Secrets of the Heart - 心の秘密

Chapter 9

If I would to ask you this question today, how long do you’ll need to answer it?
Less than a fraction of a second? Ten minutes? Maybe even through hours of thinking that yield no answer?

We make friends with the places we go to, the people we meet and the activities we joined. So if I would to ask you…

“So who’s your best friend ever?”

Did her face popped out in your mind as you read the question? Did his voice suddenly come round your memories?

I would believe everyone’s best friend is the person whom you clicked the most in terms of interest and topics cohesiveness.

Was he the one who always stood up for you whenever you faced difficulties with the people around you? Was she the one who always know what you want for lunch and would always wait for you with an umbrella after school?

As we lean back and recall where and how we know our best friends in life, I’m pretty sure that thought would put a bright smile on your face.

For a child, the best friend comes in the form of similarities and bonding. The best friend will always do as well as like the same thing as me. Whenever I’m with my best friend, I would feel that time is as short as any other happy moments throughout my life.

As we grow older, our best friend became our source of support as we discovered how cruel this world is really is. We’ll always hope that our best friend would be around when we are shattered in total sadness in a rejection. He/she is also the person whom you would share some of the darkest secrets with and not forgetting certain unforgettable moments in life.

As we grew even older into adulthood and beyond, somehow we no longer associate each other as ‘best friends’. Men find it somewhat ‘gayish’ to address each other as ‘best friends’; buddy would be an appropriate term.

Every meet up for coffee session is being planned through a lot of hard work, as both of us will have our own commitments in our families and work. As soon as we meet up, all the good memories will be relive once more.

It’s funny to realize that a best friend sometimes know so much more about you than even your life partner and it’s this kind of mutual understanding for the both of you that could made the two of you strike a long hour of talking even after a long period of absence.

I’ll never forget who my best friend is.
In fact, I’ve never even asked him whether I’m his best friend or not.
I guess all these don’t make a difference anymore because I know if he has anything in need, I will surely try my best to help him.

So who’s your best friend?

Have you got your answer?

I hope you already had that answer in your mind all along….

The sound of alarm ran across the house as the beginning of another day unfolds. It was half past five in the morning and everything was quiet and dark except for the streetlights.
Edwin opened his eyes and tried to search for his alarm clock.

“Darkness made everything look so hopeless in this world.”
Edwin finally found the clock as he got up from bed.

His sister and he had decided to help out with their father over the weekends so that their uncle could rest. They will work on alternate days so that each of them can have their own time for themselves as well. Today was Edwin’s ‘duty’ to help out as he stretched himself.

Edwin walked out to the kitchen and found a half boiled egg with pepper and soya sauce on the dining table. Beside it was a cup of hot brewed Milo and a piece of white bread.

“How many more eggs do I have to eat?”

Edwin yawned as he dragged himself to the toilet to wash up before he had his breakfast.

Edwin’s father was the first to go down to the shop and prepares for the coming day. As they got ready for the morning crowd, the morning sun too slowly climbed itself to awakening. Darkness was no longer there as rays of sunlight shone upon the greenery beyond.

Edwin climbed down the wooden stairs to the shop and helped his father with the shutters.
After that he slowly moved out the boxes of onions, potato and other groceries on the shelves outside the shop.

It looks to be a beautiful Sunday morning as Edwin stared at the sky.

“I wonder how many people actually see the whole process of sun rise.”
Edwin wondered as he moved out the boxes of groceries.

“Ah boy, you finished the half boiled egg?”

Edwin nodded silently.

“Good… boys like your age must eat more eggs.”

“Ok Ah pa… but why must it be half boiled?”

“Because that’s what your Ah gong feeds me!”

“Orh…”
Edwin couldn’t find another reason to revoke.

“Now go upstairs get some soya sauce to replenish”
His dad ordered as he predicted the demand.

The shop was ready for business by seven and gangs of housewives walked past the shop and stop by to get newspapers and other ingredients for their dinner.

As Edwin came down with a few bottles of soya sauce, he heard some commotion in the shop.

“Aiyoh, how come this ketchup cost $2.60?”
One of the housewives demanded an explanation from his father.

“Mrs Chew, our ketchup has been selling at this price. There’s no increase.”
Edwin’s father smiled as he tried to pacify the angry customer.

“No no, you know the supermarket over at the interchange? They are only selling it at $2.30; moreover they have the latest stock which is 15% size bigger than yours.”

“Really? I guess I have to check with my supplier.”

“Aiyah, why don’t you sell me at two dollars?”
The housewife tried to pick a bargain.

