Chapter 1: Fragrance Flowers
"And then he stood there simply rooted for the moment- her name was Daisy. "
The "Fragrance Flowers" shop has been there for as long as he can remember. Right opposite Midday Cafe, sandwiched in between the numerous other shophouses down at Living Street. The good old tree was on the left of Fragrance Flowers and right under its canopy is none other than the couple's wooden bench. And of course, the ever present street lamps lighting up the street.
He was around 5 years old when he first entered Fragrance Flowers; his dad had sent him to collect a bouquet of flowers for his mum. The date then was definitely none other than 12th August,his parent's wedding anniversary. He recalled trudging down in the evening, admiring the sweetness of the night for with its magnificent street lamps lining up at the side and the chimerical feeling in the air, Living Street could not have been more beautiful as the sunset rays pour into the horizon.
A young girl around his age was sitting at the shop counter. She was fiddling around with the various flowers placed at the cashier; watering this one, flicking another a little, shifting another...
He stood there watching her play with the flowers and then she suddenly looked up.
"You are new here aren't you? Never seen you before."
The voice was high and chirpy somehow with a touch of aroma.
"Yea, just moved in sometime back. argh, I am here to collect my dad's order." He replied.
She then flipped through a notebook at the cashier counter, trying to find something when he heard footsteps approaching from the rear of the shop. It was the shopkeeper.
"Daisy, could you go water the plants at the side please, reminded you to do so just now already. (turns to him) and what can I for you young man?"
And then he stood there simply rooted for the moment- her name was Daisy. Daisy. And just at that same moment, the white petals with its yellow pedicels lingers ever so vividly in tinted glass of his imagination.
"argh, em... Madam I am just here to collect an order my Dad dropped off. Should be signed off with a P. I think."
His eyes still observing her, watering the plants so gracefully at the side. The shopkeeper then passed him the bouquet of flowers.
"So your family just moved in here? Things been well I hope? Well tell your parents to let me know if they need any help settling in here."
He nodded. To be honest he has not gotten over things in the past yet- but then again a new start now awaits him. However right now, for reasons he was unsure of, it occurred to him that he may have taken an uncanny liking for the shop.
"Oh just curious, you will be attending school at Hearts I presume?"
He nodded yet again. The fragrance from the shop has now settled into him completely. Simply put, it's a good feeling, light, sweet, bliss, all combined into one.
"Daisy will be going to Hearts as well. So yea, don't worry about not knowing anyone there."
His eyes lit up once more. Like the sort of glow that dragonflies emit so readily, it's partially mild, but yet again trying hard not to completely let out the glow. He was almost absorbed into it when he suddenly realises-
"Oh, Madam do you mind telling me where the postbox is?"
"Postbox... the nearest one is right near Sunset River, I tell you what, Daisy why don't you help show the young boy the way there?"
"Okay mum. I have watered the plants for you already!"
"Good. (pauses, and then turns to him) Now have a good evening then."
The sun has set by now, night has fallen and the street shined even more brightly than before. Daisy walked lightly, her tiny feet pattering on the stone steps of Living Street.
"Should just be right in front. Turn left at the end of the street and you will get there!"
He replied with a feeble "okay".
"Nice flowers you got there. But my favourite ones are daisies. (she pauses almost as if waiting for a reply) Alright then, I will see you in school soon! Goodnight."
And as the pattering footsteps meanders away daintily against the backdrop of the horizon, Living Street has truly never been more beautiful.
For the smell of it all has never been more fragrant and sweet. And at that instance, perhaps the wait for school to start or even life itself, has never been truly sweeter.
Showing posts with label Prose and Narratives. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Prose and Narratives. Show all posts
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Super Yoyo
“Long sleeper!”, exclaimed Shunichi Demoto, as he slickly executed the move on his powerful Hyper Dragon yoyo in front of a cheering crowd.
