After befriending Sek Bee at the wheelchair outing, I told myself I would visit him regularly. I didn’t. Work, ambition, and other responsibilities caught up, and even when I had time, I wished I could save a few more minutes for myself.
I still managed to see him every two, three weeks, but every visit was ridden with guilt. I would always arrive with a huge smile, a bowl of his favourite Century Egg Porridge, and an awkward apology. I would always leave wondering to myself, what more can I do for him? Should I buy something more for him next time?
Then, Elaine came up with the brilliant idea of getting him a radio. He loves watching and listening to the news, and a radio would be perfect. Quietly, I was more concerned about my own guilt.
Sek Bee looked very happy with the gift. We tried teaching him how to dial the channels, but his hand was trembling with old age. After a while, he stopped trying. He put the radio aside, looked at me, and smiled a broken smile.
“I’ll be happy as long as you come to visit me”.