Short Story: The Silent Murder

Posted on August 9, 2023 by memoriesandsuch

As the plane started its descent into Fuzhou, Mei Li peered excitedly out of the window. “Almost home now”, she muttered to herself. Her seatmate, an older man, smiled at her and asked her if she was back from a holiday in Singapore or if she was working there. “Working”, Mei Li smiled. “I am going back home after two years”. She tried to curb her impatience as she cleared immigration and customs and walked outside to get into a bus for the next part of her journey home. She slipped into the seat, suddenly exhausted as she thought of her life, both past and present, as the bus hurtled through the Chinese countryside, the bus, her home for the next six hours until her village.

Leaning back in her seat, Mei Li tried to sleep but found that sleep eluded her. She smiled and whispered, “I did it. That woman is dead, and no one knows I did it!”. As she said this, a wave of sadness hit her, and tears started streaming down her eyes. Unbidden, her mind went back 20 years when she first saw her husband Ah Fu. They were matchmade, and she saw him the day they were wed. She was a shy girl of 18, and he was a strapping man of 20 when they wed. The first two years were sheer bliss, but soon the reality of life hit them in the form of two miscarriages. When they saw a doctor, they were told Mei Li’s womb was weak and treatment for this required money they did not have. So Ah Fu took the difficult decision to work for a few years in the bustling metropolis of Singapore.

Ah Fu and Mei Li were apart for more than a decade while Ah Fu tried to earn money so that Mei Li could get the treatment she needed. But unfortunately, even with treatment, Ah Fu and Mei Li were unable to have children, and after a few years, Mei Li decided to live with this fact. She spent her days looking after Ah Fu’s parents and lived for the one month every year when he would spend a month with her. She looked forward to the time when Ah Fu would earn the money they needed for the rest of their lives, and they will start living together again.

Life moved, the seasons changed, and Ah Fu’s parents soon passed away. One day, Mei Li suddenly realised something. “It’s been a month since Ah Fu has called or sent money. I wonder why he does not pick up my phone. I hope everything is fine”. Six months soon passed with no contact with her husband, and Mei Li was sick with worry. As time passed, her worry turned into fear and fear into grief. Her worry was confirmed one day when Ah Fu’s friend Li Wei came to her house. She was happy to meet him and wanted to ask him about her husband, but stopped as soon as she saw him. Li Wei’s eyes were red with tears, and he had an urn in his hands. “No, no, Li Wei, please tell me what I am thinking is not true” Mei Li was almost prostrate with grief, but she was not to be comforted. Her worst fears came true. Ah Fu was dead, and Li Wei had brought her husband’s remains with him. But this was not all that was what was giving her grief.

Ah Fu stopped sending her money because he was involved with another woman, Jenny. Jenny was a domestic helper from the Philippines, and both of them were involved in a raging affair. The money that Ah Fu used to send to Mei Li was now used to wine and dine Jenny. He also started dipping into his savings until he had no money and debts of over $100,000. Once Jenny realised that there was nothing more to get from Ah Fu, she dumped him like yesterday’s leftovers.

Distraught, Ah Fu tried everything in his control to win over Jenny but could not. He also lost his job, and the thought that he would have to go back to China, a broken and bankrupt man, made him take his life because he could not face Mei Li. With these words, Li Wei passed Mei Li Ah Fu’s belongings along with a diary and disappeared into the darkness, leaving Mei Li bewildered and desperate for answers. She knew deep within her soul that the truth had been whispered into her ears, but it remained just out of reach. Questions swirled in her mind, each one intertwining with the next. She saw his diary and started to read, hoping the questions in her head would have some answers. As she read the diary, Mei Li’s sorrow turned into anger. The woman who had taken her husband away from her, who had shattered their lives, needed to face the consequences of her actions.