Young Chan Seng was soundly asleep, lost in his own world where he was Shunichi Demoto, where he owned a slick Hyper Dragon yoyo and everybody looked up at him in awe.
It all started that fateful afternoon.
Chan Seng was watching Tom and Jerry on okto when on flashed this new cartoon series, Super Yoyo! The fast moving images, cool characters and thrilling storyline gripped him, and soon he was hooked. All he could think of during dinner was the yoyo. He started doodling cartoons of Shunichi Demoto and his Hyper Dragon on his maths homework, wishing that he could, too, one day have a yoyo that he could call his own.
He went to sleep early that night, images of him performing tricks on his yoyo for an audience flashing through his head endlessly. In his world, he was Shunichi Demoto, and everybody looked up at him in awe.
But alas, the unrelenting ring from his bedside alarm clock jolted him rudely back into reality. He woke up, upset that his fantasy could only last a few hours each night. Nevertheless, he got up and trudged dejectedly to school.
Entering through the magnetic gates, Chan Seng could not believe his eyes! Almost everyone in school seemed to be playing with a Super yoyo! Mark and his clique of cool friends were playing with the newest, most sophisticated Stealth Raider, which has flashing lights to boot. The kids beside his class were playing with Golden Fire. ****, even Tan, the most nerdish boy in school had a $9.90 Hyper Russell with wooden axles to play with. Yet he, Chan Seng, had nothing.
“Hey guys, you all wanna play catching?” Chan Seng asked his friends innocently during recess.
“Nope sorry. We wanna play with our yoyos” his friends replied matter-of-factly.
Apparently the novelty of yoyos trumps catching any day. His friends were deserting him to go play with their yoyos.
Chan Seng felt sad and lonely.
“No way!” Chan Seng could not stand this anymore. “I am gonna get my very own Super yoyo too!”
He went home that evening and told his mother: “Mum, I want a Super yoyo!”
“But why?”
“Because I need it! “
“Yoyos are not a necessity.”
“But everyone has one!”
“Good try. Give me a better reason.”
“All right, I’m lonely and I need a Super yoyo to play with. Is that good enough? Are you going to deprive a 9-year old of his childhood?”
“Come on. You are only 9-years old and 130cm tall. The yoyo string is way too long for you to use; your yoyo will only hit the floor when you play. You are just too short to handle a yoyo. “
“I don’t care! I just want a Super yoyo! I will bear all the consequences myself, I promise!”
Eventually, his mother relented. “Ok, so which model do you want?”
Chan Seng was stumped. Stumped at this seemingly simple, yet amazingly profound question. Something he has never thought about before.
There were Golden Fires, Fire Stars, Stealth Raiders, Aqua Dragons and a whole array of other different yoyos, yet he did not know what he want.
Perhaps he did not want a Super yoyo because there was one he really liked, one that he knew he would play with for the rest of his life. He did not mind having one, because everybody had one. He convinced himself that he needed one, because he was lonely. He wanted to have one just for the sake of having one, to tell other people that hey, I’m not a loser. I have a Super Yoyo too.
Chan Seng needed time to think over this issue, so he told his mother:” Mum, I think I need a few days to decide which one I want. “
And so he thought. And thought. And thought and thought and thought and thought and thought. Eventually, he managed to convince himself that the Super yoyo that he really genuinely liked was the blue Aqua Dragon.
And so on a sunny Saturday afternoon, young Chan Seng trudged happily to Takashimaya with his mother, eager to buy his new yoyo. Alas, as luck would have it, all the Aqua Dragons have been sold out in the last few days. Chan Seng could not believe his luck, and was sorely disappointed and angry with himself that it is because of his uncertainty the last few days that has cost him his Aqua Dragon. In the spur of the moment, Chan Seng even contemplated just settling for a $9.90 Hyper Russell which he didn’t really like, but he didn’t.
