of) nourishments to pull through. My cooking will do a lot more help than the ones you bungkus (take away) from the coffee shop. Also, you can’t miss anymore classes or you’ll flunk out of college. You want to give your mother heart attack some more ar,’ Mrs. Chan said wisely. ‘Besides, it’ll give us old ladies more time to gossip,’ she added less sagely as she launched into her trademark hyena cackle. Before Anna could respond, her tearing mother was already thanking her friend profusely.
There wasn’t a day where Claire didn’t have any visitors. They comprised of distant relatives (some Anna had never met in her entire life), close friends (they are only a handful), neighbours (less than a handful) and Claire’s colleagues (Anna lost count but suspected they came as only an excuse to get away from work). By the fourth day she was warded in, Claire already had 3 standing bouquet of flowers by the corner of her room, all well wishes of a speedy recovery punctuated in bold. Anna hated the aroma of the daisies and gerberas because it reminded her of the same smell emanated in the funeral parlour when her grandad passed away. She beared with it since the colours added a certain vibrancy to the otherwise dull and depressing room.
Wei Yee and her mom came as often as they could for which Anna is grateful. Sometimes, Mrs. Chan brought along double boiled herbal soup which is supposedly good for revitalisation of the mind and body. Mrs. Chan being Mrs. Chan wouldn’t leave until Claire swallowed the very last drop.
To take care of her mother, Anna had missed the first three days of the college’s second semester. Although she was sure she’s falling way behind in class, it couldn’t be helped. No one needed her more than her mother now. Uncle Leon is trying his best to source for a part time maid to relieve Anna of some of her duties so she could attend classes but his limited income is making his search especially tough. Wei Yee would make copies of her notes and pass them to Anna by the end of each day but they weren’t sharing all the same classes. As far as Anna’s friends from the other classes are concerned, she wasn’t ready to share her recent family tragedy with them yet.
One day, Anna was washing up the dishes in the ward’s bathroom and she heard a male voice speaking to her mother outside. She assumed him to be one of her mom’s colleagues and didn’t give it a second thought as she began skinning an apple. When she was done, she walked out of the bathroom and was utterly stunned to see Gabriel sitting on her plastic chair, chatting animatedly with Claire. ‘What is he doing here!’ her thoughts screamed. They both looked at Anna’s bewildered expression and smiled. A few seconds passed before Gabriel spoke up ‘So … you’re just going to stand there all night?’ Anna blushed and quickly came over to the bed and said ‘What are you doing here? And how did you know?’ ‘Well, I didn’t see you in class and you’re not answering my calls. So I asked around and everyone’s as clueless as I am. So left with no other choices, I cornered Wei Yee and my boys threatened to scar her pretty face unless she spilled the truth,’ he joked. ‘You did what!’ exclaimed Anna. ‘Woah, I was just joking, silly. I simply asked her very nicely and she told me what happened. Besides I figured you needed the notes from all the classes you’ve been missing,’ he replied. He then looked over to Anna’s mother and said ‘Aunty, I asked the shop keeper and he said all you have to do is to boil it for three hours with the rest of the herbs and it’s ready’. Anna realised then that Gabriel was referring to the very big box of American ginseng he had bought for her mother. ‘Aiyo, I can’t possibly accept something so expensive from you. Please take it back,’ Claire said embarrassingly. ‘Don’t worry Aunty, that shop keeper is a family friend and I got a very good discount. So it’s actually not very expensive,’ Gabriel graciously countered. Anna wanted to say something but the door opened and Mrs. Chan walked in. The inquisitive lady immediately said loudly ‘Waaa Nana, who’s this hemsem young man? Your boyfriend ar?’ ‘Aiyo Aunty! No la! He’s just a friend and he’s here to pass me some notes,’ she replied very quickly as blood rushed to her cheeks. ‘I didn’t know they thought you all how to make ginseng in college. Waa! And look at the size of it, surely not cheap eh,’ Mrs. Chan replied as she playfully nudged Gabriel. ‘Eh Claire ar, looks like your future son-in-law is treating you very well hor,’ she continued teasing. ‘Who are we to control these young people nowadays,’ Claire said with a smile. Gabriel looked at Anna and a mocking grin was plastered on his face. ‘Nana?’ he silently mouthed.
