Part 1
She carefully powders her face with her left hand. Chalk white minute beads covered her wrinkled skin concealing the age with temporary youthful skin. Lipstick placed on her rosy cracked lips to bold the fading radiant beauty that slips away with time. Once upon a time, this was the lips that many boys wanted to secretly kiss. But everything has changed now. Years have come and gone. Lanterns on the porch exchange the joyous greeting from old friends and relatives who have dropped by. She places the final touches on her face and soon tells me to help her out of her room. Closing the door behind me, I pushed my grandmother’s wheelchair into the living room.
Part 2
The television blared with loud Cantonese spluttering from the speakers. An old relative’s laughter filled the room accompanied with a few chuckles. She grinned and was filled with life that age has failed to rob from her. An auntie came out an complimented the auntie’s laughter calling it infectious. He looked into her eyes with so much love, proud that she was his wife.
I think these were the few picturesque moments during the few days celebrating the Chinese New Year for now. I had it stuck in my mind the whole day because I wanted to share it with someone.
***
On other matters, I received my AS History resit results. And Praise God! 
I got “back” at History. In retrospect, there is a tinge of disappointment that I did not get this result earlier. Torrents of “what if” questions haunt my mind. What if this was what I lacked from being “fished out” from the Cambridge pool? What if I got my full As and got the offer from Kings? The ideal university that I thought that I had a shot at getting into? What if I didn’t sink in such a low state and maybe just maybe, so many things would be undone. Even us.
As of now, it is impossible to turn back time. There’s only the future to look forward to and plan for. I think this was a priceless humbling experience. Learning that I am always vulnerable, basking in God’s grace and in a never ending quest of learning and uncovering personal truths and beliefs.
Posted on January 26, 2012
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