Day 5: Running on Empty

I have a simple philosophy: Fill what's empty. Empty what's full. Scratch where it itches. ~Alice Roosevelt Longworth

Once again, my hardworking twin went into hibernation today. The only chore I managed to do was to reorganize Mervin’s wardrobe. I spent half an hour staring at the small space, five minutes to clear out a drawer for him, and another fifteen minutes to complete my task. The stuffs I emptied from the drawer stared at me from the corner of my room vacantly. I in turn stared at my two empty-bellied kids.

I brought the two kids to the McDonald’s for lunch while I went to the nearby town council to pay my service and conservancy charges and housing loan installment. I left the building feeling emptied. “Daylight robbery!” I cursed and swore in my heart. However, the sight of kids nibbling happily on their burgers on my return to the restaurant was enough to erase every negative thought temporarily.

We dropped by Jurong Point after their lunch to shop for a belated Birthday present for a friend’s kid. We spent more than three hours there and ended up with a new file for Mervin, two water bottles for Mervin and Angel and a packet of snacks. Not to mention the corn cup and lime juice they devoured on the way. However, there was no present. We saw many things but I rejected almost all of them. I think Angel was beginning to get rather frustrated when she asked me for the umpteenth time, “What do you really want to get?” Her face was then empty of passion.

In the end, we returned home empty-handed, save for the items my kids got. Mission failed terribly. Anyway, since it was already a belated birthday present, a little more belated shouldn’t be a problem… right?

What an empty day.

Empty head, empty heart…

Too empty to miss…