The Stars that Shine in the Dark Blue Sky

Chapter 4 - Pensive Thoughts

A few months passed.They received the news that grandpa was awfully ill and bedridden in the hospital.They visited him and was met with a crowd of relatives flooding the room around where he laid.Her uncle was seated beside him,holding his hand.

Her mother came to her grandpa's side and spoke softly of her last words to him.Unknowingly,tears streamed down the girl's cheeks upon listening to what she said.Grandpa was scraggy and even more frail than before. His face was a death shade of white and it resembled that any breath he breathed could be his last.

A few days passed.Mother and I continuously visited him in the hospital.One night,her uncle had fed grandpa with durian whipped cream cake.It was her uncle's birthday.Grandpa could not eat many foods and had experienced difficulties ingesting certain food.Grandpa could not swallow down the cream.It was stuck in his throat.Mother had forewarned Uncle about it.

Uncle was turned off and peeved.He told her to leave the room in an ominous tone.After he had gave Grandpa a sip of water,he left the room.Little did she know what would have happened next.There were urgent shouts and hollering outside.She brisk-walked out of the room in a hurry to discern what was happening.

Her uncle was a wild animal.He was seething rage,inciting violence.He attempted to punch Mother.Mother sat there,lost for words;stunned.The girl could not believe her eyes.She ran back to the room and held Grandpa's hand tightly.Hoping that all the commotion would just come to cease.

She came home,and realised how concerned she was about mother.Another family issue.More things had materialized and she began to realise how her mother has transformed by a colossal stretch.She knew she could not continue to cling on and harvest the hatred and fear of her if she really wanted to move on.It was the longest time of 7 and a half years to forgive.

She went through a lot.It was meaningless to bring this on any further.She was the one on the losing end.She had a restricting and unapproachable mother more than anyone.But she failed to realise her mother loved her and her brother regardless of her actions.

She still disliked the way her mother would act periodically,but she had good intentions.It was extremely difficult to open her eyes when she thought she would still see ruins and a wasteland.But she trusted her friend and trusted God.And so,she tried.

It was not easy.Attempting to look from her mother's perspective every single time she could not comprehend the rationale of her mother's actions.However,God gifted her a friend of an empath. She shared her woes with her friend,and her friend understood where her mother was coming from. Painstakingly it was,that was how she began to forgive her mother.

Her brother had settled down and adjusted to his new workshift of being a coastal guard.His shifts and duties were held at irregular timings past midnight or in the evenings.She hardly saw him anymore.Time flew,and he was constantly kept in his room,on his social media or sprawled on his bed;gaming with his friends.He also seldom had time for his sister anymore.

It was so unlike their childhood.He began to go out more and more often return home past midnight.He would drink and stay in pubs with his friends.He mixed around with friends who drank and smoke.She was worried that he will really be led astray till she could not recognise him anymore.'What has become of my brother?'She thought.

What if she was the one going out past midnight?Hanging out at pubs drinking shots and friends who are alcoholics and smokers?Defying their parents?What would have been different?Would anyone stop her?Be worried for her?

She was pensive in her train of thought.