She learnt more about Jenny, along with a photo that Ah Fu had taken sneakily. Shattered, she threw the diary away and tried to move on with her life. But Mei Li could not forget either the photo or Jenny and tried as much as she could; she wanted answers, and she wanted to know what was so special about Jenny that her Ah Fu was unfaithful. A plan began to form in Mei Li’s mind, fueled by a burning desire for revenge. She decided to find out for herself and made plans to move to Singapore. She had one very useful skill – she belonged to a small clan that was famous as masseurs. She knew acupressure and could massage any point in the body to relieve aches and pains. Soon, Mei Li was in Singapore.

She used the knowledge she had gleaned from Ah Fu’s dairy to stalk Jenny and find out about her. She came to know that Jenny went to a church near Chinatown on Sundays, and after service and before she went back to her employer’s home, she frequented a reflexology parlour to get rid of the aches and pains of the week. After a couple of months, Mei Li started working in the same massage parlour that Jenny frequented and tried hard to make sure she was the one who gave Jenny her massages. She would go overboard with her and give her more than she paid for. Slowly, over the next few months, Jenny came more frequently to the parlour to get massaged by Mei Li, who now had become a friend.

Mei Li now started to put her plan into action. With her knowledge of acupressure, she slowly started pressing a point in the sole of her feet as well as another point at the base of her neck, which, if pressed in a certain way, would put pressure on the spleen and slowly, over time, would cause the spleen to rupture. At the same time, while making conversation, Mei Li would recommend certain Chinese herbs to Jenny for strength. She was careful not to recommend overtly poisonous herbs but a combination which, with the massage, would be fatal.

This carried on for about a year, and while massaging Jenny, Mei Li knew her end was near. She soon stepped up her massages and, at the same time, resigned from her job, citing the need to go back home to look after an ailing mother. Jenny was sad that her friend was leaving, but this was the life of a migrant worker, and there was nothing that could be done. On her last weekend, Mei Li was waiting for Jenny to come to the massage parlour for her usual massage but didn’t see her. She tried calling her, but her calls went unanswered. Finally, someone picked up the phone, and when she asked about Jenny, she was told Jenny had passed away two days back from a ruptured spleen, and they were too late in taking her to the hospital. Her wake was being conducted in a nearby funeral parlour, and Mei Li decided to make her way there just to ensure that the woman she hated with every fibre of her being was where she put her beloved Ah Fu.

The bus suddenly jolted, and Mei Li came back to the present. She smiled a small smile of satisfaction and knew somewhere up there, Ah Fu probably approved. She knew she would never have a good night’s sleep because she had knowingly and willingly taken a life, but that was a trade-off she was willing to make. The bus had stopped, and when she looked out of the window, she realised she had reached her destination. As she got down and started walking home, she walked with a newfound sense of peace. The weight of her grief had lessened, and the wounds in her heart had begun to heal. Ah Fu will always remain in her heart, and the memories of the man she loved and married will be enough to live on as a beacon of love and resilience.

Mondays

Posted on August 7, 2023 by memoriesandsuch

It’s yet another Monday and many of us are dragging ourselves back to school and work. Mondays often get a bad rap for several reasons.

It’s the end of the weekend: For many people, Monday marks the end of the weekend, which is typically associated with relaxation, leisure activities, and spending time with family and friends. The transition from a leisurely weekend to a work or school week can be challenging, leading to a feeling of reluctance and disappointment.

Going back to work or school: Monday signifies the start of the work or school week for many individuals. After a couple of days off, having to return to responsibilities and obligations can be mentally and emotionally taxing.

Monday Blues: Some people experience a phenomenon known as the Monday Blues, where they may feel lethargic, unmotivated, or moody at the beginning of the week. This could be attributed to factors such as fatigue from the weekend, the pressure of upcoming tasks, or simply a negative perception associated with Mondays.

Traffic and Commute: Mondays are often associated with heavier traffic and longer commutes. The return of people to their workplaces or schools after the weekend can lead to congestion on roads and public transportation, causing additional stress and frustration.

