Ordeal

My mind's terrain has become exceedingly rough. Emotional scars are changing my internal geography faster than the mapmaker can keep pace. Wrong turns and dead ends abound, and I'm afraid someday I'll drown in a river I didn't know was there. ~D.H. Mondfleur

The past few days were mind-boggling, brain-teasing, mind-blowing… brain-dead.

Exorcism

The moment The Great Monk stepped into the house, he exclaimed, “Why does it seem that the things in this house in getting more?”

The next thing he did was to recite his formidable mantra as he navigated through each and every room. It didn’t matter to him that it was after one in the morning and his only audience was finding it even tougher to strain her eyes ajar with his melodic chanting.

To prove that he is serious in his monk business, The Great One performed another ritual the very next with a little bigger audience. Though not everyone could appreciate his kind intention, I was not without gratitude when he incorporated exorcising moves. With my ear on mute function, I gladly looked on while The Great Monk sucked the evil spirits from every corner into the vacuumed vessel, cleansed the lurking ghouls in the lavatories, wiped out the grimy gnomes in the sinks and banish the slimy glop threatening the stoves.

Of course the procedure had to be finished off with more chanting.

I could still feel the hymn lingering in the air even when I snuggle into my warm quilt, eyes closing.

Traveler’s Tale

The Great Monk never failed to deliver the message of how he had to suffer to attain enlightenment.

“The food there was horrible. I lived practically on bread (from Breadtalk) every day.”

“I bought a pair of slippers there. (It was an imitation of a certain brand. It cost merely twenty dollars when converted to Singapore dollars.) No choice. I need to save every penny to bring back more dough to you.”

“My friends brought me to eat barbecued stuffs almost every day! I had to stop when I started getting ulcers in my mouth.”

“I had drinks with my friends almost every night, for the sake of entertainment. (But they have this wine which tasted so great…)”

“I was so penniless over there. Luckily my friends helped me to foot all the bills. (And look at these watches that I bought over there…)”

“Oh, this new mobile phone that I have now? Well, I sold the last one (my sister paid for and delivered to me) over there for a better price and got this later model at a bargain. You know, you can’t find this locally.”

“… …”

Silent Protest

“Over here, we only dared to buy a loaf of white bread to last us for a week. Breadtalk was a luxurious treat once in a while.”

“Twenty dollars for a pair of slippers? That equals to the ten chicken burgers I forwent each time I brought the kids to McDonald’s.”

“I had to deprive my kids of savouring a stick of barbecued satay when they requested for one.”

“The kids only get to drink their favourite sodas when they visit their grandma or when their aunts bring them out.”

“We were here waiting for the long-overdue bills to be footed.”

“I was trying to sell my handphone to get a cheaper older model.”

The Only Thing That Mattered

The kids were thrilled to have their father back. They were practically jumping around him, hugging him and hassling over him whenever the opportunity arose, sometimes to the extent that I get a little jealous. It felt good to have a man bring the family out and foot the bill. It’s ecstatic to see the kids enjoying every moment with their father.

A Glimmer of Hope

He cleared a portion of the staggering bills, stocked up the empty pantry, left a little for my expenditure, and promised more settlements on his next return. Not only will he settle all the debts, there’ll be plenty more for other more wonderful things.

That promise was spun ages ago.

Aftermath

It really didn’t matter to me that he’s flying off again after only three days of stay. However, the kids were devastated, and that mattered to me. It broke my heart to see their disappointment written over their faces.

I only hoped that things will return to normal once the storm is over.

I pray for peace.