“I’m sorry but all our prices are fixed. We have never increase price unnecessarily throughout the years.”

“Ok what about $2.30? Same price with the supermarket?”
She counter offered.

“Mrs Chew, tell you what. I will sell it at $2.30, not because the supermarket is selling at this price but as gratitude of your support for so many years.”

That statement put a smile on her face as she walked around the shop to get more stuffs.

“Thanks Mrs Chew, see you next week”
Edwin’s father ushered her way out of the shop.

Edwin was observing every moment between his father and the lady customer.
His father turned and called out to him.

“Son…”

“Yes Ah Pa?”

“You know why I had to give in?”
Edwin shook his head.

His father smiled and explained.

“The first business of the day is very important. If you failed to make a deal on the first customer, your business for the day will be bad.”

“Really? Who told you that?”

His father shook his head.

“Everyone that has his own business will know that my boy.”

“But that’s just plain superstition”
Edwin replied.

“Every saying will have its reasons. People won’t say things just because they feel like saying it. People say things because of certain situations, thoughts and decision before they say. Just take it as a lesson in future; these are things which you can’t learn in school you know?”

Edwin keep nodding his head in agreement as he thought of the events that took place the day earlier.

Sunday morning was perhaps the busiest of all the other time, other day, as everybody seems to be out enjoying the morning Sunday. Both Edwin and his father worked tirelessly throughout the morning.


“Win, Ah Pa… lunch is ready”
Edwin’s sister shouted from the flat above.

“Oh it’s almost noon… how fast”
Edwin’s father exclaimed as he wiped his dirty hands with his singlet.

“Ah Pa, you go up and eat first”
Edwin suggested filially as his father had done more work.

“Ok… I’ll get your sister down to help you.”
His father slowly made his way up the stairs with a little limp.

“The joints must be hurting again.”
Edwin thought as he looked helplessly at his aging father.

Edwin’s sister came down as instructed.

“What happened to you yesterday?”

“My friend’s father admitted to hospital yesterday so I accompanied her for a while.”

“Did I hear wrongly?”
His sister was somewhat surprised with the reply.

“Huh? Yeah he got a heart attack so we had to rush to the hospital as soon as we heard the news.”

“No no no. That’s not what I meant.”

“Then?”

“My dear brother, you were with a girl whole day yesterday?”

“Ehhh…”
Edwin felt a sudden rushed of embarrassment like he never felt before.

“Oh my god.. you are blushing!!! Who’s the girl?”

Edwin knew he was no match for his sister.

“Jie, just a classmate lah.”

“Don’t bluff!”
His sister tried to dig more information from him but was stopped by the ringing of her mobile phone.

“You have to tell me all about it later!”
His sister turned and walked away as she picked up the phone.

Edwin continued to stack the arrays of items and took some dried fish out to get the afternoon sun.

It was all quiet when his sister walked back to him.

“Jie, you ok?”

She tried to smile but it broke before her eyes were redden.

“Oh my god, Jie what happened to you?
Edwin put away his stuffs and rushed to her.

“Nothing…”
She fought bravely to hold back the tears that lingered.

“Am I too young to understand again?”

His sister shook her head.

“Then please tell me?”

She shook her head once more.

“It’s nothing… I’ve said it…”

“Ok… please let me know if you want to.”
Edwin gave a pat on her shoulder.

*How can you not accept me just because I’m poor?*

“Huh? Jie, What did you say?”
Edwin was rather shock to hear that statement.

“I said nothing.”

“but I heard you saying something just now?”

“What did I say?”
His sister too became curious.

“You said about someone not accepting you just because you are …..poor….”

Edwin got a slap from his sister instantly before he could even finish the sentence.

“How can you eavesdrop my phone conversation?”

Edwin held up his cheek in total shock.

“but I didn’t…”

“It’s ok, it’s no deal also. Anyway I knew it all along. We are different from other people.”

His sister turned her back against him and sobs quietly.

“People can dine outside as much as they want. They can buy the latest mobile phone and personal computers. What do we have? This old shop that can’t even hold itself together.”

“but Jie, this shop is our birth place.”

“I don’t care, I can’t take it anymore. Everyone laughs at me in school just because I can’t afford to go outing with them. The guy I like rejects me because he thinks I’m going after his money. Poverty sucks totally and I might as well kill myself.”

There was a moment of silence between the two of them as Edwin could not find any other words of comfort to justify his sister’s anger.

“Am I giving the two of you a hard life?”

Both Edwin and his sister looked up.

It was their father who came down the stairs.

[To be Cont]