One Day

“One day at a time--this is enough. Do not look back and grieve over the past for it is gone; and do not be troubled about the future, for it has not yet come. Live in the present, and make it so beautiful it will be worth remembering.” ~Unknown

Etremely BORING! Read at your own risk!

02.59am

I switched on the TV. When the two teams started to march into the field, I woke Mervin up. He didn’t waste a second rousing out of his sleep. If only he is as swift to rise in the morning when I wake him up for school in the morning.

We spent the next forty-five minutes cheering, jeering, clenching our fists, gritting our teeth, all over the silly white globe rolling and flying around in the TV screen. No scores in the first half.

I kept switching channels during the first half interval to keep myself awake. Looking at the same advertisement on the same channel again and again will probably lull me to sleep.

The second half was more excited than the first half by 0.01%. Still no goals. There will be a half-hour extra-time for the game.

The first half of the extra-time still saw no goals. But the speed and momentum was picking up. The players seemed to be growing in frustration. That included the two viewers in front of the TV.

The second half of the extra-time kicked off soon after. Three minutes left before the referee blew the whistle and still no one scored a goal.

“I think it’s going to be penalty kicks again,” remarked Mervin.

Suddenly, my door flew opened. Rachel entered with an incredulity look on her face.

“You’ve been watching the World Cup till now?”

It’s my turn to be astonished.

“Why are you up so early? What? It’s past five in the morning already? Gosh…”

An ear-deafening cheer from the crowd turned my attention back to the TV.

“What happened?”

“It’s a goal!” Mervin exclaimed in despair, “Italy scored a goal! Is the game over now?”

“Not if Germany scored soon. Then there’ll be a penalty shoot-out,” I tried to console him.

All hopes were dashed when Italy scored yet another goal within the next minute.

“It’s finally over,” I sighed, partly out of disappointment, partly out of relief. I’ll still have a couple of hours to catch some winks before the alarm clock sounded at 8am.

I urged Mervin to do the same as I abruptly switched off the TV on the tear-stained faces of the Germans.

I buried my face in my pillow and blacked out in less than a minute; a record time.

08.00am

I think the alarm clock sounded. I think I pressed it off. I think I drifted back to sleep.

09.35am

I woke up with a start. Angel needed to go for her Chinese Dance practice in school at 10.30am. We have less than half an hour to prepare. I woke the Mervin and Angel up hastily and rushed off to wash up.

10.15am

Finally, we were prepared to leave the house. We had to miss our breakfast and still be late.

10.20am

Upon reaching the bridge, I spotted our bus at the red light junction, waiting for the light to turn green. How we ran up the stairs and across the bridge and down the steps. We were just in time to catch the bus. That’s our morning exercise. Pant. Pant.

10.35am

We were late for the Chinese Dance practice.

I stayed in the school since then till 3.30pm for my parent volunteer duty. I forgot when the dull pounding in my head started but by the time I could leave the school premise with Rachel, my head was aching.

03.40pm

Rachel and I went to West Mall to return Mervin’s overdue book. There was a Popular Bookstore Sale Gala at the ground level. Darn. It’s our soft spot. I got two assessment books for Mervin for just $3.00!

Other stuffs were luxuries which we could only look on and hope to be able to acquire them in future. But for then, we’d just soothe our cravings by browsing.

On our way back to the school to fetch Mervin and Angel, Rachel dropped by Value For Money to get some snacks to treat her siblings and me! I’m so touched by her generous act.

05.20pm

We reached the school again. The weather was so hot it was making my headache worse. My head was feeling heavier with every second passing.

05.40pm

Angel and Mervin walked out of the school gate respectively. On our way to the bus stop, the kids were debating whether to have McDonald or home-cooked spaghetti for dinner.

“Mummy, let’s go McDonald please. I’m craving for an ice cold Coke,” pleaded Mervin.

I reached out for my wallet, peered inside, and had to disappoint him.

“I’m sorry I didn’t bring my money out today.” In fact I spent my last three dollars on his assessment books just now.

The bus came and they had to settle for spaghetti.

05.50pm

On our way back, I asked Mervin, “Aren’t you tired after spending the whole night watching World Cup?”

“Absolutely not!” his voice was nonetheless filled with excitement, in stark contrast to my groggy head and blurry vision.

06.00pm

Home at last! I removed my shoes, sailed across the rooms like a zombie, dropped their bags in their rooms, floated to my bed and plunged face-down onto it.