Social and Cultural Influence: Negative depictions of Mondays in popular culture such as the phrase Monday morning blues, movies or TV shows portraying Monday as a particularly difficult day, and jokes or memes that highlight the aversion to Mondays, can reinforce the idea that Mondays are inherently unpleasant.

Not everyone dislikes Mondays, and many may even find them energising as they provide a fresh start and an opportunity to set new goals for the week. The perception of Mondays varies from person to person based on their personal experiences, mindset, and lifestyle.

So here are some quotes that can motivate you and make your week better.

Poetry: Expressing Emotions through the Beauty of Words

Posted on August 2, 2023 by memoriesandsuch

Growing up, while I loved to read and would find something to read everywhere and anywhere, I didn’t like poetry. I found them boring and unrelatable. Then, about 3-4 years back, while writing a blog post, instead of an essay, I found myself writing a poem. And from that day, I was hooked. I started reading poetry and understanding it and found the beauty in this writing form.

A timeless art of spinning words, poetry has captivated hearts and minds for centuries. It possesses a unique ability to express emotions that often elude ordinary language. The beauty of poetry lies in its capacity to unravel the deepest human sentiments and convey them in ways that prose cannot. Poetry transcends the boundaries of logic and embraces the realm of imagination, allowing one to explore the intricacies of the human experience. The poetic realm is beautiful weaving intricate tapestries of imagery, rhythm, and meaning.

Human emotions are vast and varied, often defying precise definitions. In such cases, poetry becomes a vessel through which the depths of these emotions can be explored and expressed. It has the power to encapsulate the most complex of feelings, such as love, grief, and longing, and present them in a manner that resonates deeply with both the poet and the reader. Through carefully chosen metaphors, vivid imagery, and rhythmic patterns, poetry unveils the intangible, painting emotions in vibrant hues that speak to the heart. It offers solace to those who struggle to articulate their innermost thoughts and provides a sanctuary where emotions can find sanctuary.

Unlike conventional language, which operates within the boundaries of literal meaning, poetry stretches those boundaries, allowing for ambiguity and multiplicity of interpretation. It enables one to tap into the richness of emotions and transcend the limitations of everyday communication. Poetry provides a refuge for the unspoken, the whispers of the soul that cannot be captured by mere words. It offers a sanctuary where paradoxes and contradictions can coexist, where the unsayable can find expression, and where the profound can be glimpsed through the veil of artistry. In this way, poetry acts as a bridge between the tangible and the intangible, the known and the unknowable.

Poetry also showcases the sheer beauty of words, highlighting their rhythmic cadence, melodic qualities, and evocative power. Poets meticulously select words to create a symphony of sounds and sensations, infusing their verses with a musical quality that resonates deep within us. The harmony of a well-crafted poem brings language to life, transforming mere words into instruments of enchantment. Through rhyme, meter, and the delicate interplay of syllables, poetry can transport one to ethereal realms, where words shimmer like stars in the night sky.

Poetry embellishes the essence of words with vivid imagery, painting pictures in the minds of the reader. It employs sensory details to evoke emotions and transport the reader to different times and places. A skilled poet can transform the mundane into the extraordinary, turning everyday objects and experiences into profound metaphors. With a stroke of a pen, a simple rose becomes a symbol of love and beauty, and a rainstorm becomes a metaphor for emotional turmoil. Poetry invites one to see the world through the poet’s eyes, where every word is meticulously chosen to create a vivid tapestry of emotions, colours, and sensations.

