Home Sweet Home

It was 7:00pm. I looked out and was glad to finally see light at that hour - a sure sign we are moving into spring. Suddenly it brought back memories of my days when I worked in Kuala Lumpur. That was the hour I would be on my way home on the KTM commuter train, just about a halt or two before mine, Telok Gadong.

There was a sense of relief to be away from the maddening city crowd. Within an hour, I was in a much more easy-going atmosphere. The walk from the halt to my house took about 5 minutes - 5 minutes of getting in touch with local feel. From the sounds of the crows perched on the electrical lines and around the sundry shop/mini-market to the chatter of people in the restaurant having dinner.

Then, I finally arrive at my gate. Back then, it was safe that we did not need to lock it all day. Our dogs did the job of warding off strangers. So it saved me precious seconds that would take to unlock the gate. My specific memory of this hour was after my niece was born. My mum helped look after her during the day. I looked forward to returning everyday - not only to be in the comforts of home but to play with my niece. I remember how her face lighted up when she saw me at the door. When she started walking, it was such a delight to watch her use the rails to help her down two steps from the dining room. Once she had her footing in the living room, she would run over to me for a hug and kiss. Then, I would proceed to my mum's room, sit on the floor, chat with her for awhile and watch the little girl's antics. If my brothers were home, they would soon join us in the room.

When I first left Malaysia, those memories kept me going yet made me feel sad - I was missing home. These days, they just make me feel nostalgic for the days gone by. Just one memory of coming home at 7:00pm leads to other memories of simpler days.