“You all want spaghetti right?” I mumbled.

“Yes! Yes!” Their voices seemed to drift further and further away.

I lost consciousness.

??.??pm

I regained semi-consciousness. I heard my daughter speaking to someone on the phone. Apparently, my mother-in-law had asked her to go over to pick up some curry puffs she had made herself.

I thought of the spaghetti I had yet to prepare.

My world turned into darkness yet again.

06.58pm

This time, I managed to pull myself to sit upright. I peered at my watch. My headache was getting worse. I walked into the living room and saw that the kids were still in their school uniform.

I fired at them, sat on the sofa, stared into space, glided back into my room and fell into my bed once more.

Blackout.

??.??pm

Kids were scurrying outside and inside my room. I felt Angel’s little hands helping me to remove my socks and trying to pull the blanket from under me.

??.??pm

Someone was entering the room asking if I was cooking after all.

Mervin hushed that person, “Mummy is tired. Let her sleep.”

??.??pm

Mervin lifted the blanket and covered me.

“What about your dinner?” I murmured.

“Don’t worry, Mummy. Sis and I will go Grandma’s place to take the curry puffs then we’ll buy back from the coffee shop downstairs.”

“I’m having a terrible headache and my head is giddy and I feel nauseous.” I blabbered on.

Angel offered me some medicated oil. Mervin took the wastepaper basket and placed it beside my bed.

“If you need to vomit, remember to lean out and puke into the wastepaper basket,” Rachel reminded me.

The chortles emitting from my throat lifted my headache temporarily.

??.??pm

It was dark outside. Rachel and Mervin were not back. Should I go downstairs to look for them?

My body refused to budge and my mind switched off.

??.??pm

I heard keys turning. The kids were back at last. They bought Angel’s dinner back. They had theirs at my in-law’s place.

I forced myself out of the bed, made myself a cup of tea, which I was deprived throughout the whole day, in hope to lift my headache. I nibbled on some bread for my dinner.

09.00pm

I had to watch my CID drama showing on TCS 8. I fixed my eyes on the screen when Ivy Lee came in, and plunged my head into my pillow trying to suffocate the dull ache when it’s Jeanette Aw’s scene.

10.05pm

The Chinese Dance teacher-in-charge called to inform me that there’ll be an extra practice for Angel tomorrow morning. I tried to absorb the other tittle-tattle she tried to feed me. But my mind was clouded with the intense pain.

10.15am

Perhaps a hot shower will help to relief some of my discomfort.

I entered my bathroom, spotted the heap of soiled kids’ clothing on a corner, my headache worsened.

10.20pm

A crash came from my bedroom. I caught myself too late before I let off a high shrill, shrieking at whoever was outside my bathroom, “What have you all done again?”

I felt guilty immediately for losing my temper again. My temper has been short recently. It may be PMS. But I must definitely keep it in check in future. I’m not setting a good example for my kids.

I could hear little feet scrambling outside, little hands trying to pick up whatever was knocked over, but not before Mervin yelled in defense, “That was Angel! She knocked over your pencil holder! She was playing on your bed!”

There was a softer muffled whisper, “You were also playing!”

10.25pm

I guess my head was still in a daze. I mistook the head shampoo for the body wash while in the shower. As I rinse the glob of shampoo off my hands, I moaned over the waste of it.

10.30pm

My head seemed to be clearer after the shower, but only for a mere one minute. My headache was acting up again as I attempted to switched on my laptop. I started to curse and swear when even my notebook started to turn against me. It wouldn’t start-up properly.

10.35pm

Either my laptop took pity on me, or it was sickened by my persistent harassment. It booted up nicely. I tried to type whatever crossed my mind in the shower. It was just a moment ago but I seemed to be recalling something that happened in the last century. God help me please.

10.44pm

My mobile phone chimed, signaling an incoming message. I rose painstakingly from my seat and reached out for my mobile phone above my bed. I looked at it in confusion for a few second before Angel and Mervin exploded in laughter. Angel handed me my mobile phone while removing the remote control from my hand. She tried her best to stifle her giggles. Even I couldn’t stop chuckling at myself. The ice was broken.

11.05pm

Trying to recall what happened earlier on today. It’s really a grueling task on my feeble memory. More headache.

12.00am

I was taking twice my normal time and effort to type out this whole thing. My stuffy head constricted my thinking and handicapped my typing. I pity those who have to read this entry. God bless them.

12.45am

Staring blankly at the screen.