It has been over a year since I last visited one of my favourite person in the whole wide world!! I hadn't seen my dearest uncle Toan for so long because I had been on maternity leave and that my current role demands so much of my time in the office that I had not had the time to catch up with him.
So I made it a point to catch up with him tonight even though 1) I had so much work to do and it would take me at least 45mins from my office to Cabramatta. 2) I had forgotten to bring my breast pump from the hotel so it meant that I would be in a whole lot of pain during our catch up. So after spending $90 in cab fare, I finally arrived to see my smiley uncle who was very happy to see me. Like usual, he showed me around his house of all the new furnitures that has been added to his room. He is just so cute! He then took me out for dinner and we caught up on life: past, present, future. I showed him photos of my 2 kids of which he kindly said that my daughter will grow up to be a very beautiful girl just like his mother.. *blush*
During this catch up, I realised that he was still very much the same uncle that I had known a decade ago. Even though he is 85y.o, he is still very active, still walks, still remembers very well. However, even he admits that mentality he is not as quick as before. And each time I had talked about how fast my kids have grown, I couldn't help but to feel saddened knowing that with every year my kids grow, it would mean that it is one more year that he ages. Gosh, how I wish we could just live forever...
After dinner, my gentleman uncle walked with me to the train station even though I insisted that I would walk him back to his house. But, he held my arm and pulled me towards the direction of the station. Moreover, he waited with me in the freezing cold with his shaky lips until my train finally arrived at 8:45pm. I was really sad to say goodbye. I just can't believe it has been ten years since I was his tenant, living and looking after him over my summer break. We had so much fun together. He taught me how to dance in the Chinese elderly Association of which he used to run. We would go out every single week to explore Sydney and he would take me out to eat at his favourite restaurants. Life was so simple, so carefree, so timeless.
And just like when the train door had closed and I watched him zoom past before my eyes, it reminded me yet again that that was then and this is now...