Chan Seng was dejected and depressed for the whole of the next three days. He kept to himself the whole day, skipped meals and even missed all his favourite cartoons on okto. But amazingly, as soon as it came, he got over it. He realised that he did not feel that sad anymore.
Perhaps, he thought, the obsession over the Aqua Dragon was only a short term crush.
Perhaps, it was just never meant to be.
Or maybe, just maybe, he did not really need a Super yoyo after all.
Or so we all try to console ourselves.
Young Chan Seng was soundly asleep, lost in his own world where he was Shunichi Demoto, where he owned a slick Hyper Dragon yoyo and everybody looked up at him in awe.
It all started that fateful afternoon.
Chan Seng was watching Tom and Jerry on okto when on flashed this new cartoon series, Super Yoyo! The fast moving images, cool characters and thrilling storyline gripped him, and soon he was hooked. All he could think of during dinner was the yoyo. He started doodling cartoons of Shunichi Demoto and his Hyper Dragon on his maths homework, wishing that he could, too, one day have a yoyo that he could call his own.
He went to sleep early that night, images of him performing tricks on his yoyo for an audience flashing through his head endlessly. In his world, he was Shunichi Demoto, and everybody looked up at him in awe.
But alas, the unrelenting ring from his bedside alarm clock jolted him rudely back into reality. He woke up, upset that his fantasy could only last a few hours each night. Nevertheless, he got up and trudged dejectedly to school.
Entering through the magnetic gates, Chan Seng could not believe his eyes! Almost everyone in school seemed to be playing with a Super yoyo! Mark and his clique of cool friends were playing with the newest, most sophisticated Stealth Raider, which has flashing lights to boot. The kids beside his class were playing with Golden Fire. ****, even Tan, the most nerdish boy in school had a $9.90 Hyper Russell with wooden axles to play with. Yet he, Chan Seng, had nothing.
“Hey guys, you all wanna play catching?” Chan Seng asked his friends innocently during recess.
“Nope sorry. We wanna play with our yoyos” his friends replied matter-of-factly.
Apparently the novelty of yoyos trumps catching any day. His friends were deserting him to go play with their yoyos.
Chan Seng felt sad and lonely.
“No way!” Chan Seng could not stand this anymore. “I am gonna get my very own Super yoyo too!”
He went home that evening and told his mother: “Mum, I want a Super yoyo!”
“But why?”
“Because I need it! “
“Yoyos are not a necessity.”
“But everyone has one!”
“Good try. Give me a better reason.”
“All right, I’m lonely and I need a Super yoyo to play with. Is that good enough? Are you going to deprive a 9-year old of his childhood?”
“Come on. You are only 9-years old and 130cm tall. The yoyo string is way too long for you to use; your yoyo will only hit the floor when you play. You are just too short to handle a yoyo. “
“I don’t care! I just want a Super yoyo! I will bear all the consequences myself, I promise!”
Eventually, his mother relented. “Ok, so which model do you want?”
Chan Seng was stumped. Stumped at this seemingly simple, yet amazingly profound question. Something he has never thought about before.
There were Golden Fires, Fire Stars, Stealth Raiders, Aqua Dragons and a whole array of other different yoyos, yet he did not know what he want.
Perhaps he did not want a Super yoyo because there was one he really liked, one that he knew he would play with for the rest of his life. He did not mind having one, because everybody had one. He convinced himself that he needed one, because he was lonely. He wanted to have one just for the sake of having one, to tell other people that hey, I’m not a loser. I have a Super Yoyo too.
Chan Seng needed time to think over this issue, so he told his mother:” Mum, I think I need a few days to decide which one I want. “
And so he thought. And thought. And thought and thought and thought and thought and thought. Eventually, he managed to convince himself that the Super yoyo that he really genuinely liked was the blue Aqua Dragon.