Poetry embraces the power of brevity, distilling complex ideas into concise and impactful phrases. A single line or a carefully crafted metaphor can hold within it a world of meaning, encouraging the reader to pause, reflect, and uncover hidden truths. It encourages the reader to embrace the economy of language, stripping away unnecessary words and leaving behind the essence of the message. In this way, poetry showcases the power of words, emphasising that it is not the quantity but the quality of expression that truly matters

An extraordinary art form, poetry enables the reader to express emotions that elude conventional language. It provides a sanctuary for the inexpressible, a canvas upon which the reader can paint the colours of their souls. Through carefully chosen words, poetic devices, and vivid imagery, it captivates the senses and reveals the depth and complexity of the human experience. The beauty of poetry lies in its ability to transcend the ordinary, to evoke emotions that cannot be contained within the confines of prose. It beckons one to explore the vast tapestry of human emotions and invites them to see the world through the eyes of a poet.

So take some time today to immerse yourself in the enchanting world of poetry, where words dance on the page and emotions find their voice.

The Power of Positive Parenting: Nurturing Your Child’s Emotional Intelligence

Posted on July 31, 2023 by memoriesandsuch

Nearly 90% of all adults will become parents at some point in their lives. And while most strive to be great parents, they may also find themselves confused and frustrated by the seemingly endless challenges of parenthood. Irrespective of where one is in their parenting journey, the journey is challenging and not with its twists and turns.

Positive parenting is the continual relationship between a parent(s) and a child or children that includes caring, teaching, leading, communicating, and providing for the needs of a child consistently and unconditionally. Parents strive to raise happy, confident, and well-adjusted children who want them to thrive in all aspects of life, including their emotional well-being. Emotional intelligence is a vital skill that enables individuals to understand and manage their own emotions and empathise with others. It plays a significant role in building healthy relationships, making responsible decisions, and navigating life’s challenges.

Emotional intelligence encompasses various skills and abilities that contribute to effective emotional management. These skills include self-awareness, self-regulation, empathy, motivation, and social skills. By cultivating emotional intelligence in children, they are equipped with the tools to navigate their emotions and relationships successfully.

Positive parenting is an approach that emphasises respect, empathy, and open communication. It focuses on nurturing a strong parent-child relationship, which serves as the foundation for emotional intelligence development.

Positive parenting creates a loving and supportive environment: Children thrive when they feel loved and supported. Parents should express their affection and appreciation regularly by offering praise for their children’s efforts and achievements and providing comfort and reassurance during difficult times. This sense of security helps children develop a strong foundation for emotional well-being.

Positive parenting advocates active listening: A parent should actively listen to their child’s thoughts, feelings, and concerns. This can be done by maintaining eye contact, nodding, and summarising their words. When children feel heard and understood, they develop trust and learn how to express their emotions effectively.

Positive parenting fosters open communication: Parents should encourage open and honest communication with their children. They should create a safe space where the children are comfortable with sharing their thoughts and feelings without fear of judgment or criticism. Parents should respond with empathy and understanding, validating their emotions and perspectives.

Positive parenting teaches emotional literacy: Help your child develop a vocabulary for their emotions. Label and discuss different emotions, both positive and negative, so they can better understand and communicate their feelings. This awareness lays the groundwork for emotional regulation.

So how can parents use positive parenting to nurture emotional intelligence in their children?

Emotion Coaching: Emotion coaching involves recognising and validating the child’s emotions while guiding them in managing those emotions constructively. When the child experiences a strong emotion, acknowledge and empathise with their feelings. Help them identify the emotion and explore coping strategies to regulate it effectively.

Encourage Problem-Solving: Parents should teach their child problem-solving skills by involving them in decision-making processes. Encourage them to brainstorm solutions and evaluate the pros and cons of each option. This empowers them to think critically, make responsible choices, and develop resilience.

Model Healthy Emotional Expression: Children learn by observing their parents. Parents should model healthy emotional expression by constructively managing their emotions. They should demonstrate effective coping strategies such as deep breathing, taking breaks, or seeking support when they encounter challenging situations and seeing this, their child will learn to emulate these strategies.

Teach Empathy and Perspective-Taking: Parents can help their child to develop empathy by encouraging them to understand and consider the feelings of others. They should engage in discussions about how different actions and words can impact someone’s emotions as well as encourage them to put themselves in others’ shoes and see things from different perspectives.

