Dawn's Diary: Love & Life

Twogether

"Kor Kor, when will Papa and Mama get back home?"
She asked another time in two minutes. Only two of us on our two beds, with two missing parents.
"I don't know, Mei Mei. Why don't you go to sleep first?"
"But I'm hungry, and I haven't eaten all day".

I removed my headphones, which were already half dangling off my head to listen to my younger sister's whining and got up from bed. I could only stare at her in sadness. She doesn't know how bad we had it, how little food we had left, and how much money we could afford to lose. She stares back at me, puppy eyes so wide her eyes shined under the flickering bedroom lights. Our beds sat opposite, but we rarely slept alone, always together on one bed. Two beds, two siblings, but one shared love to warm ourselves up on these cold Singaporean rainy days.
"I'll see what I can do," I replied after the time ticked for what felt like minutes.

I stepped out of the bedroom and found my schoolbag lying on the living room couch, as it always did. Luckily, or rather oddly enough, my papa isn't home to scold me to bring it back into our room. Two bags continued to sit there, left untouched because two parents were missing. I opened the very front compartment and found my wallet. Opening it, I found the $10 that was supposed to last me the whole week, which was enough to get me egg fried rice downstairs by the Kopitiam to share between the two of us. Without further hesitation, I took my wallet, an umbrella, and left a kiss on Mei Mei before I said goodbye.

My love has no bounds for her.

I was saving up money for the new Power Ranger toy, but ever since our parents found work somewhere further, it's been rather difficult to communicate for not just more money, but just more family in general. It's been grey without them here all the time. It's great that our finances are getting better, but Mei Mei and I have no one else but ourselves. Just us two. My instincts as an older brother brought me to take the responsibility to take care of her, to be the mother hen when they leave.  But I'm too young to be so grown. I still need my mother hen too. I'm too young to be this old.
"Mei Mei, I'm back home."

And she runs out, like a golden retriever hearing its owner coming home. She hugged me tight, telling me that being home alone is scary. I only smile quietly and begin my way to the kitchen. I found two plates, two spoons, and split the food for the two of us. Just us two. We sat by the dining table and ate quietly, the only sound left being the grandfather clock on the wall. We never really liked television, and we weren't allowed to watch it unless we finished our work anyway. But our two parents are gone, wherever they go. They would understand that we were bored.
"Night night, Kor Kor!" She said sheepishly. The glow-in-the-dark stars on the ceiling were the only things that shined in our room, yet she remained the brightest thing in my life.

My love knows no bounds for her.
I listened to her soft snores before drifting to sleep as well.
Just us two.
And only two of us.