Of Nostalgia

I suddenly remembered I used to keep a personal blog some years back, and I've written some flashbacks and short stories in it.

NOTE: Flashbacks = Personal Recounts, Short Stories = Narratives (See how I can always link anything back to YOUR English? Muahaha...)

Anyway.

I kept some of those blog posts in Word Doc form for memory's sake, and reading them again just makes me wonder at how I actually used to write (and of course, wonder at the amount of time I had, from the length of some posts!).

Some of you complained that you can't write good and interesting stories or that you have no idea what recounts look like. For the next few entries, I will be posting up some of them one by one.

Here is the first one... Oh yes, do let me know if you want to see more ok? :) And yes, any comments are welcomed! :)

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April 13th, 2006

08:15 pm

"Smile, Ah Boy, smile!"Ah Boy puckered up her mouth and scrunched her face for the camera. I laughed. The photographer took a priceless picture of Ah Boy making faces and, putting the camera down, he smiled too.

We were at Toa Payoh Senior Citizens' Physiotherapy Centre. Volunteering to help feed, push wheelchairs and attend to the needs of the elderly folk who were there due to some physiological problem. Ah Boy was an elderly woman who will always look for the chance to escape from the centre. It was amazing really, the way she walked slowly, very slowly, to the sliding door, and because she either had no strength or did not know how to open the door, she will sit on a chair just beside the door. Then she waits. If someone came in or went out without shutting the door properly, she will try her best to get out. But because she walked so so slowly, she can never manage to step outside without someone, a nurse or a physiotherapist, guiding her back with a firm hand. Once, a physiotherapist told us, Ah Boy managed to get out the door, and when she turned back to look, the people just waved at her and said, "Bye bye Ah Boy! Bye!" And off she went. Of course, someone will catch up with her in no time to guide her back. When I heard that, I laughed till my sides hurt.

I looked around me. Nurses and caregivers were bustling around tending to the old people who seem to want to do everything all the time.

It was lunch time. We queued up in the line together with other volunteers to get the plates of rice to distribute to the elderly folk. After doing that, we hung around to help any nurse who was having difficulty trying to feed porridge to two or more old people at the same time. I fed an old man who couldn't really say a word except tap the edge of the table whenever he wanted another spoonful. I used to reel in disgust when I see drool, especially that of elderly people. But that day, I quietly wiped up the drool that was dribbling down his chin, the bits of porridge stuck to his lip, the water that spilt on his clothes. I didn't mind at all. Not only did I not mind, I even feel happy doing all that.

I looked at J, who was opposite me feeding a physically disabled old lady who couldn't feed herself. Our eyes met and we smiled.

The day went by quickly and soon it was time to go. We said our goodbyes and decided to do something for their Christmas party which was coming up in a few weeks' time. We decided in the end to do the practical thing and gave some money to the kind physiotherapist who was organising this big party all by herself. She bought presents for everyone.

On the day of the party, we stepped in into the centre which was decorated in silvers and greens. Everyone seemed so upbeat, even the elderly whom some may not know what was happening but just got caught up in the mood. Some games ensued. J and I were pulled into a newspaper game where we were supposed to stand on a piece of newspaper every time the music stopped and the piece of newspaper will get smaller and smaller each time. The last duo standing that manages to both be on the smallest piece of paper wins. Both of us were extremely self-conscious at first, and we didn't dance like we were supposed to around the paper when the music was playing. Each time the movie stopped, each duo just jumped onto the paper with little shrieks and exclamations heard. We were the second last duo to lose and though we didn't win, not that we played to win anyway, we had so much fun. Both of us were grinning our faces off when the game ended and everyone clapped heartily for the duo that won.

The lucky draw segment after that sent smiles to all who had their tickets picked out. Big and small prizes were accepted eagerly by the elderly folk who, at that particular moment, made me feel that they were back to being kids again. And that was so heart-warming.

Soon the party ended and it was time for many of the elderly folk to go home. J and I stayed to help clean the place up and before we left, that kind physiotherapist gave us her most sincere and grateful thanks. She gave us a christmas card each with personalised messages that warms us right to the heart. I was touched.

I would give anything to go back there again. To see Ah Boy try to escape again in her slow and steady manner, to feed and clean up that uncle again, to talk to many of the old people there and listen to their problems, to feel useful again.

Thanks J, for bringing me there. That two days we went down taught me a lot. I learnt how to think about others instead of myself, and I learnt what giving is really about.

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