2017 was a year of many
memories, some pleasant, others unpleasant.
Among the pleasant events
was our move into our permanent home, a decent sized apartment in a standalone
tower block.
It has a balcony where I
can now grow plants, a hobby that I missed desperately when we sold our landed
home and moved into temporary premises that didn’t allow me to indulge in my
love for plants, especially house plants. Now my balcony has pots of house
plants that give me great joy as I see them transform from tiny plants into
beautiful greens of varying sizes and shades.
Meeting up with my class
of 1959 buddies a couple of times in the capital city had us going down memory
lane and we are so blessed that we still have a dozen of us still able to make
these luncheons, albeit, grey, pleasantly rounded or bamboo thin. Our spirits
are high and we’re like the school girls we were eons ago, giggling and still
arguing the way we used to! Old is truly gold.
Getting together with my
siblings for meals and catching up was always a happy occasion as we seldom
have the opportunity to have everyone together at the same time. The bah kut
teh breakfasts with my younger brother (he’ll be 72 next month!) are de rigeur
whenever I happen to be in town. After breakfast, we would walk to the market
to buy fruits and last year, he bought me different types of durians, jackfruit
and pineapples as well as rambutans. We all share a love of good, tasty food.
The wedding of my nephew
to his sweetheart was the highlight of the year. I saw relatives whom I had not
seen for years and it was great that we could catch up while enjoying the
delicious dishes of the wedding banquet.
My sisters and I also met
up with our former sister-in-law who took us to Jenjarom to see the beautiful
temple gardens that were beautifully decorated with plants and lights as well
as colorful sculptures of the Rooster.
However, the unpleasant
memories are those associated with pain and the pain came in different degrees.
First was my fractured toe. My foot hit the door jamb as I was rushing out from my bedroom. It was two
months before it healed and I had to stay home most of the time.
Then came the most excruciating
pain of all. When I got up from my desk, a sudden spasm of pain shot right
through from my waist to my left foot. I couldn’t place my foot on the floor
and I couldn’t walk. The slightest movement had me shrieking in pain.
I was hospitalized for the
pain and heavy doses of different painkillers enabled me to settle for the
night semi-reclining as I couldn’t lie down flat.
Xrays and an MRI revealed
that the last disc in my spine had been compressed and a sudden movement had
triggered the pain. Fortunately, the
specialists concurred that there was no need for surgery (Praise the Lord) but
I have to be very careful when I move. No sudden movements but to take it slow
and easy.
Perhaps the most painful
of all was the moment that someone whom I had considered to be a very good
friend, simply disappeared without any explanation although
arrangements had been made to meet up for lunch and also to visit the Land
Below The Wind, taking the same flight. There had been no explanations for both no
shows and I felt very hurt and let down. I always value my friends and will
never let them down in such a manner. I subscribe to the belief that a man's word is his honor and breaking his word shows him in bad light, especially when no reason is given.
2018 will be a better
year, I hope and I look forward to the incoming Chinese Lunar New Year, which
will be the Year of The Dog, Man’s best friend.
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