And so on a sunny Saturday afternoon, young Chan Seng trudged happily to Takashimaya with his mother, eager to buy his new yoyo. Alas, as luck would have it, all the Aqua Dragons have been sold out in the last few days. Chan Seng could not believe his luck, and was sorely disappointed and angry with himself that it is because of his uncertainty the last few days that has cost him his Aqua Dragon. In the spur of the moment, Chan Seng even contemplated just settling for a $9.90 Hyper Russell which he didn’t really like, but he didn’t.
Chan Seng was dejected and depressed for the whole of the next three days. He kept to himself the whole day, skipped meals and even missed all his favourite cartoons on okto. But amazingly, as soon as it came, he got over it. He realised that he did not feel that sad anymore.
Perhaps, he thought, the obsession over the Aqua Dragon was only a short term crush.
Perhaps, it was just never meant to be.
Or maybe, just maybe, he did not really need a Super yoyo after all.
Or so we all try to console ourselves.
Remembering Daisy.
Prologue: Intersection Points
"Because in his heart, he knows he will always remember Daisy."
The table top was brown in colour, patches of scratch marks, casual vandalism of words and drawings filled it top. In other words, just like any other tabletop. And on top of it, as we all would have expected, the usual students pack of inventory- pencil case, water bottle, calculator, rough paper, mathematics notes and a rather delicate stalk of daisies.
He poured through his set of complex numbers just wondering seemingly how everyone around him find nothing really complex about it and work through them in a wistful breeze. Modulus of that, conjugate of this, argument of ... Things just didn't make sense, not only is it complex, it is also variable in nature.
He looked up once more. Some were on question 17 already while some have even moved on to vectors. But he was looking beyond that enclosure, for outside on the busy street was what he has always been used to. Young kids playing with no worries whatsoever, secondary students having fun after school, adults returning home after work and the usual elderly couple at the bench. And among all these, the flower shop was just across the street.
And across the page, Question 10 Part (i) asked for the minimum distance. Part (ii) then asked for the maximum argument. Almost as if they are just concerned about the turning/defining points, where things began, where things conclude, and of course where things are at the peak of conversion. Never does it take into account all the other points in between. He is at like the perpendicular bisector point now, stuck in between of nowhere. Right where 18 is, a sort of intersection point if you like, hanging there by the balance, trying hard to equate itself, but knowing very well eventually its one way or the other- so much like question 8, either more than or less than, there is no equal in the range- its a range. In some ways as ridiculous as it seems, the never ending flow and variety of life is just so characteristically reflected in the sine graph on his graphic calculator.
And almost seemingly so, the flower shop sells that range of flowers that you can imagine- roses, sunflowers, carnations,chrysanthemum, poppies and of course, daisies.
Daisy. Yes, Daisy.
Perhaps amongst all the complexity in life at the moment, his heart yearns for what he has always remembered. Through the innocence of childhood, to the teenage years in secondary school and beyond into the life of the future- he longs for that rain of sunlight. And as he stare at the mess of equations in his workings he knew that things had never been smooth right on the first try and they never will be. They will always be sinusoidal in nature. And as he attempts to restart his workings, his heart too traces back to time-zero(t=0) when things first began. Back when it started with a minimum before the very complexities which we all know of now.
Because in his heart, he knows he will always remember Daisy.
And in due time, you will too.
"Because in his heart, he knows he will always remember Daisy."
The table top was brown in colour, patches of scratch marks, casual vandalism of words and drawings filled it top. In other words, just like any other tabletop. And on top of it, as we all would have expected, the usual students pack of inventory- pencil case, water bottle, calculator, rough paper, mathematics notes and a rather delicate stalk of daisies.
He poured through his set of complex numbers just wondering seemingly how everyone around him find nothing really complex about it and work through them in a wistful breeze. Modulus of that, conjugate of this, argument of ... Things just didn't make sense, not only is it complex, it is also variable in nature.
He looked up once more. Some were on question 17 already while some have even moved on to vectors. But he was looking beyond that enclosure, for outside on the busy street was what he has always been used to. Young kids playing with no worries whatsoever, secondary students having fun after school, adults returning home after work and the usual elderly couple at the bench. And among all these, the flower shop was just across the street.