Foster Emotional Regulation: Emotional regulation is a vital aspect of emotional intelligence. Parents should teach their children various techniques for managing their emotions, such as deep breathing exercises, counting to ten, or engaging in physical activities. They should encourage them to find healthy outlets for their emotions, such as journaling, drawing, or engaging in hobbies.

Encourage Social Skills Development: Social skills play a significant role in emotional intelligence. Parents should encourage their children to engage in activities that foster social interactions, such as team sports, clubs, or community service. They should provide opportunities for them to practice skills like active listening, cooperation, and conflict resolution.

Set Realistic Expectations: Emotional intelligence development is a gradual process. Parents should be patient with their children and set realistic expectations based on their age and individual capabilities. Celebrating small milestones along the way and providing constructive feedback to support their growth will help their children.

Nurturing a child’s emotional intelligence is an investment that will benefit them throughout their lives. By practising positive parenting techniques, one can create a nurturing environment that fosters emotional well-being and resilience. Emotional intelligence is a skill that can be developed and strengthened over time.

Parents, remember to embrace the journey, be present for your child, and watch them flourish as they navigate life with confidence, empathy, and emotional intelligence.

Racial Harmony Day Singapore

Posted on July 21, 2023 by memoriesandsuch

Today in Singapore, we celebrate Racial Harmony Day. The day is celebrated to commemorate the country’s success as a racially harmonious nation and is mostly celebrated in schools and other educational institutions. First launched in 1997 by the Ministry of Education in schools, the event commemorates the 1964 race riots which took place on 21 July 1964 when Singapore was still part of Malaysia, in which 22 people lost their lives and hundreds were severely injured. There were numerous other communal riots and incidents throughout the 50s and 60s leading to and after Singapore’s independence in August 1965.

On this day, students in schools across the nation are encouraged to be dressed in other cultures’ traditional costumes such as the Cheongsam, the Baju Kurung and the Saree. Traditional delicacies are a feature of the celebration with traditional games such as five stones, zero points, and hopscotch played and students are encouraged to try out foods from other cultures. Schools are also encouraged to recite a Declaration of Religious Harmony during the celebrations. During this week, representatives from the Inter-Religious Harmony Circle or IRHC comprising various religious groups also get together to pledge their support and to promote the Declaration.

The 1964 race riots in Singapore involved a series of communal race-based civil disturbances between the Malays and Chinese in Singapore following its merger with Malaysia in 1963 and were considered to be the worst and most prolonged in Singapore’s postwar history. The term is also used to refer specifically to two riots on 21 July 1964 and 2 September 1964, particularly the former, during which 23 people died and 454 others suffered severe injuries. The riots are seen as pivotal in leading up to the independence of Singapore in 1965, its policies of multiracialism and multiculturalism, and justifying laws such as the Internal Security Act.

This riot occurred during the procession to celebrate Mawlid, the birthday of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. 25,000 Muslim Malay people had gathered at the Padang. Aside from the recital of some prayers and engagement in some religious activities, a series of fiery speeches were also made by the organisers, instigating racial tensions. During the procession, clashes occurred between the Malays and the Chinese which eventually led to a riot spreading to other areas. There are multiple accounts and reports on how the riots began. The dominant narration of the July 1964 Racial riot on public forums and history textbooks is simplified and remembered as a riot that involved 20,000 Chinese throwing bottles and rocks at the Malays at the Padang. In reality, some scholars argue that the bottles and rocks being thrown and the clash with a Malay policeman who tried to restrain the Malays were not the reasons for the cause of the riots. But rather, part of the reasons could be also attributed to the distribution of leaflets to the Malay community before the start of the procession by a group named Pertobohan Perjuangan Kebangsaan Melayu Singapore.