Just then Wei Yee walked in and said ‘Ma, I parked the car on the street opposite the main entrance. The hospital’s car park is full already. Oh, you told Anna yet?’ ‘Tell me what?’ Anna responded. ‘Oh, nothing la. Just that from tomorrow onwards, I’ll be your mother’s full time caretaker. I’ve already arranged everything with Uncle Chan. So you can go back to college okay,’ she said seriously. ‘I can’t trouble all of you this way Aunty. You’ve already done too much for us as it is,’ Anna replied. ‘Don’t talk nonsense la. It has been decided. Next week onwards, your mother will be undergoing chemotherapy. She will need banyak (a lot of) nourishments to pull through. My cooking will do a lot more help than the ones you bungkus (take away) from the coffee shop. Also, you can’t miss anymore classes or you’ll flunk out of college. You want to give your mother heart attack some more ar,’ Mrs. Chan said wisely. ‘Besides, it’ll give us old ladies more time to gossip,’ she added less sagely as she launched into her trademark hyena cackle. Before Anna could respond, her tearing mother was already thanking her friend profusely.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
A Fairytail : Chapter 10
Wei Yee’s parents dropped Anna at the hospital and they left for home on Anna’s insistence. Wei Yee had persisted to stay with her to offer comfort and help in any way but Anna preferred to face this situation with family only, at least for now.
She found the caller sitting in the ward’s common area, his gaze fixed on the styrofoam cup he was grasping with both hands. He didn’t blink when the steam arising from the coffee connected with his eyes. ‘Uncle Leon,’ Anna sniffled. ‘Oh Anna,’ he replied while getting up and circling his arms around to give her a tight hug. Her uncle looked drained. His hair was ruffled and his expression pale. ‘Where is Ma? What happened exactly? I tried calling so many times but I can’t get through to you or Ma’ she asked as tears blurred her vision. ‘You must’ve called when I was in the doctor’s room and had my phone turned off. I guess there’s no point trying to hide it from you any longer. Did you notice any change in your mother lately?’ he said. Anna thought for a moment before answering ‘No, not really. Perhaps she has been going to bed earlier nowadays but I thought it’s because her age is catching up’. ‘Yea, she gets fatigued easily and her weight has dropped steadily over the last four months,’ Uncle Leon added. Anna was silent. She felt stupid for not noticing these signs earlier. ‘She’s in pain Anna. For the past couple of months, the pain had gotten worse. Earlier this morning, she was heading out to the market. She wanted to cook your favourite soy sauce chicken tonight but the pain came suddenly. It was so unbearable she collapsed and after a while, she managed to drag herself to the phone and called me. I rushed over and got her admitted,’ he said. Her tears were now streaming down her cheeks as she asked ‘But why? Why is Ma suffering like this?’ ‘The doctors did some tests and they just confirmed it. Your mom has leukaemia,’ he answered her dejectedly. When the words finally sank in, Anna felt her gut being turned inside out. Her head was spinning as if the entire building just crashed on her. ‘I need to go see her now,’ she said.
Claire was warded into a twin sharing room. Because the bed beside her was unoccupied, the lights on that side were switched off casting an overall gloom over the already dimly lit ward. The walls painted with pastel green shows signs on peeling revealing the truer age of the building. A 14 inch tv hung by the top corner of the room with the pieces of its remote held together with lots of scotch tape. The entire place stank of bitter medicine and artificially scented floor detergent.
Anna stood at the doorway starring at her mother. Her mother’s body looked shockingly frail under the bare fluorescents. Her face was ashen and her lips showed a hue of purplish blue. A drip was inserted into Claire’s left hand and Anna could clearly see the swell of her mother’s vein where the needle pierced through the skin and then flesh. Anna couldn’t bear the depressing sight and silently, the tears kept flowing. Claire turned her body slightly and the metal bed creaked fiercely in response. She grimaced before letting out a series of violent coughs. Anna rushed to her mother’s side and rubbed her chest to pacify the irritated lungs. Claire slowly opened her eyes and managed to give her daughter a very tired smile. ‘Why didn’t you tell me?’ Anna said in between sobs, her tears splattering on her mother’s dry cheeks. ‘I didn’t know it’s cancer and wouldn’t want to worry you. I also wanted you to focus on your studies,’ replied Claire weakly before coughing again. Anna turned to her Uncle and asked ‘How come Ma’s condition changed so quickly? She looked fine before I went to camp’. ‘The doctor said with leukaemia, things can turn bad very rapidly,’ Uncle Leon explained. ‘Come Anna, we should let your mother rest. I also need to get you home to pack your mother’s stuff to bring over. We rushed here this morning we didn’t have time to take anything with us’.
