Acceptance

The first time

I saw you bedridden

but you were still able to walk with some aid,

I accepted it.

You accepted it.

You held tight to my arm

You had to steady yourself every so often

There were pauses and short gasps of pain

But you never wavered

And we walked on.

Sometimes I walked in front of you,

Sometimes I walked behind you,

Sometimes I walked beside you,

Giving you the support I knew you needed.

And we walked on.

The first time

I saw you couldn’t walk anymore

But you could still talk and eat with some aid,

I accepted it.

You accepted it.

You told me everything I asked you about

You asked about my studies every so often

There were pauses and moments of silence

But they were not uncomfortable

And so we sat.

Sometimes I told you about our friends,

Sometimes I told you random bits

and pieces of information and fun facts,

Giving you the information I knew you wanted.

And so we sat.

The first time

I saw you couldn’t talk or eat without aid

But you could still breathe with the aid

of that damn machine and its wires and tubes

I was afraid.

I couldn’t accept it.

You lay there, with your eyes wide open

You gestured, wildly, for me to understand

There was a pause and I called for assistance

But nobody came to help

And there we were.

I called again, more frantically

Finally, a nurse responded

She tinkered with your breathing tube,

She pressed a few knobs on that blasted machine,

and gradually, you relaxed

and you closed your eyes

and slept, and I realized

and I sat.

Giving you the rest I knew you needed.

And so I sat.


In memoriam of my primary schoolmate, Lee Ying Tong, who passed away  on the 28th of August 2016 at the tender age of 23 after a hard war with cancer. 

Thank you for the 15 years of friendship old pal.

You're sorely missed.

Love,
Melody
30/7/2016 1.00am

For you I'd be Totoro