The Lowest Point of Life

Do you have friends or colleagues who always tell you?
“Oh shit… I'm very broke this month” then you realized they've got a new bag or they start showing you their latest watch.

It just rubs into my wound as they kept whining about their poverty which actually means that they do not have money to spend, not because they do not have money.

When was the last time you were down to your very last dollar?

This is not any part/chapter of my story; this is my life… as a real person.
As I withdraw $30 from the Auto-teller, the machine prompted me a receipt.
I remembered I didn't ask for one as I know it would be a confirmation of my savings account.

$8.94.- or in words, Eight Dollars and Ninety-four cents only.
Even the machine mocked me.

This is all I have until month end, until this month's pay is out.

Those who know me in real person would not have believed it.
Maybe they won't have expected it anyway.

Wifey's not well.. I don't allow her to work for now.
She's got a series of check up and scans coming up and it meant expenditure again.
I'm worried about her health, as much as the financial health that we are in.

What's in the future?
5-roomed Flat?
40 tabled 7 coursed Customary Wedding Dinner?

As I continued to think and wonder, the more I drift into state of trance. I can only cry at the movies so that my wife will not suspect that I'm really sad over my current situation. I cried because I need the emotional release that I'm up keeping. I had to be happy and cheerful all day, to keep her encouraged at the very least.

Fear had taken over me and the beginning of losing my confidence and oath that I’ve made during our registration.

“Who's going to give me happiness? Who's going to give me unconditional love? Who's going to give me a lovely home?”


“I DO” I said as I looked into her eyes as all the above questions appeared in the mist of seconds.

“I do” is the shortest sentence in the dictionary yet one of the sentence who bear the most responsibility.

I really do…

As I wondered how to increase my income, it had to be something which requires the lowest form of investment.

Money makes money… it's a known fact but there should be ways otherwise.

- I keep working hard everyday at work.

- I ever thought of going to the extend of cyber begging.
I even setup this blog below but I never kick start it anyway because of pride.
http://still-in-debt.blogspot.com/

- I also hope my thrice a week investment in Singapore Pools will finally yield something someday.

- Finally I decided to write stories in my blog. The objective is simple.
I start because I want human traffic so that I can earn from advertisements.

It’s not true to say I’m not very least interested in writing.
But my desire is more, because of the debts that I’m holding at the moment, because of the determination that I want to fulfill my goals.

I hope you don’t feel cheated when one day you came into my blog and realized that I’ve placed advertisements around.

It’s the very least of effort that I’m trying to generate some income… as I picked myself up from my lowest point of life so far…

Book of Love 爱神の书

Chapter 2


As you flip opened a book today, have you ever wonder.
How many books do you think existed in this world?
Millions? Billions? Millions of Billons?
I don’t know about the true figure.
Maybe nobody bothers to count it anyway.

Book existed a long time and would exist until maybe all the trees in the world are chopped, shredded into pieces.
It has come a long time when we began learning about life.
Books bring with them vast knowledge and meaning of things which we don’t know, we don’t realized.

Could you still remember during young times when our teachers would ask us to treat a book gently?

Do not draw on your book.
Do not tear away pages that you like.
Do not keep the book for yourself as good things must be shared.

And most of all.
Love your book & your book will love you in return

My name is Mark Lee.
I'm a healthy male & turning 28 this year.
I cannot say I'm handsome although I have been constantly compared with a Taiwanese singer by the name ‘Leehom’.

I love sports, especially cross training running and swimming.
Do not imagine that I have a well toned body as not all runners are like that.

Hobbies?

Other than my sporty lifestyle, I love corresponding with people. Maybe that explains why I’m in the line of Customer Service as I’m a Customer Service Engineer in a Multi-national company.

I remembered that I also like reading, although I’ve forgotten the last book that I’ve read.

My ideal kind of date would be to find a cozy place, have a drink or two and talk about everything under the sun.

