Chapter 1

(This story is just merely a story, which I want to convey about how much honesty can pull the bond of human closer. It got me a special mention in RP write works competition 2008 and I can't feel more happy about tat...Happy reading guys)

Daughter

Her calloused looking hand held out a bowl of rice for me. I can see the purple vein of hers sticking out from her hand as I murmured a word of thanks when I took it from her hand. All those years of toiling for the family had certainly aged my mum. I can see the white streak of white hair tucked safely behind her ears. Her greying hair –once a stunning luxurious black hair, now look dishevelling thin. A look of content spread across her face when I smiled at her. As children, I admit I can't comprehend or fully realize the meaning of my mother's love, how tender and how wise, the patience and forgiveness that are part of every day. The unexpected ''little things'' she does in her own way. Like packing my lunch box for me to bring to school wherever I had remedial in class, waking up in the middle of the night to feed me medicine when I am sick, cheering me up with my big brother’s Republic poly bear when I am feeling sick and cannot go out of my house to play and scolding me like mad when she is actually hurting. Finally at the age of 23 years old, I realized all that. But is it a bit late for me?

Mother

I remembered the time when I first held my daughter in my arm. Her skin was as soft as a flower petal. When her tiny hand grasp at my finger, the feeling of love overwhelmed me liked never before. From that very moment, I knew that this love is unbreakable, unchangeable. It will always be there even if my daughter was to grow old with wrinkles and smiled at me with a toothless grin. For now, I never felt so contented in my life when I heard that she had a fulfilling experience on the first day of her job. There is a hint of softness in her as I watched her peel the shell off the prawn for me. Even though my daughter is now a grown up of 23 years old, there is one thing from her which will always be reverberating through my mind.

It was way back when she was still 11 months old when she was sitting down on the sofa while I was watching some random program on the television.

“Ma....ma...ma...ma...”

I jerked around to my daughter’s sweet sound and realized she is calling me mummy for the first time.

For a split second, I can feel the time stopped for a moment for me to let me indulge in that sweet moment between my daughter and me.

I ran towards her and hugged her deeply into my embracement, sniffing in the very essence of her. Her shampoo smell, her milky smell, the scent of her freshly-scrubbed skin and the smell of baby instant cereal stain on her clothes made my heart squeezed so hard in love.

For that moment, I finally understand how much love can a mum offer their child.

“Mum...mum...” Her voice jerked me back into reality.

“Ah...ya...” I smiled at my daughter in gratitude when she plopped the prawn into my Rice bowl.

“No worry, if you want some more prawns, just put a few onto this empty plate, I will help you to peel off the shell,” She offered, tapping the plate with her chopsticks.

“So, have you found any new catch back in your office?” I asked, raising my eyebrow to her.

“Mum...I just started my first day at work and I do not like having an office romance back in my workplace anyway.” She replied, dunking off her cup of milk.

“It’s finished...I shall go and refill it again,” She stood up and strides toward the kitchen.

For that moment, I feel my own daughter is hiding something from me.

Something unfathomable.

Something deep.