Thank you God for letting me get drenched in the rain... and other small miracles

First of all, let me start out by saying this week didn't really start out really well. .

I had a pretty good weekend all in all. Strange though. Got pulled over by cops on Saturday, which most of my pals would know is highly irregular because I usually don't drink at all. But that story in comedy channel soon.

Meanwhile, Sunday was a good gal's day out.

But Monday.. ooh. I woke up with my eyes so painful and swollen shut.

And it was not a pretty picture.

Yes, this was me straining to open my eyes and this was its max.
No instagram filter can prettify this pic.
Even my doc said, that looks pretty nasty.
2 days MC.

Yup. It was THAT bad.

But, swelling more or less went down after medication, Doc said it was probably some bad allergy, so by night, with better vision, I decided to do something productive with my time. I thought I'd bake.

I took out a glass dish - put it on the stove.. turned on the fire at low and... BAAAAAM!!!
I actually felt the explosion in my face.

The glass dish exploded EVERYWHERE.

In my shock, I only managed to grab a quick pic of the stove.
Everywhere. Glass. On the floor. I was standing in glass even.

It was all over my kitchen. From door to door. And not just in glass bits. There were little tiny splinters and shards on every surface. I even had tiny slivers of glass caught in between the keys of my blackberry (phone). And the strange thing is....

Not one.

Not a single shard was on me, or my hair, or even my clothes! Even though I was pretty sure I had felt it pelt against my face and rain down on me.

I was sort of still in shock so I only got one picture in before my dad came to chase me out and clear the glass. It freaked me out somewhat, that I could have been blinded yet again.

It all felt rather final destination to me.
But I regrouped, and managed to bake in the end... Molten Lava Choc cupcakes.. =)
And they're good.

All the good molten lava chocolatey goodness..... nomnomnom

I figure you'd need some pretty pics after the first shocker.

But, then.. there is today. So ...

This morning I woke up looking slightly less like a puffer fish. But I am on medication.. so, if I were still looking like I got battered with a baseball bat, that would definitely mean there is something to worry about.

My vision isn't the best yet, but, at least I could run an errand right? Went out, picked up my meds... zipped out.... tadah.... RAIN.

Yup. Grrrreat. Just grrreat.

But oh, a cab was about to come by- rushed to the pavement, but a couple was standing in front of me....

And.. no. They let it pass.

"Sorry are you guys catching a cab too?"

"No, we're just crossing the road."

*sara mentally a little peeved* Biang eh, don't want to catch a cab, the cab even slowed down but then you blocked me, then didn't take the cab. &*^@#%&

Never mind, there seemed to be more ahead.

About 15 minutes later, I was still standing there. Two people had already sneaked in front of me, and "cut the queue". What took the cake was 4 girls WITH umbrellas, who I had seen behind me earlier, cut out in front of me at the roadside and get into a cab.

Hello. I am here. Standing here. No umbrella. Getting drenched in the rain lor... (*&@#(#@%

I gave my best bitchy stare as they passed me in the comfort of their cab.

I was getting really, really pissed.

Then this old lady, pushing a bicycle attached to some form of cart walks by me. I made room for her to pass as I tried to hail another cab which mercifully, screeched to a stop, "Where you going Miss? Sorry, cannot la. I'm only going to Clementi."

I looked up the hill, and the auntie had only made a metre or two of progress. But she wasn't at the cart, which was along the road. It was already pretty dark. Raining. She wasn't exactly very visible to oncoming vehicles.

I ran up to her, "Auntie, do you need my help?"

"No, its ok.." she said, and she scurried on.

Miraculously, a cab swerved right in front of me, as a passenger alighted.

I was elated. YAY. Miracle!

"Sorry girl, I cannot. Rushing home," said the cabbie as he pulled away.
I looked at my phone, and just at that second, the dying battery, became DEAD battery. The bb flashed battery too low for radio use.

=(

It was then I spotted the aunty struggling up the hill. The roads were kind of wet and slippery and I'm pretty sure pulling a cart which was filled with things was not making it any easier.

'Ok God, you know what. I'm just... going with my gut here. Not sure what I'm supposed to do. But ... here we go.' - I thought to myself as I primed myself for yet another, what-kind-of-weirdo-is-she type rejection.

"Aunty.. can I help you?"

"No, its ok, its ok..."

Well. Tough luck lil' lady. Cos as stubborn as you may be, you've met your match.