Anna bent over to her mother’s ear and whispered ‘Ma, rest well you hear. We’ll be back real soon. Everything is going to be ok’. She gave her mother’s arm a reassuring grip before leaving with her uncle.
She found the caller sitting in the ward’s common area, his gaze fixed on the styrofoam cup he was grasping with both hands. He didn’t blink when the steam arising from the coffee connected with his eyes. ‘Uncle Leon,’ Anna sniffled. ‘Oh Anna,’ he replied while getting up and circling his arms around to give her a tight hug. Her uncle looked drained. His hair was ruffled and his expression pale. ‘Where is Ma? What happened exactly? I tried calling so many times but I can’t get through to you or Ma’ she asked as tears blurred her vision. ‘You must’ve called when I was in the doctor’s room and had my phone turned off. I guess there’s no point trying to hide it from you any longer. Did you notice any change in your mother lately?’ he said. Anna thought for a moment before answering ‘No, not really. Perhaps she has been going to bed earlier nowadays but I thought it’s because her age is catching up’. ‘Yea, she gets fatigued easily and her weight has dropped steadily over the last four months,’ Uncle Leon added. Anna was silent. She felt stupid for not noticing these signs earlier. ‘She’s in pain Anna. For the past couple of months, the pain had gotten worse. Earlier this morning, she was heading out to the market. She wanted to cook your favourite soy sauce chicken tonight but the pain came suddenly. It was so unbearable she collapsed and after a while, she managed to drag herself to the phone and called me. I rushed over and got her admitted,’ he said. Her tears were now streaming down her cheeks as she asked ‘But why? Why is Ma suffering like this?’ ‘The doctors did some tests and they just confirmed it. Your mom has leukaemia,’ he answered her dejectedly. When the words finally sank in, Anna felt her gut being turned inside out. Her head was spinning as if the entire building just crashed on her. ‘I need to go see her now,’ she said.
Claire was warded into a twin sharing room. Because the bed beside her was unoccupied, the lights on that side were switched off casting an overall gloom over the already dimly lit ward. The walls painted with pastel green shows signs on peeling revealing the truer age of the building. A 14 inch tv hung by the top corner of the room with the pieces of its remote held together with lots of scotch tape. The entire place stank of bitter medicine and artificially scented floor detergent.
Anna stood at the doorway starring at her mother. Her mother’s body looked shockingly frail under the bare fluorescents. Her face was ashen and her lips showed a hue of purplish blue. A drip was inserted into Claire’s left hand and Anna could clearly see the swell of her mother’s vein where the needle pierced through the skin and then flesh. Anna couldn’t bear the depressing sight and silently, the tears kept flowing. Claire turned her body slightly and the metal bed creaked fiercely in response. She grimaced before letting out a series of violent coughs. Anna rushed to her mother’s side and rubbed her chest to pacify the irritated lungs. Claire slowly opened her eyes and managed to give her daughter a very tired smile. ‘Why didn’t you tell me?’ Anna said in between sobs, her tears splattering on her mother’s dry cheeks. ‘I didn’t know it’s cancer and wouldn’t want to worry you. I also wanted you to focus on your studies,’ replied Claire weakly before coughing again. Anna turned to her Uncle and asked ‘How come Ma’s condition changed so quickly? She looked fine before I went to camp’. ‘The doctor said with leukaemia, things can turn bad very rapidly,’ Uncle Leon explained. ‘Come Anna, we should let your mother rest. I also need to get you home to pack your mother’s stuff to bring over. We rushed here this morning we didn’t have time to take anything with us’.