The official Malaysian state narrative on the cause of 21 July 1964 characterises the UMNO and Malay-language newspaper Utusan Melayu controlled by UMNO as playing an instigating role. It points to the publishing of anti-PAP headlines and incitement of the Malays against the PAP. To address the grievances of the Malays, PM Lee Kwan Yew held a meeting with various Malay organisations on 19 July. This angered UMNO, as it was not invited to attend this meeting. In that meeting, Lee assured the Malays that they would be given ample opportunities in education, employment and skill training for them to compete effectively with the non-Malays in the country. However, PM Lee refused to promise the granting of special rights to the Malays. This meeting satisfied some Malay community leaders and agitated some, who had the view that the needs and pleas of the Malays were not being heard. To rally the support of the Malays to go against the PAP government, leaflets containing rumours of the Chinese in Singapore trying to kill the Malays were published and distributed throughout the island on 20 July 1964. The spread of such information was also carried out during the procession of Muhammad’s birthday celebration, triggering the riots.

From the Malaysian government’s point of view, Lee Kuan Yew and the PAP were responsible for instigating the series of riots and discontent among the Malay community in Singapore. UMNO and Tun Razak had attributed to the Malay’s anger and hostility towards the Chinese and Lee Kuan Yew’s former speech made on 30 June 1964 for passing inflammatory remarks of the UMNO’s communal politics. Whereas the PAP and Lee Kuan Yew strongly believed that the 1964 July riot was not a spontaneous one, as UNMO had always tried to stir anti-PAP sentiments and communal politics among the Singapore Malays. They often used fiery speeches and Utusan Melayu as a tool to propagate pro-Malay sentiments and to sway their support towards UMNO.

The riots occurred around 5 pm, when a few Malay youths were seen to be hitting a Chinese cyclist along Victoria Street, which was intervened against by a Chinese constable. The riots which occurred around Victoria and Geylang had spread to other parts of Singapore such as Palmer Road and Madras Street. The police force, military and the Gurkha battalion were activated to curb the violence and at 9:30 pm, a curfew was imposed whereby everyone was ordered to stay at home. The riot saw serious damage to private properties, loss of lives, and injuries sustained. According to reports, a total of 220 incidents were recorded with 4 being killed and 178 sustaining some injuries. Close to 20 shophouses owned by the Chinese around Geylang and Jalan Eunos were burnt down. The curfew was lifted at 6 am on 22 July 1964, but clashes and tensions between the Malays and Chinese re-arose, so the curfew was re-imposed at 11:30 am. The racial riots subsided by 24 July 1964, as the number of communal clashes reported was reduced to seven cases. On 2 August, the imposition of the curfew since 21 July was completely lifted and the high police and military supervision was removed.

After the July riots, a period of peace was broken by another riot on 2 September 1964. This riot was triggered by the murder of a Malay trishaw rider along Geylang Serai and this incident sparked attempts of stabbings and heightened violence. 13 people were killed, 106 sustained injuries and 1,439 were arrested.

Following the July riots, the Singapore government requested that the Malaysian federal government appoint a commission of inquiry to investigate the causes of the riots, but this was declined by the Malaysian government. Following the September riots, the Malaysian government finally agreed to form such a commission, with closed-door hearings beginning in April 1965, but the findings of the report have remained confidential.

The racial riots in July 1964, triggered and intensified the political rift between PAP and UMNO, which led to the separation between Malaysia and Singapore in 1965.

The July 1964 racial riots played a significant role in shaping some of Singapore’s fundamental principles such as multiculturalism and multiracialism after independence from Malaysia. The Singapore Constitution emphasised the need to adopt non-discriminatory policies based on race or religion by guaranteeing the grant of minority rights and ensuring that the minorities in Singapore are not mistreated. During Racial Harmony Day, schools recall the racial riots that occurred but the emphasis on the event is focused on the tension between the Malays and the Chinese rather than on the political and ideological differences between UMNO and PAP.

Memories and Such

Memories of a very ordinary life

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