My ideal girl friend is someone who understands the value of our relationship. Someone who knows me enough and is willing to let me comprehends her as much.

Do you have the same hobby as me?

Are you someone who understands what love is?

Drop me a note.

Perhaps we will know each other better…”

-----------------

As he keyed in the last words,
Mark took a stretch after starting his online blog.
It was something that he wanted to do for a long time.

Everyone has a blog nowadays. It seems like people like to correspond online and save the meaning of meeting up unless you are good looking enough.

“What do people know about love nowadays? Two people that never see each other except web chat can also get married.”

Mark shook his head as looked at the clock.
It’s 7.45am and he’s all set for work today.

The journey is the same everyday for the last 2 years.
The routine tour of Bukit Panjang town as the LRT moves around before it reached the MRT stations as he traveled to Yishun.

Mark was always at the last cabin of the train.

It was something that he had done since the first day of work. Theoretically the first & last cabin should have the least people as it is the furthest from the escalator.

The crowd onboard the last cabin had a few familiar faces. People who he doesn’t knew but shared the same place in the last cabin throughout the 2 years.

There were the usual office guys & ladies heading for town, students heading for school and there was a bespectacled girl who always keeps her head down reading.

For 2 years, Mark had always wondered what book she had read.

“She must love reading a lot based on the fact that an average person can finish a book within a week…”

“Wow..! That’s 104 books at least for 2 years”
Mark tried to hide his exclamation in the train.

The he did something which he hadn’t for the last 2 years.
Mark took a step forward towards the lady.
The he advances, until he was right in front of her.

The girl did not react to him.
She continued her attention on the book.

Mark tried to peek at her book.
Unknowingly to him, someone was staring at him from behind.

“What you looking at pervert?”
A woman in her forties suddenly shouted across the cabin.

The girl looked up and Mark stared at her.

The woman walked in front of the girl and start scolding Mark.

“You pervert! You were looking at her down blouse right?”

“Auntie, I think you mistaken…I never”
Mark tried his best in defense but the attack came too strong.
“I saw you looking at this lady from afar, and then you advanced to take a closer look right?”

“Auntie, I was looking at her book”

“Looking at her boobs right??”

With all the commotion going on in the cabin, the girl blushed and tried to hide her face with her book.

When the train reached Woodlands, the girl made a dash for the exit as she could no longer bear the embarrassment.

The train door closed before Mark could react.

As the woman continue her scolding and swearing at him, Mark make his way to the front cabin still couldn’t understand the bad luck he had early in the morning.

Deep down he had hoped the girl will not be too bothered by the incident.

-------------

“What's with the black face?”
Shaun asked as he saw Mark walking into the office.

“*Sigh* Bad luck! I was looking at a person’s book then was framed that I was peeping on her”

“It’s normal lah…”

“What normal?”

“Normal to say you look at her books instead of her boobs lah brother!”

“What!? Even if you don’t believe me??”
Mark wanted to throw a file to Shaun’s table but was stopped by Christine, the undisputed office bitch.

“Eh Mark, boss looking for you...”

“Over?”
“Over Customer complains… what else? Your product didn't reach on time. If not for me, boss might have fired you already.”

“Yeah, if not for you, Boss would not have known”
Shaun talked back as Mark heads into the Manager's office.

After an hour of thrashing and verbal assault, Mark was out from the rings of fire injured emotionally.

As he tried to recover from the physiological blows, Mark begins surfing the internet.

“I wondered anyone been to my blog?”
Mark thought as he typed his address on the address bar.

There were some counts from the counter bar he had installed.
Then he went on to see the shout box.

There were no tags.

“Maybe it's still early”

Disappointed as he was, Mark wanted to close the web browser.
As his mouse went to the ‘cross’ window.

A short message appeared on his shout box.

It was his first tag.

“Do you know love?”

It read.

Its sender,

Someone named Psyche.