So, despite her protests, I just grabbed the other end of her bike, and helped her push the thing up the hill, and across the road.

I think, we must have looked a sight.

Sara in her hoochie shorts. A blazer, and leopard print Jim Thompson loafers and a leather clutch, pushing a karang guni cart with a skinny, frail looking Aunty who was sporting a plastic bag as her main fashion piece, making a mad dash across the road in the rain.

We made it.

"Do you live around here," asked the Aunty.

"Not really, do you?" I asked, hoping to get some infomation about this mysterious bag lady.

"Yes, I've lived around here for 10 years. I stay at Cantonment, what is your name?" she asked.

"I'm Sara. And you?"

"I'm May."

"Ah, nice to meet you May. So what do you do aunty? You.. collect these things, and sell them?" I asked, still, mildly surprised that she spoke so well. Usually around older folk, I half expect that I would need to switch to Mandarin, bust out my rusty Cantonese, rely on my meagre pasar Melayu, or resort to my ever animated hand gesturing with appropriately timed sounds.

"Well, yes. If people want to buy them. What do you do?"

"I'm a journalist,"

"With the Straits Times?"

"Yes aunty.. do you read it?"

"I used to. Now I don't so much anymore. I do read some of the columns some times. But now I hardly have the time, I go around all day... And at the end of the day when I go back home, I am so tired. Do you usually come around this area?"

"Sometimes.. You? Usually I only come around here for facials... Or to drop my friend home."

It was then I noticed, that despite her full head of white hair, this aunty had some awesome skin. And she proceeded to give me skincare tips. And tell me about her sister, whose husband used to be a journalist at the Straits Times many years ago.

I'm not sure how many cars passed by. Ignoring her presence as she tried to cross a road where they entered to get into the carpark of their swanky premium priced flats.

But, as we waited... we chatted.

"I try not to go too far away. I stay there, at the tallest block. Cantonment tower."

"Ah, ok.." I said as aunty and I pushed the cart under another shelter near the bus stop.

"Ok, I am going to look around here now," aunty said. Her way of telling me to scram I guess.

"Have you eaten aunty? Can I get you something hot to drink? Its so cold today."

"No no no, its ok. I ate before I came out today. I had something already."

"Ok. How can I contact you?" I asked.

"I stay there. Blk __. #xx-yy", she said.

"And your phone number?" I asked.

Aunty looked uncomfortable. And slightly suspicious. I forgot I do have weird squinty eyes that probably make me look like I have serial killer potential.

"I don't usually pick up my phone. By the time I get home its usually so tired and so late, I don't have strength to talk," she said.

"It's ok. Here is my namecard aunty. My handphone number is on it. You can call me any time you need help."

"Ok. Thank you."

"Call me any time aunty may, it was nice meeting you," I said as I shook her hand.

For some reason. My phone resurrected and this is when I tweeted this.

But, that was not the end yet.

She went to rummage around bins, and yet another empty cab, with light on etc, drove right by me as I tried to flag it.

"YOU GOTTA BE KIDDING ME," I thought to myself. Well. Ok. I did voice it out too. Softly. I didn't want people thinking I was cray cray.

Then I noticed a 7-11.

For some reason, I just dashed in. Grabbed a hot chocolate, and two paus. One tau sar, and one lian yong.

Just as I was paying.. I saw May wave at me from outside the doors, bidding me goodbye.

"Wait!" I yelled, as I grabbed the goods and ran out.. "This is for you,"

"No, why you give me if you buy for yourself?" aunty asked as she kept trying to push the food back to me.

"I didn't," I said, as I stuffed the paus under a plastic sheet in the basket of her bicycle. "This is hot ok aunty, so be careful, " I said as I pressed the hot choc into her hands, and pretended I needed to rush off before she protested more, "I bought it for you! Bye aunty May!"

"Thank you," she said, as she beamed gratefully and I smiled back at her, happy that she finally accepted the food.

She wheeled off. Pushing her cart.

And what do you know. Less then one minute later, a cab pulls up right in front of me. And just as I get in, I saw aunty with her cart, safely on the other side of the road.

Indeed.

Everything happens for a reason.
And everything, happens in God's time.


In two days. I learnt what it was to be truly blind.
While physical blindness, is truly a scary thing.
Emotional and spiritual blindness... That, is true poverty.



Peace.

xx
sara