Monday, March 17, 2008

a song of hope

i was waiting for a bus today at boon keng. a really long wait.

as i held a can of nice, cold Jia Jia Liang Cha, i allowed my mind to drift to a different realm of belonging. thought about the new career change. about my degree which is the last thing in my life currently that i will screw up. the degree is important to me, so is the new career. for the thousandth time, i wish i'm a kid again.

i need a break through. and i know God will lead me to the best path.

as my deep contemplation evolved into some random chain of thoughts, i heard a faint melody coming from someone near me. my eyes darted around and saw a neatly dressed old man, holding 2 paper bags, looking towards the sky and singing softly.

it sounded like a beckoning song, also like he's pleading out in a searching tone. he didn't look crazy and i think he's not. but i noticed people around him giving the weird stares as soon as they heard his "song". i walked towards him, and we had a brief eye contact. his gaze past mine, and it was filled with distress. he would try to cross the busy one-way road, but always never managed to, mumbled to himself and then look up the sky again and sing the sad sounding song. i couldn't make out the language though i suspect it to be some dialect or mandarin.

i looked at him blankly. not because i think he's weird. i was just wondering what was he singing, and wished i could understand it. i hope that he'll find what he is searching for, emotionally, mentally or physically.

i wish you happiness, singing-uncle-by-the-bus-stop.