[To be Cont]

Book of Love 爱神の书

[ Preface ]

Every beginning of a book will usually have a foreword or a preface before the introduction of the real story. A preface is a piece of short writing usually written by the author for saying thanks to all those who’ve helped and supported him throughout the good and bad times of writing.

I had thought about it.

If I would to thank anyone, it would be most probably be you.

You, the person who’s reading as your eyes scrolled down the screen as these words flow.

You, the person who spotted the mistakes in my grammar and spelling errors that even Microsoft Words can’t.

You, the person who commented the likeness of the story and possibility spread it out to your friends and colleagues.

You because without you,

There will not be any stories at all.





[ Chapter 1 ]


I chose to be smart rather than wise,
for I know wise only mean you have been through a lot of sufferings in life.
I rather choose the road and know what’s ahead before experience it then I will have a chose to take the route or not to.
The only route I chose wrongly in life is to love you, that’s why I’m wise in love now..

Do you believe in Cupid’s arrow that created ‘Love at first sight’?
Well Cupid’s arrow is not the only thing that is related to love.

What if I tell you there’s a book existed in this world that can tell you the person whom you loved most and the person that will love you the most.

A book so mysterious, that only few had seen it throughout centuries of time as nobody ever finds it. Tales and legends that come with it often ends up with the book missing after revealing the truth.

Would you want to take a look?

This is the Book of Love.

A book that was written by Eros (who was also known as Cupid), in ancient Greek times when he declared his love for the humanly form Psyche.

It was recorded in the writings that ancient gods were jealous of Psyche’s astonishing beauty that challenged their status.
Eros was sent by Venus to cause Psyche to fell in love with the ugliest man on earth. When he saw Psyche, her beauty struck him as he too fell in love with her.
Eros then tricked Psyche in believing that he was some ugly monster and she was to marry him but cannot see his real form.

One day Psyche saw his god-liked feature through the encouragement of her jealous sisters. She then fell in love with him immediately.

However Aphrodite, goddess of love (also known as Venus) rebuked their unity, Eros pleaded for his heavenly mother.

“What is your Love for him?”
Aphrodite asked Psyche.

“My Love for him is beyond the heavens and seas.”

“Then die for him. Die for your love if your love is real.”
Aphrodite challenged her.

Psyche went on to prove to her and killed herself.

Eros picked her body as it laid motionless.

“If you die for love, your love will die as well”
Eros told Aphrodite, as there was nothing he could do to stop Psyche.

“Then you tell me, what is love?”
The goddess of love wanted to know from her own child.

To which Eros replied.
“Love begins with nothing but ends with everything”

Aphrodite looked at Eros as he continued.

“Love is like a book;
You began writing the first page as you met her.
As you get to know more about her, the more pages you are able to fill in.
The book of love will only stop when your love for each other stops”

Eros took out a book and threw in front of her.

“This is my book of Love, this is the book which has written the person whom I loved the most and the most whom loved me the most”

Aphrodite flipped through the pages as she examines the book.

As she read, she was touched by the pureness of love that still existed.

Eros then killed himself to save Psyche from Hades.
However he was in turn trapped as Hades used Psyche as bait.

Without the god of love, the world became a dull place.

No one knows how to love anymore.
There were no feelings of love as humans carried on their life monotonously. Few died but there were fewer birth.

Upon seeing the world at the stage of collapsed.
Aphrodite personally went to Hades who lost all his respect from other gods and goddess for creating this mess.

Eros and Psyche were freed eventually but never see each other again as they put on mask to cover themselves.

Only the book of love will tell them where they are now.

“So if you have the Book of Love, will you want to take a peep to see who is the person you loved most?”

Mark suddenly realized the receiving end was dead silent…

“Hello? Still there?”

“Oh yeah… where were you?”
The girl replied over the phone.

“I was in the middle of Greece”
Mark replied.

