New year's resolutions

Is it too late to be making new year's resolutions? I guess not. Chinese New Year is not over yet after all.

Several hours ago I was in Taman Connaught having lunch. I sat facing the front of the shop, waiting patiently for my order of yong tau foo to arrive. Meanwhile, several shop houses away, drums began to roar and fire crackers were set off -- it was the beginning of the lion dance.

As soon as the waiter came with my orders, an old Chinese lady walked in. She was short, plump and with curly, thin, frail hair. She stopped by the counter, and with one hand holding a couple of walking sticks, her right hand began picking up her, I assumed, favorite pieces of yong tau foo. Then, she schlepped away to a table near by and sat right in front of an equally old lady whom I thought was her friend.

Turned out she wasn't. She left as soon as the limping lady sat down.

I was beginning to feel particularly schmaltzy as I thought she was all by herself. How could her family let her out of the house all by herself??!

On the night before Chinese New Year, I saw my mum using a similar walking stick to get to her room upstair. My eyes widened in disbelief when I saw the walking stick. Yes, she has been suffering from severe disc herniation of her back which makes it difficult for her to walk. But a walking stick?!

I was about to jump into conclusion about that old lady's family, especially her son, in a bad way, when a lanky guy with striped shirt sat down facing her and began talking to her.

I assumed he was the son whom I was supposed to be lecturing to in my imaginative conversation.

I was happy that the old lady was not all alone during this joyous festive season after all because I resolved, from that night I saw that walking stick, to never allow my mum to go anywhere alone, and to try to write a little, no matter how brief, everyday.