It was the last day for Toby's - a small cafe at the corner nearby office; serving good cakes, curry chicken rice and kopi toast set. The cost of rental was raised too high and the owner had called it quits. The staffs who used to be loud and cheerful, went awfully quiet. I can see it was a tough day for them. Most had worked there for many years. My colleagues and I shared how we used to enjoy cakes from Toby's for our office birthday celebrations. This brought back many memories and reminiscences of the good ol' times. While eating, suddenly, a loud cheer came into the cafe. A group was there for a birthday celebration. It was the last cake, last birthday celebration. The staffs, although it must have been a sad day for them, they still brought the loudest cheers and smiles to everyone, we joined in to sing the birthday song together.
In my heart as we sang, it felt like a happy farewell. Sometimes good things come to an end to make way for better things.
It was Vesak Day. We went early to the temple for prayers.
After that, Bray went to his close friend's SZ house to play with him. SZ had a broken leg the day before. He needed to stay home for several weeks. When I saw him; with his legs fully casted, I remembered my brother's accident.
He was only 6 then; I was 8. I was in afternoon session school. It was my first lesson, when my teacher came in and pulled me aside. She asked me to take all my things with me. I thought what had I done wrong to be called to principal's office.
While walking together, my teacher's voice heavily broke the news. "It's your brother, he met with an accident, a car knocked him". I was brought to the place near the accident. Blood all over his belongings (school bag, only one school shoe left). My teacher told me what happened earlier.
'My brother was waiting to cross the road. Back then, there were no pavements. It was just some sandy, grassy roadside. The car drove over the speed limit and knocked my brother down. The driver dragged him more than 50m before stopping. Luckily, my brother's school bag protected his face as he bent forward. But his leg bones were broken and protruded out of the skin - almost cleared of the flesh on his left lower leg. He laid there on the road, a teacher who saw the accident, ran to him. As he laid on the teacher's arms, he did not cry a single tear but told the teacher to call Mom.'
The teacher was teared up while recollecting the chains of events, I broke down hysterically. I waited for my parents.
When we arrived at the hospital, my brother was being pushed into the emergency operation room. He looked tired and asked my mother "Can I go to sleep Mommy?" My mother could not take it, thinking he'd leave us forever. She looked at the doctor to beg for help. The doctor said "He should be sleeping now, we've put him on general anesthesia but he kept strong". As soon as my mother gave him a Yes, he fell asleep immediately.
It was a long surgery but it was a successful one. His bones were held together by metal and casts for several months. We could remember how my mother would cry outside the hospital room every single day. Whenever my brother had his wounds cleaned, he would scream so loud that his young innocent yet painful voice would echo along the creepy long dim hallway.
At night, he'd have nightmares of ghosts coming to take him away. His recovery was a long one.
Our family went into a long legal battle against the driver. The driver was a teacher from a nearby school, less than 2km away. She was going into labour and drove the car in panic, heading to a nearby hospital. The moment she knocked down my brother, she could not comprehend it fast enough and so she drove on for quite a bit of distance before coming to a stop. She delivered her baby on the same day of the accident.
My brother was just down on his luck. He was at the wrong place, at the wrong time. It was a trauma for a young 6 year old, a mother, and the whole family. Though we were thankful we did not lose him that day.
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