“Huh? You crazy arh? You were saying something over a book.
Sorry I think I dozed off”
The girl yawned.

“It’s ok, you have a good rest”

“Why so fast hang up? When are we going out again?”
The girl eagerly asked over the phone.

“When you been to Greece and come back”
Mark replied as he hung up his phone.
Mark stretched himself as he got up from the sofa and walked towards the window.

The night was very quiet in the neighborhood.

The moon was shining bright from the clear sky and many lights had already turned out.

“What is Love?”
Mark asked himself as he looked at the moon.

“Does this book of love really exist?”
Mark turned to look at the ‘Greek Mythology’ book on his table.

“Why can’t I love someone for real?”


[To be Cont]

{ 雨の天使 }

Rain Angel

Chapter 21 - Finale

[ You are the reason why I loved the rain ]

Have you ever notice that time passed very quickly when you are happy?

Time seems to drag when you are sad and down.

But in fact, time passes by quickly… when we fail to notice..

----------------------

Four years had past since the biggest rain hit Singapore.
Many rainfall has since descended but never was one as frightening as the one which happened four years ago.

It rained for seven straight days.
“Seven days of fearsome rain” as the newspaper quoted.
Hundreds of vehicles were damaged by the flood that came.
Properties that were damaged amounted to millions.
It was the worst natural disastor that have struck Singapore in history.

But everything was back to normal when it stopped.
That’s the surviving abilities of humans.

The Accident & Emergency section in the Singapore General Hospital was as busy as the day when Wilson was sent in four years ago. Helpless people came in for help everyday.

However, the bed in the intensive care unit is empty.

Nobody remembers who was the last person who slept on that bed in the Intensive Care Unit.

Only Mavis knew KaiLoke and Wilson had both slept on it.

The world keeps on revolving no matters what happen.
No matters who’ve left, who remains.

Mavis had done relatively well in her A levels and is currently graduating from her honous degree in Business & Finance Management with a scholarship.

The stage was set and her name was called upon.
Her parents stood the proudest the moment she received her certificate of merit.

Hanling ran up to hug her friend after the ceremony as all the parents linked up with their children.

“Hui, you’ve done it! You’ve made us proud!”

“Hanling, you’re not bad either. Heard you are going for Masters?”

“Well… it depends if Clement is going for it as well”

“Pa, Ma”
Mavis hugged her parents.

Her mother was in tears as she could not believe her daughter would be able to finish her studies on her own.

“Very good.. very good. You have done us proud”
Mavis’s mother just hugged her and cried.

It was a very special moment.

“If only you were here…”
Mavis thought as she continued with the photo taking sessions trying her best to hide her disappointment.

“Are you going there today?”
Hanling asked.

“Yeah, I’ll be fine..”
Mavis replied.

“It’s been four years already.. I think he would be very happy to see this”
Mavis said as she held her certificate tightly.

---------------------

The cemetery was all peaceful and quiet.
Mavis walked small steps as she approached the grave.

“I hope this place is fine for you…”
Mavis laid her flowers upon the grave.

“It’s peaceful and quiet…”

“I’ve graduated. I’ve finished something that you would want me to. I will be working for one of the top banks. I hope you will be happy for me.”

Mavis felt something felt on her head.
She knew it was raindrop because she could smell rain before they came.

It began to drizzle then it got bigger.
Mavis was kneeling down when there was an umbrella covering her.

“Why don’t you bring an umbrella when you knew it will rain?”

“Why aren’t you here today?”
Mavis looked up.

“Do you know how important it is to me today?”

“I know… I was caught up in the rain…”

“Hey! Don’t use rain as an excuse!”
Mavis stood up.

“I was really caught up in the rain… It was raining heavily down town. If you don’t believe you can ask KaiLoke.”

“KaiLoke should have taken you that day”
Mavis looked at the grave.

“Oh yeah? I wonder how you will react if I’m really gone?”

“I will live better…”
Mavis turned her back towards him.