Anna bent over to her mother’s ear and whispered ‘Ma, rest well you hear. We’ll be back real soon. Everything is going to be ok’. She gave her mother’s arm a reassuring grip before leaving with her uncle.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
A Fairytail : Chapter 9
Anna could already anticipate the questions Claire would ask and she will take pleasure in telling her mother everything over a lovely dinner. Although it had only been three days, Anna was surprised to find herself missing Claire. The bus dropped them off at the college and everyone started bidding each other goodbyes. The trip presented the opportunities for new friendships to be formed and the harrowing episode by the stream only served to deepen the sense of camaraderie between them. The very same Mercedes was waiting for Gabriel and he insisted on giving Anna a ride home but she stubbornly refused. A part of her wondered how her mother would react to the scene of her getting out of a flashy car with an unknown guy beside her no less. She didn’t dare to risk the consequences just yet. Gabriel then offered to stay back until she has safely boarded the bus but she literally pushed him into his awaiting vehicle telling him not to worry. ‘I’ll call you when I’m home ok,’ she said. Truthfully, she was touched by the nature of his concern. Wei Yee was also seeing Steve off in a beat up Ford TX3 driven by his elder sister. He wanted to wait with Wei Yee but his unaccommodating sister was having none of it. As the siblings drove off, Wei Yee could hear them arguing already. Anna walked over to her best friend and they sat on a kerb stone. The road was mostly deserted as the college is having its semester break and the next car that appeared belonged to Wei Yee’s parents. ‘Hey Nana,’ Mrs. Chan greeted Anna loudly. ‘Aunty! People actually recognize me here’ Anna faked a shocked appearance. ‘Aiya, no leng chai (attractive guy) around also,’ Wei Yee’s mom sportingly played along. ‘Eh, we’re going for a simple dinner. Come join us la,’ Mrs. Chan proffered. As far as Anna could remember, Mrs. Chan is a firm believer that it’s always better to give than to receive. Hence, she’s always being as big-hearted as she could afford. ‘Cannot la Aunty. My mom’s waiting for me at home. Am sure she has dinner prepared too,’ Anna politely declined. ‘Then we send you home first la,’ the generous woman offered. ‘It’s ok Aunty. You all go makan (eat). No need to susahkan (inconvenience) you all. See, my bus is here’ Anna said pointing to her oncoming ride. ‘Ok ok, you be careful ar. Sms Wei Wei once you’re home,’ she added maternally. ‘Promise,’ Anna replied with a smile. The girls embraced as Anna whispered to Wei Yee ‘Hey, don’t mention anything ‘bout the incident ok. My mom will get a heart attack and probably ground me for life. Don’t tell your family too. You know how your mom and my mom like to tittle-tattle with each other’. Don’t worry la,’ Wei Yee said adding a zipping motion across her lips.
Once she got off the bus, Anna trudged the path leading her home. For reasons unknown, an uncomfortable anxiety was brewing within and she hurried her pace, believing that she’ll be able to shake off the uneasy sentiment once she’s safely home. She heaved a sigh of relief upon arrival at her house’s lawn gate. Out of habit, she pushed the gate open before the piece of criss-crossed welded metal bounced violently back, almost slamming into her face. It took her a moment to reel herself out of shock and realised that the gate was padlocked. This is uncommon because Claire would usually lock the gate just before bedtime. Anna also noticed that none of the lights in her home was lighted up. Didn’t her mother knew she was coming home today?
Anna rummaged her bag for the keys and let herself in. Once inside, she switched on the lights and called out ‘Ma, you here?’. The only reply she got was a faint echo of her own voice. She ran upstairs to her mother’s room hoping to find her fast asleep but no one was on the bed apart for an old neatly folded duvet. After searching the entire house, Anna then whipped out her mobile phone and speed dialled Claire’s number. Her attempt went straight into her mother’s voicemail. Panic began to brew from within and Anna tried calling her Uncle Leon instead. Hot tears stung her eyes when she heard Uncle Leon’s voice requesting her to leave a message at the sound of the beep. Anna went out and asked for her neighbours. She prayed that they knew where her mother was. ‘Hi Mr.Ong. Did you happen to see my mother today?’ Anna asked. ‘Hmmm, if I’m not mistaken, I think I saw a car stopping by this morning and Claire got in,’ replied the seventy four year old retiree from next door. ‘Did you happen to see who the driver was? Or what car was he or she driving,’ Anna enquired nervously. ‘Oh, that I couldn’t tell Anna. I’m sorry I wasn’t particularly paying attention. I guess I was too engrossed tending to my bonsais. I’m sure your mom simply forgot the time and that she’ll be back soon,’ the old man said trying to sound comforting. ‘Thanks Mr. Ong,’ she replied. The added information worsened her fear.
