Being Neighbours
Just 5 min ago, I stepped into my neighbour's house.
I've never gotten a glimpse inside their house, even though they're the friendliest family on my level.
But today, their kids weren't at home and Uncle fell to the floor when he had almost reached the bed and Auntie couldn't lift him up on her own and I ran over in my P.E. shorts and tousled hair and they had a normal cute spousal squabble about whether Uncle was supposed to watch TV or sleep.
One year Uncle is standing and making small chat at the lift lobby, the next year he's got a walking stick, and a few months later he is in a wheelchair. A stroke on the left side.
I think.
For 10 years, Opposite Auntie helped to babysit my siblings and I, then she helped to babysit my cousins. She would give us food whenever she cooked extra, extra ngo hiang, nian gao especially. I loved the nian gao, I haven't had nian gao since then.
But a few years ago, Opposite Auntie passed on, and though we still make small chat, our relationship with her youngest daughter drifted.
Time flows incessantly, we live within 100m of each other, yet how far we are from each other's lives.
Time flows incessantly, how drastically our lives can change within a year.
Time flows incessantly, can we try to be and become better neighbours?
I've never gotten a glimpse inside their house, even though they're the friendliest family on my level.
But today, their kids weren't at home and Uncle fell to the floor when he had almost reached the bed and Auntie couldn't lift him up on her own and I ran over in my P.E. shorts and tousled hair and they had a normal cute spousal squabble about whether Uncle was supposed to watch TV or sleep.
One year Uncle is standing and making small chat at the lift lobby, the next year he's got a walking stick, and a few months later he is in a wheelchair. A stroke on the left side.
I think.
For 10 years, Opposite Auntie helped to babysit my siblings and I, then she helped to babysit my cousins. She would give us food whenever she cooked extra, extra ngo hiang, nian gao especially. I loved the nian gao, I haven't had nian gao since then.
But a few years ago, Opposite Auntie passed on, and though we still make small chat, our relationship with her youngest daughter drifted.
Time flows incessantly, we live within 100m of each other, yet how far we are from each other's lives.
Time flows incessantly, how drastically our lives can change within a year.
Time flows incessantly, can we try to be and become better neighbours?
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