“Yeah.. but then no one will proposed to you…”
Wilson reached out from his pocket and took out a ring.
“Will you marry me?”

Wilson put his umbrella aside and kneeled down.

“I promise KaiLoke I will love you forever and ever.”

Mavis turned around.

“Hey, you will catch a cold like this”
Mavis took the umbrella and shield him.

“I cannot see the diamond on this ring…”
Mavis examined the ring as she took from Wilson’s hand while pulling him up.

“Make sure you buy a ring with a bigger diamond next year”
She hugged him.

The rain continued to drop as the couple stood in front of KaiLoke’s grave. Then it stopped.

A rainbow appeared before them.

It was as if a gift from heavens which signifies their union.

The rain will continue to fall, no one know why it rains and perhaps sometimes they don’t know when…

But Mavis knew.. Because she could smell it before it comes…

Because the Rain Angel will continue to protect her.

[ The End ]

My next Story...

{ 爱神の书 }

Book of Love

{ 雨の天使 }

Rain Angel

Chapter 20

[ It was raining when you left me ]

We all live in an unpredicted life, sometimes we can’t even know when things will come, when they will go. The most beautiful things in life are the ones that are always around which u fail to notice, only to regret when they disappear…. Like love….

As for me, the story continues as I struggle in life, searching for things that had pass me, things that I’ve missed.

Maybe it will take a lifetime, maybe I won’t be able to find it back, for there’s only one guy, which I once lived my life for.

Till this day comes, I will continue to become others’ passerby in their life and make them have great memories about me…..


24 hours had past, 48 hours gone.
Wilson was out of the critical zone but still put on intensive care for the next few days because of his coma.

It had rained continuously for 7 days now.

“Good Evening, this is the evening news. Singapore have recorded its highest rainfall ever of 675mm. Prior to that , the highest was in 1978 where 512mm of rainfall hit Singapore.

The Meteorological Services Division could not be reached for comment as there seems to be no answers to this continuation rain that is hovering our island for the past week. Earlier forecast was only for 2 days.

Meanwhile, areas along Upper Thomson and Sembawang had reports of flooding. Vehicles and Public are advised to avoid that area.

PUB and the Meteorological Services Division will continue to monitor the situation closely and alert the public where necessary”

Mavis switched off the television.

She walked towards the window and looked at the grayish sky.
The rain didn’t want to stop.

“I wonder when the rain will stop?”
The nurse said as she entered in to tidy the room.

“I don’t know.. It’s one of the scariest rain I’ve ever seen”
Mavis said as she looked out of the window.

Maybe it was due to all the Teru-bozu that was tied upside down in the room. Mavis had decorated the room filled with hope with the rain angel.

“*Cough*”
Mavis heard something.

“*Cough, Cough*”
It was coming out from Wilson’s bed.

“Ms Guo, please come here quickly”
The nurse alarmed her.

Mavis rushed towards the bed and realized Wilson was coughing blood out of mouth.

“Oh.. no… Doctor!!! ”
The nurse ran out to get help.

“Wilson… please hold on…”
Mavis grabbed his hands and kneeled beside him.

Wilson’s eyes were slightly opened.

“Hui..”
Wilson continued to cough blood out from his mouth.

The scene looked like a replay to Mavis as the doctors came in for emergency rescue.

Only this time the male lead was different.
It was Wilson.

“Ms, please stand back. We will do our best to rescue him”
The doctor instructed.

There was nothing Mavis could do.

It was the same as before, she could only stood and watched.

Mavis stood by the window and looked at the merciless rain.
The raindrops were splashing on the window. The thunder was roaring and lighting striking all over.

The rain she knew was too frightening for her to acknowledge.

As the doctors continued to recover him, Mavis was sobbing quietly near the window.

“KaiLoke…. Why are you taking Wilson away?”

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[ To be Cont - Chapter 21 Ending!!~ ]