certainly, without doubt, 'keng ting', 'takde syak lagi'
i am not born with a silver spoon in my mouth
i could remember those days where family moments @ MacDonald was rare
as my dad was just a labourer in one of those (long demolished) hotel as a gardener
and my mom was a full-time housewife
earning a meagre sum, just enuff for household expenses, schools fee and nothing else
it was only in december, it would be a great time for us
why? bonus = extra cash for all of us
but the extra would play its part after mom and dad took a big chunk of it for new school term preparation, new books, shoes, uniform, transport fee, etc
and all left was us, as a family, having our greatest and expensive meal of the year at arnold
sometimes, as i was going back home with my parents, taking the old bus no 25 from geylang,
i would always catch glimpse of a family having fun together in a car, or even someone who just went shopping with the parents carrying home with them, big big bags of toys
i would envy them... with green
cause they are the 'lucky' ones, whose parents are rich to buy whatever they want to have...
at times, i felt that life was unfair for me, questioning myself why are my life like this or even have the thought that I may even be adopted by my parents
and back in 1980s, I was living in a small 3-rooms flat, sharing it with my father's cousins and not forgetting my grandma and great grandma
each night, we, five, would cramp like sardines in the master bedroom and not getting soundful rest because the resident above us like to move furniture in the middle of the night
while the next room would be taken up by my grandparents and living room by my dad's cousin
see my life was not great.
at one point, I used to blame them for giving me such a lowly life when my rich friend will put me down by giving me remarks that only those with less income will get the bursary (altho the actual fact was that I was the top 5% in the school)
how i curse and swear back then...
but somehow or rather
i took it with a positive stride in life
no matter how poor i am in life at that time, i was determined to break the cycle...
the cycle of proverty and illiteracy
and wish to provide the best for my parents and family
tonight, after recapping back the ol' memories.
I started to appreciate things more
especially them, my parents, whom I respect and honour forever
without them, I would not be here, breathing well for the past 28 years
without them, I would not have gotten my education and break the cycle
all in all
they were and ARE still the greatest parents that one could have
though we are not rich with materialism
but I am glad,
glad that we are rich with family love and bonding
i love u mak & ayah
terima kasih segala pengorbanan mu