Anna jittered from one end of her living room to the other and tried to think of the most sensible thing to do but horrifying thoughts keep clouding her mind. She contemplated filing a missing person report but knew that it wouldn’t do any good unless it’s past the twenty four hour mark. She called Wei Yee and her friend promised to rush finishing her dinner and immediately come over. Anna pondered if her mom could be waiting for her the college compound instead. Enveloped with a sense of dread, she decided to back track her way to college when she felt a vibration in her jean’s pocket. Her heart almost leaped out of her mouth when she saw ‘Mom’ on the caller ID. She frantically pressed the answer button and a familiar male voice on the other side of the line said ‘Anna, I need you to calm down and listen to me. Your mom’s in the hospital’.
Once she got off the bus, Anna trudged the path leading her home. For reasons unknown, an uncomfortable anxiety was brewing within and she hurried her pace, believing that she’ll be able to shake off the uneasy sentiment once she’s safely home. She heaved a sigh of relief upon arrival at her house’s lawn gate. Out of habit, she pushed the gate open before the piece of criss-crossed welded metal bounced violently back, almost slamming into her face. It took her a moment to reel herself out of shock and realised that the gate was padlocked. This is uncommon because Claire would usually lock the gate just before bedtime. Anna also noticed that none of the lights in her home was lighted up. Didn’t her mother knew she was coming home today?
Anna rummaged her bag for the keys and let herself in. Once inside, she switched on the lights and called out ‘Ma, you here?’. The only reply she got was a faint echo of her own voice. She ran upstairs to her mother’s room hoping to find her fast asleep but no one was on the bed apart for an old neatly folded duvet. After searching the entire house, Anna then whipped out her mobile phone and speed dialled Claire’s number. Her attempt went straight into her mother’s voicemail. Panic began to brew from within and Anna tried calling her Uncle Leon instead. Hot tears stung her eyes when she heard Uncle Leon’s voice requesting her to leave a message at the sound of the beep. Anna went out and asked for her neighbours. She prayed that they knew where her mother was. ‘Hi Mr.Ong. Did you happen to see my mother today?’ Anna asked. ‘Hmmm, if I’m not mistaken, I think I saw a car stopping by this morning and Claire got in,’ replied the seventy four year old retiree from next door. ‘Did you happen to see who the driver was? Or what car was he or she driving,’ Anna enquired nervously. ‘Oh, that I couldn’t tell Anna. I’m sorry I wasn’t particularly paying attention. I guess I was too engrossed tending to my bonsais. I’m sure your mom simply forgot the time and that she’ll be back soon,’ the old man said trying to sound comforting. ‘Thanks Mr. Ong,’ she replied. The added information worsened her fear.
Anna jittered from one end of her living room to the other and tried to think of the most sensible thing to do but horrifying thoughts keep clouding her mind. She contemplated filing a missing person report but knew that it wouldn’t do any good unless it’s past the twenty four hour mark. She called Wei Yee and her friend promised to rush finishing her dinner and immediately come over. Anna pondered if her mom could be waiting for her the college compound instead. Enveloped with a sense of dread, she decided to back track her way to college when she felt a vibration in her jean’s pocket. Her heart almost leaped out of her mouth when she saw ‘Mom’ on the caller ID. She frantically pressed the answer button and a familiar male voice on the other side of the line said ‘Anna, I need you to calm down and listen to me. Your mom’s in the hospital’.
Monday, August 16, 2010
A Fairytail : Chapter 8
The loud clashing of metal against metal woke everyone up. Anna spied at her watch and it showed her the time was 5:33 a.m. Sticking her head out of her tent, she saw Bruce and Janice each had a spatula in their hands, banging it against the bottom of an empty pot. When Janice spotted Anna’s grouchy expression, she laughed out loud and banged harder. The next forty five minutes saw everyone washing themselves up by the well. Some of the guys were mocking the girls for bringing a barrage of facial wash and what nots on a camping trip. Everyone had to haul their own water through a bucket attached to the pulley and Gabriel aided both the girls to get theirs. Anna couldn’t help but to marvel at the sight of his biceps and triceps rippling in action to which Wei Yee teased ‘Look into a mirror and you know what you’ll see? A love struck dumb blonde’. Anna playfully smacked Wei Yee’s buttocks for that comment.