And across the page, Question 10 Part (i) asked for the minimum distance. Part (ii) then asked for the maximum argument. Almost as if they are just concerned about the turning/defining points, where things began, where things conclude, and of course where things are at the peak of conversion. Never does it take into account all the other points in between. He is at like the perpendicular bisector point now, stuck in between of nowhere. Right where 18 is, a sort of intersection point if you like, hanging there by the balance, trying hard to equate itself, but knowing very well eventually its one way or the other- so much like question 8, either more than or less than, there is no equal in the range- its a range. In some ways as ridiculous as it seems, the never ending flow and variety of life is just so characteristically reflected in the sine graph on his graphic calculator.
And almost seemingly so, the flower shop sells that range of flowers that you can imagine- roses, sunflowers, carnations,chrysanthemum, poppies and of course, daisies.
Daisy. Yes, Daisy.
Perhaps amongst all the complexity in life at the moment, his heart yearns for what he has always remembered. Through the innocence of childhood, to the teenage years in secondary school and beyond into the life of the future- he longs for that rain of sunlight. And as he stare at the mess of equations in his workings he knew that things had never been smooth right on the first try and they never will be. They will always be sinusoidal in nature. And as he attempts to restart his workings, his heart too traces back to time-zero(t=0) when things first began. Back when it started with a minimum before the very complexities which we all know of now.
Because in his heart, he knows he will always remember Daisy.
And in due time, you will too.
Friday, August 7, 2009
The River Between.
"You heard the news didn't you?"
Nurul looked into Chok Loong's eyes.
"I know."
Perhaps its the imminent fact of life that has sunk into their hearts or a true realisation after both parties' long period of denial and pretense that everything was going fine. But at that very instance of time, both of them knew that things were going to change.
For all his intellect, Chok Loong wondered why he had not foreseen this coming. I mean he knew from the beginning it will be a hard journey, but even him of all people could not have predicted that it would have went downhill so fast.
For Nurul, it is different. She thought that she could have made Chok Loong's hard life better by being with him. She thought that she had to be there when Chok Loong's godparents left him.
But things were just not meant to be.
As the night falls, the river's frequency could not have been more soothing than it is as always. Maybe, just maybe this has nothing to do with the period of time when they got together. Maybe it has nothing to do with their transverse relationship at all. Because very fundamentally as Chok Loong now realises, the original harmonic has been upset from the very moment they got together. Hard as it is to accept, they have been on different wavelengths from the very start.
"You know, all my life, my whole adult life, I have believed in this. (pauses) I am really sorry. I really am."
Chok Loong wipes the tears from his eyes and stares into the shore across. Nurul thought for a bit and then she realised-
"We will still be friends right?"
"Friends, yea we can still be friends."
Both of them burst out laughing and for a moment they just glaze into the horizons of the magnificent river that they have come to known so closely.
"The river is beautiful isn't it?"
"Yea, always."
"And it should stay right?"
"Been here for 146 years since 1819, give it another 44 years and it will be 190. (pauses) 1900s, people will remember this time."
"Haha, it's always the river between us isn't it?"
"Yea and I won't forget that we made a pact to share it together. (Chok Loong turns to Nurul) You won't forget that right?"
Nurul just smiles. And as she prepares to let go of the current past and move forward with her um-broiled and no-teworthy life, she knows that eventually it will just be due time before things come full circle again. Just like it is in the animal universe where once everywhile the tiger will cross path with the lion; both of them will definitely meet again.
Afterall, things were always going to change.
Nurul looked into Chok Loong's eyes.
"I know."
Perhaps its the imminent fact of life that has sunk into their hearts or a true realisation after both parties' long period of denial and pretense that everything was going fine. But at that very instance of time, both of them knew that things were going to change.
