while i was at the hospital the other day, i saw something that made me stop whatever i was doing then because i was a little puzzled by what i saw. the first person i saw was a middle aged woman and then a girl who looked about 18, though i could be wrong on that count since kids are dying to look way older than they really are these days.
the two of them stood at the registration counter and talked while the nurse processed the patient card, and i felt a little envious of the apparently close relationship the (assumed) mother-daughter pair shared. before the registration process was completed, an elderly woman walked up to the counter and stood behind the pair as they continued their conversation.
once the patient registration was completed, the middle aged woman turned to address the elderly woman; it was the first sign i got that the two might be on familiar terms. after speaking to the elderly woman, the middle aged woman turned and walked to the chairs in front of the clinics without turning back to check on who i presumed to be her mother/mother-in-law. the younger girl milled around the counter for a while before sauntering a good distance behind her grandmother since it was evident to her that her grandmother, who relied on an umbrella as a walking stick, was perfectly capable of walking steadily to the chairs. as she sauntered on, she caught me looking at her with what i supposed was a rather appalled expression and she continued on unconcerned.
after i left the hospital, i encountered the trio again and true to form, the younger mother-daughter pair continued ahead of the elderly woman. i got so helplessly angry at that sight that i tried to reason with myself; perhaps i've judged too quickly again because i am totally clueless about their family situation. this schizophrenic inner debate continued for a while but i couldn't summon up a convincing enough defense for their behaviour.
this was hardly representative of singaporean behaviour but the despair i felt was so real. it reminded me of the story we read in our primary school chinese textbooks where the young child asked his father for some straw to weave a large enough basket to abandon his father in after he saw his father abandon his grandfather this way.
we've been complaining of how things have gotten wrong so quickly in recent years, how much more complaining are we going to do until we finally demand a change? when will we see that we are the agents of change? am i the only bleeding heart here or will there be others beside me?
maybe i won't be the biggest determinant in my ability to create something good but i'll take my chances.
our day will come.
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