And It's All Coming Back to Me Now....
It's still the same. That old guard house still standing in the same position with its occupants. Only this time one of them sports a bald head. The stairway to the above level had its rails painted in orange. The trees that lined the walkway have grown to become lush and green, creating some sort of a gateway to unforeseen haven. Out in the clearing, you could hear the flow of the water making its full circle from the source out into the pool and back again to be reprocessed. Only after you took the short flight of stairs will you actually see the pool. This was once where I spent my lonely evenings, pretending to be a small child again, remembering the day my abah plonked me in the muddy waters of rural KT. When the other occupants of 3D-04-09 were busy at their place of work or making their way home or buying dinner, I was alone there, or sometimes accompanied by a few slitted-eyes persons.
The stairs to the apartment block was also still the same. Only this time it had the distinct smell of cat poo or pee, I can't distinguish which, maybe both. I see a few more cats littering about underneath the many cars. The balcony had the same clothesline. The kitchen still houses the cute fridge courtesy of izzie, now married and awaiting the arrival of a baby. It had a bit more instant noodles, I noticed, probably because its current occupants are too busy to cook. But I do hear stories of a certain occupant who went on a diet and was intent on cooking vegetable soup every night for dinner.
This was once where I belonged. The place where I begun my journey of an adult life, earning a living and paying bills. Where I laid my head to sleep at night before continuing my life's routine the next day. I meet its current occupants and although I have known them for like a lifetime I still feel a bit shy at times, not knowing how to start a conversation with them. I wish I could be more friendly, or even more uninhibited. That will probably come soon.
It seemed unfamiliar at first but it's all coming back to me now.
Posted in: on January 11, 2005 at at 6:09:00 PM