For all his intellect, Chok Loong wondered why he had not foreseen this coming. I mean he knew from the beginning it will be a hard journey, but even him of all people could not have predicted that it would have went downhill so fast.
For Nurul, it is different. She thought that she could have made Chok Loong's hard life better by being with him. She thought that she had to be there when Chok Loong's godparents left him.
But things were just not meant to be.
As the night falls, the river's frequency could not have been more soothing than it is as always. Maybe, just maybe this has nothing to do with the period of time when they got together. Maybe it has nothing to do with their transverse relationship at all. Because very fundamentally as Chok Loong now realises, the original harmonic has been upset from the very moment they got together. Hard as it is to accept, they have been on different wavelengths from the very start.
"You know, all my life, my whole adult life, I have believed in this. (pauses) I am really sorry. I really am."
Chok Loong wipes the tears from his eyes and stares into the shore across. Nurul thought for a bit and then she realised-
"We will still be friends right?"
"Friends, yea we can still be friends."
Both of them burst out laughing and for a moment they just glaze into the horizons of the magnificent river that they have come to known so closely.
"The river is beautiful isn't it?"
"Yea, always."
"And it should stay right?"
"Been here for 146 years since 1819, give it another 44 years and it will be 190. (pauses) 1900s, people will remember this time."
"Haha, it's always the river between us isn't it?"
"Yea and I won't forget that we made a pact to share it together. (Chok Loong turns to Nurul) You won't forget that right?"
Nurul just smiles. And as she prepares to let go of the current past and move forward with her um-broiled and no-teworthy life, she knows that eventually it will just be due time before things come full circle again. Just like it is in the animal universe where once everywhile the tiger will cross path with the lion; both of them will definitely meet again.
Afterall, things were always going to change.
Yellow and Green
Yellow comes into the room and takes a seat. She is a demure, sweet, and nice girl. On a side note, she can also speak impeccable Mandarin. Class begins, and she sits there studiously taking down notes. Yellow questions a point made by the teacher, but decides to just keep her opinion to herself, preferring instead to settle comfortably into the background and just giggle.
Green comes into class late, and struts towards her seat beside Yellow purposefully, as if she had a reason to be late. Green is Yellow’s identical twin sister, born merely a minute apart. Barely 5 minutes after she joins the class, she interrupts: “ Excuse me, I think that the point that you just made implicitly assumes that….”
Yellow was impressed. This was the exact point that she saw just now, but was unable to express as succinctly into a sentence as her twin did.
The bell rings. Yellow headed to the washroom with her group of friends. Their favourite activity in school is going to the washroom together to fill up their water bottles. I think the mere act of filling up a plastic flask with like- minded friends around her brings her immeasurable joy.
Obviously Green could not be bothered with menial tasks like filling up a water bottle. She has greater tasks to fulfill, deeper topics to ponder over. And so she leaves, unable to comprehend how her twin can bear being around her classmates.
Such is the difference between Yellow and Green. A pair of identical twins, thrust into 2 extremely distinct systems.
Green comes into class late, and struts towards her seat beside Yellow purposefully, as if she had a reason to be late. Green is Yellow’s identical twin sister, born merely a minute apart. Barely 5 minutes after she joins the class, she interrupts: “ Excuse me, I think that the point that you just made implicitly assumes that….”
Yellow was impressed. This was the exact point that she saw just now, but was unable to express as succinctly into a sentence as her twin did.
The bell rings. Yellow headed to the washroom with her group of friends. Their favourite activity in school is going to the washroom together to fill up their water bottles. I think the mere act of filling up a plastic flask with like- minded friends around her brings her immeasurable joy.
Obviously Green could not be bothered with menial tasks like filling up a water bottle. She has greater tasks to fulfill, deeper topics to ponder over. And so she leaves, unable to comprehend how her twin can bear being around her classmates.
Such is the difference between Yellow and Green. A pair of identical twins, thrust into 2 extremely distinct systems.
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