Breakfast was simple yet satisfying. They feasted on baked beans, canned tuna mayo, sliced bread and an assortment of Malay kuih generously supplemented by Pak Awan. Bruce then announced that the first activity for the day would be abseiling. This brought a thunderous applause from majority of the guys. Slipping their feet back into their mud soaked shoes, they trudged up to a little hill with a steep drop on the other side. Pak Awan briefed everyone on the proper methods of abseiling. No hero antics would be tolerated and that safety is their utmost priority at all times. Each of them had to select a partner of almost equal weight so that one can serve as an anchor while the other abseiled down. After putting on their helmets and fastening their harnesses, the group proceeded to the edge of the hill. With Bruce serving as anchor, Pak Awan demonstrated how it ought to be done. In a matter of minutes, the old man’s feet were both firmly planted on the foothill. He then motioned for the rest to begin.
Seeing that Anna was to abseil down before Wei Yee, Gabriel set himself to go as well but Steve came to ask if it is ok he went first. Weary in the beginning, Anna soon got the hang of it and was thoroughly enjoying herself. A couple of feet above her, Steve yelled ‘Hey Anna, wait up’. Anna stopped descending and it gave her a chance to catch her breath. When they were shoulder to shoulder, Steve grinned at her and said ‘Let’s go slowcoach’. They were almost half way down when Steve voiced out ‘Hey Anna, I just needed to ask you something ok’. Anna eyed him curiously and said ‘Shoot’. He inhaled deeply and blurted ‘By any chance, is Wei Yee seeing anyone at the moment?’ He didn’t dare look at her when uttered that question. Anna burst out cackling like a hyena and almost lost her balance. That earned her a nasty reprimand from Pak Awan. The guide wasn’t going to allow anymore hiccups after yesterday’s incident. After finding her composure, Anna said ‘Oh Steve. Haha. I never knew you had a thing for Wei Yee’. Steve looking embarrassed replied ‘Ok. Just forget I asked and don’t you go telling Wei Yee anything you hear’. He was suddenly very focused on reaching down below. ‘Hmmm, if I were her, I would be very grateful and not to mention, impressed by your display of bravado yesterday. We girls like that in a guy you know,’ Anna answered. His face glowed and said ‘You think I have a shot then?’ ‘You never try, you’ll never know Steve. You do realize we only live once right,’ she encouraged. ‘Yea,’ he said nodding to himself as both of them stepped foot on solid ground simultaneously.
By the time everyone have had their chance to abseil, the sun was already at its highest position of the day and that also indicated that it is lunch time. Instant cup noodles were passed around and most of them slurped on second helpings. They then savoured on some delicious bubur cha cha (sweet potatoes & yam in coconut milk dessert) courtesy of Pak Awan’s wife.
A free-and-easy session was allocated for the early afternoon. The students were allowed to roam around within a fifty meter radius of the camp site’s vicinity. Led by Gabriel and armed with their cameras, some of them ventured out hoping to catch breath-taking snapshots of what Mother Nature had to offer. Anna and the rest chose to take it easy and linger in their respective tents to rejuvenate from the earlier vigorous activity.
‘You know, a most peculiar thing happened during lunch time,’ Wei Yee said to her tent-mate. ‘Oh? Do tell,’ Anna replied interestedly. ‘Well, it’s probably nothing but Steve came up to me and sort of asked me out on a date, I think,’ Wei Yee said in a bashful manner. ‘And what did you say to him?’ prodded Anna excitedly. ‘Errr, I say I’ll consider it and let him know,’ Wei Yee answered. Anna laughed and replied ‘How typical of you. You know, when it comes to these kinda things, you think too much. Sometimes you just gotta go with the flow and see where it leads to. You might be pleasantly surprised to find the answer in the end’. ‘And being trapped in the jungle with Gabriel makes you a love doctor now?’ Wei Yee said mockingly. ‘Speaking of which, tell me everything that happened with him or I swear I’ll tickle you till you die of laughter. I want to know every single detail,’ Wei Yee threateningly joked. And so Anna spilled it all to her best friend. After all, they share no secrets between each other.
