Parental Guidance

Caution: The tides are coming in after reading this. Cast your net.

It is a cloudy Sunday afternoon. I am sitting along the rocky coastline writing this at Marina South as I watched people fishing and casting their nets, patiently waiting for their prize of the day.

It is peaceful, hearing the clashes of the waves coming against the rocks as I pondered over what is the prize of my day. It had been a long while ever since I took out my brother’s bicycle out for a ride. I paddled to Marina South and to a gulp of saliva, it had changed enormously, or rather in a process of a big change. Everywhere on the road were little granite pebbles, probably littered by the lorries and trucks plowing the multitude of construction sites there. Marina South is soon to be transformed into the so called “New Downtown”. I had wanted to go to Marina Park where there is a little exercise corner with pull up bars for me to play with, and I was blocked by high metal planks and a sign “under construction for a new park”. Marina South is changing, places are all changing, and we will also change. The only motivation is that we hope the change is for a better morning sun to come.

I have just started on my career, although at a ripe age of thirty-three, the first day of work was a day of exuberated elation. I am now able to do what I like doing and not shrink and shudder when I wanted to think and dream of a better tomorrow. I truly felt I am living my second chance at life. I am also glad at the bigger picture of things that had changed are the general perceptions on exconvicts had evolved to be more forgiving. The sun looks bigger now.

People constantly grumbled over bread and butter issues like repaying debts, insurance premiums, flat mortgages and eerily, it was like a manifestation of a showering redemption to me to be able to shoulder these responsibilities to come. Or rather I felt I found back my long lost dignity. Now I could make my father happy by giving him some hundreds every month, I would save some to indulge in my own investment plan, and of course to save up for marriage and future kids to come if I do find a dream gal to lavish all my love upon the family.

The waves are still clashing against the rocks and I saw some happy “fishermen” giggling over their prizes of the day. Not big fishes but is still a happy catch. The sun will be brighter tomorrow.

Live for tomorrow

Jimmy BOH