Cherish (part2)

just before noon one day, your dad brought you in. you were nicely snuggled in your pram with all the colourful toys dangling above you, stealing your attention. your dad however, something was a misfit in him.

i could see it in his eyes. my gut twisted, as i knew he wouldn't be leaving our shop today a happy man.

"you told me two weeks, it's been a month. how long do you expect my wife and i to wait? we don't have forever", your dad spoke in dismay. i apologized. profusely. an album of yours had encountered some mix up and we had problems printing it. i hated this. your parents had been the most gracious customers, but this, although beyond my powers, i could do nothing else but to apologize on behalf of the store. i wished i could have printed it myself.

your dad then asked me, when could it be completed? and this time, no delays.

as i answered him, i noticed how he had started frowning more. the lines showed. i wondered, maybe you kept him up late at nights? his presence, had not felt the same either. there was a drop in his shoulders, a tiredness in the way he spoke, and his gaze clouded his mind from the present. i don't think he was even listening to me speak because before i could end my sentence, your dad spoke again...

"don't tell my wife it's not ready yet". i nodded. "she's not feeling well. i don't want to make her worry". your dad pulled a gentle smile.

it's not uncommon to find women these days with post-natal depression. or maybe, parenting isn't as easy as they make it out to be? the around the clock care can be exhausting. i wondered. his eyes looking afar, his thoughts even further, he then said, "i want you to take more photos of her later when she comes in. as many as you can with our baby too. pictures paint a thousand words, don't they?", he raised an eyebrow, "and they remain eternal for that moment in that picture. never aging like dorian gray". i couldn't agree more.

i heard your mummy's melodious greeting while i was in the back of the store getting my camera. she said "hello everyone" with such delight, i felt i was stuck in a musical. when i saw her in the flesh, i was literally wowed.

(to be continued)

Cherish (part1)

they say the firstborn would always be memorable. a milestone, a blessing, a beginning, a turning point going either way. i remember the first time your parents brought you in. by the end of the photoshoot, the other photographers and i were left hanging in wild imagination to put a face on you.

from the first session, we could see the look of joy in their eyes. they were so proud of you even then. i remember, how they lit up everytime they spoke of you. from your progress, your response to their baby talk, to doctor appointments, to your heartbeat. you became the center of their universe. soon, i was a satellite orbiting you too.

i used to think pictures like these were corny. over-zealous parents gushing over their child. never looking in the camera but insisting multiple shots be taken of them looking down on you nestling in your mummy's tummy. then i met your parents. your daddy's gentle care over your mummy's every move. your mum the happiest woman i ever met. i remember your mum having this big personality to match the pregnancy. everytime she walked in, the mood in the whole store would change. it's like she'd sprinkle fairy dust on everyone and we'd forget our worries. there was something so different about them. they made us feel we were part of the whole pregnancy too.

everytime i picked up the camera, i just had to click. there was no need for me to adjust the lighting, or tell your parents where to stand. they did it so naturally, and all the pictures would turn out beautiful. your dad would be so careful not to hug your mummy tight for fear of harming you, but she would would grab him close. the sheer laughter and genuine smiles made me a little envious of them. it also made me realize how important you were. they would speak of their futures for you. who would be the good parent, bad parent. and how they had plans to embarrass you when you grew up. i hope you've been good so they would spare you this humility.

they say, pregnancy makes a woman glow, makes her most beautiful than she's ever been. i would agree since working in this store i have met so many mothers. but here was a rare case, that rubbed it's magic onto the father as well. your dad had a glow of his own. never once did he frown when he came into our store, and he had this charm when he spoke to his wife that made james dean look less of a gentleman. i felt like i was living in a happily ever-after movie at times.

few months later, and we had a new customer in our store. you finally popped out of the oven. well your mum didn't exactly say "popped out", but that's a whole different story for another day. we finally met you. never met a child more charming than you. surprisingly big eyes for an orient child, spiky hair with bruce lee-like long sideburns, handsome smile, and very friendly too. someday this child of yours is going to be a heartbreaker, i told your parents.

"not if he's staying under our roof!".

everyone in the store wanted a piece of you. your parents did not need to look for a babysitter, they'd get free labour with us as we passed you around like a musical box. that was the day we took your first family photo. i'm sure you've seen it at home many times. the one with your dad slightly teary-eyed, your mum hugging you tight. i remember it clearly, because i took that shot.

and i also keep a copy of it. reminds me of the satisfaction in my job.

(to be continued)

Sharp Knife Of A Short Life

i'm a little addicted to this song lately. i know its quite old already, but there's something very catchy about it. the whole concept of the song, morbid yet uplifting? i don't know what it is exactly. it reminds me a little bit of eminem's stan. love the song, yet it's daunting if you wonder how someone could even think about it in the first place.

it feels so real. the emotions, the message, and horrifyingly the lightness of it all.

i especially like these lines:

" there's a boy here in town who says he'll love me forever,
who would have thought forever could be severed by
the sharp knife of a short life "

it's either from a real life experience, or the writer's morbid. maybe explains why i loved watching the addams family, perhaps?

Someone Like You

About time I understood those words. From the way your hands glided, to the ends of your fingertips on me. Your case was upfront since the beginning, but was it so wrong of me to dream just for a second?

I think, I remember you said, I wish nothing but the best on you...
Sent from my BlackBerry® smartphone

Does It Resonate Yours

" there is a reason i'd said i'd be happy alone.

it wasn't cause i thought i'd be happy alone.

it was because i thought if i loved someone,

and then it fell apart,

i might not make it.

it's easier to be alone.

because what if you learnt you need love?

and then you don't have it?

what if you like it?

and lean on it?

what if you shape your life around it?

and then,

it falls apart.

can you even survive that kind of pain?

losing love is like organ damage.

it's like dying.

the only difference is,

death ends.

this,

it could go on forever. "

-grey's s07e22-