In the evening, Pak Awan escorted the entire group to a stunning waterfall hidden deep within the jungle like a buried treasure not meant to be discovered. On the way there, Gabriel was walking by Anna’s side. ‘So what was it that was going on between you and Steve earlier?’ he tried to sound casual. ‘It was nothing. Not any of your business anyway,’ she tried playing hard-to-get. ‘Oh ... ok,’ he sounded hurt. ‘I was just messing with you, silly. Steve’s got a crush on Wei Yee. So he’s sort of asking me to help him out,’ she explained. She was glad to know he was capable of being jealous. ‘Oh, haha. I should’ve seen that coming. He was acting kinda weird last night in the tent, as if totally lost in deep thought. I guess he must be thinking ‘bout her. Looks like the jungle rubbed off some of its magic on them too,’ he said. It was then that he tried to lace his fingers between hers but she dashed excitedly ahead, captivated by the beauty of a picturesque vista. From high above, the waters crashed down into a sparkling pool of jade crystal liquid. Its loud splashing muffling Gabriel's dissapointed sigh.
The boys took turns to fearlessly bomb dive from a colossal sized rock while the girls amused themselves chasing schools of red swordtails. As the sun began to set, most of them simply lazed around and permitted themselves to be enchanted by the therapeutic haven gifted by our creator. Anna spotted Steve and Wei Yee by the edge of the shore, enjoying each other’s company with a little chit chat. By instinct, she looked around for Gabriel and found him by himself, sitting on the sand banks, and leaning against a crooked tree. He was observing her and even from afar, she could tell that his eyes radiated nothing but affection.
That night, the sat around a campfire and grilled a galore of fresh seafood. Since they were scheduled to leave very early the next day, all of them wanted to make the most of their remaining time here. The students ate heartily, chatted, laughed and sang along to songs that Bruce strummed on his guitar. They also presented Pak Awan with a souvenier, the club’s T-shirt as a token of appreciation for the generosity he had bestowed to all of them. As the night drew to a close, one by one, they drifted back to their tents and capped the end of another fantastic escapade by the Outdoor Society.
Breakfast was simple yet satisfying. They feasted on baked beans, canned tuna mayo, sliced bread and an assortment of Malay kuih generously supplemented by Pak Awan. Bruce then announced that the first activity for the day would be abseiling. This brought a thunderous applause from majority of the guys. Slipping their feet back into their mud soaked shoes, they trudged up to a little hill with a steep drop on the other side. Pak Awan briefed everyone on the proper methods of abseiling. No hero antics would be tolerated and that safety is their utmost priority at all times. Each of them had to select a partner of almost equal weight so that one can serve as an anchor while the other abseiled down. After putting on their helmets and fastening their harnesses, the group proceeded to the edge of the hill. With Bruce serving as anchor, Pak Awan demonstrated how it ought to be done. In a matter of minutes, the old man’s feet were both firmly planted on the foothill. He then motioned for the rest to begin.
Seeing that Anna was to abseil down before Wei Yee, Gabriel set himself to go as well but Steve came to ask if it is ok he went first. Weary in the beginning, Anna soon got the hang of it and was thoroughly enjoying herself. A couple of feet above her, Steve yelled ‘Hey Anna, wait up’. Anna stopped descending and it gave her a chance to catch her breath. When they were shoulder to shoulder, Steve grinned at her and said ‘Let’s go slowcoach’. They were almost half way down when Steve voiced out ‘Hey Anna, I just needed to ask you something ok’. Anna eyed him curiously and said ‘Shoot’. He inhaled deeply and blurted ‘By any chance, is Wei Yee seeing anyone at the moment?’ He didn’t dare look at her when uttered that question. Anna burst out cackling like a hyena and almost lost her balance. That earned her a nasty reprimand from Pak Awan. The guide wasn’t going to allow anymore hiccups after yesterday’s incident. After finding her composure, Anna said ‘Oh Steve. Haha. I never knew you had a thing for Wei Yee’. Steve looking embarrassed replied ‘Ok. Just forget I asked and don’t you go telling Wei Yee anything you hear’. He was suddenly very focused on reaching down below. ‘Hmmm, if I were her, I would be very grateful and not to mention, impressed by your display of bravado yesterday. We girls like that in a guy you know,’ Anna answered. His face glowed and said ‘You think I have a shot then?’ ‘You never try, you’ll never know Steve. You do realize we only live once right,’ she encouraged. ‘Yea,’ he said nodding to himself as both of them stepped foot on solid ground simultaneously.
By the time everyone have had their chance to abseil, the sun was already at its highest position of the day and that also indicated that it is lunch time. Instant cup noodles were passed around and most of them slurped on second helpings. They then savoured on some delicious bubur cha cha (sweet potatoes & yam in coconut milk dessert) courtesy of Pak Awan’s wife.
A free-and-easy session was allocated for the early afternoon. The students were allowed to roam around within a fifty meter radius of the camp site’s vicinity. Led by Gabriel and armed with their cameras, some of them ventured out hoping to catch breath-taking snapshots of what Mother Nature had to offer. Anna and the rest chose to take it easy and linger in their respective tents to rejuvenate from the earlier vigorous activity.
‘You know, a most peculiar thing happened during lunch time,’ Wei Yee said to her tent-mate. ‘Oh? Do tell,’ Anna replied interestedly. ‘Well, it’s probably nothing but Steve came up to me and sort of asked me out on a date, I think,’ Wei Yee said in a bashful manner. ‘And what did you say to him?’ prodded Anna excitedly. ‘Errr, I say I’ll consider it and let him know,’ Wei Yee answered. Anna laughed and replied ‘How typical of you. You know, when it comes to these kinda things, you think too much. Sometimes you just gotta go with the flow and see where it leads to. You might be pleasantly surprised to find the answer in the end’. ‘And being trapped in the jungle with Gabriel makes you a love doctor now?’ Wei Yee said mockingly. ‘Speaking of which, tell me everything that happened with him or I swear I’ll tickle you till you die of laughter. I want to know every single detail,’ Wei Yee threateningly joked. And so Anna spilled it all to her best friend. After all, they share no secrets between each other.
In the evening, Pak Awan escorted the entire group to a stunning waterfall hidden deep within the jungle like a buried treasure not meant to be discovered. On the way there, Gabriel was walking by Anna’s side. ‘So what was it that was going on between you and Steve earlier?’ he tried to sound casual. ‘It was nothing. Not any of your business anyway,’ she tried playing hard-to-get. ‘Oh ... ok,’ he sounded hurt. ‘I was just messing with you, silly. Steve’s got a crush on Wei Yee. So he’s sort of asking me to help him out,’ she explained. She was glad to know he was capable of being jealous. ‘Oh, haha. I should’ve seen that coming. He was acting kinda weird last night in the tent, as if totally lost in deep thought. I guess he must be thinking ‘bout her. Looks like the jungle rubbed off some of its magic on them too,’ he said. It was then that he tried to lace his fingers between hers but she dashed excitedly ahead, captivated by the beauty of a picturesque vista. From high above, the waters crashed down into a sparkling pool of jade crystal liquid. Its loud splashing muffling Gabriel's dissapointed sigh.
The boys took turns to fearlessly bomb dive from a colossal sized rock while the girls amused themselves chasing schools of red swordtails. As the sun began to set, most of them simply lazed around and permitted themselves to be enchanted by the therapeutic haven gifted by our creator. Anna spotted Steve and Wei Yee by the edge of the shore, enjoying each other’s company with a little chit chat. By instinct, she looked around for Gabriel and found him by himself, sitting on the sand banks, and leaning against a crooked tree. He was observing her and even from afar, she could tell that his eyes radiated nothing but affection.
That night, the sat around a campfire and grilled a galore of fresh seafood. Since they were scheduled to leave very early the next day, all of them wanted to make the most of their remaining time here. The students ate heartily, chatted, laughed and sang along to songs that Bruce strummed on his guitar. They also presented Pak Awan with a souvenier, the club’s T-shirt as a token of appreciation for the generosity he had bestowed to all of them. As the night drew to a close, one by one, they drifted back to their tents and capped the end of another fantastic escapade by the Outdoor Society.
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