It was just another day. I was having my breakfast one morning when we heard a very loud noise outside the building. It wasn't unusual to hear loud noises downstairs. Our neighbourhood is hardly peaceful anyway. Sometimes car horns might just sound continuously or there were would be the blaring of car alarms. Even vans loading and unloading stuff in the car park may make a din while they transport their goods to the nearby coffee shop and provision shops. Oh and not to mention, we would sometimes hear the screeching and howling of some aunties and uncles at the Karaoke Corner below because we have a residents corner on the ground floor. We were just used to this noisy neighbourhood no matter what time of the day it was. So although it was just 7am in the morning, we weren't in the least bit perturbed by the loud noise that morning.
My dad was just back from his jog when he announced that somebody had committed suicide. The person had jumped from the eighteenth floor from our block and the police had sealed off an area of the courtyard below with yellow tape and covered the body with a canvas.
I remembered going to work that morning thinking to myself what a miserable neighbourhood this place is. There is always a funeral here every month because there are many senior citizens in this area. I've often wondered when I would be able to move to a better neighbourhood at all.
It wasn't until I got back from work that I learnt the identity of the victim. My heart sank when I heard the tragic story. It turned out to be the old lady who lived on the sixth floor right above us. She was ninety, depended on a walking stick to move around but otherwise she was still looking healthy. I had met her in the lift a few times. She was friendly and tried to make some conversation with me whenever we met. I often felt awkward in front of her because I always never know what to say to someone I hardly know. Nevertheless I stayed polite and replied with a few words and smiled. All that while, she didn't appear to be troubled at all.
According to the cleaner, she had seen this old lady having her breakfast at the coffee shop before taking a lift up to our block. A few minutes later, she jumped from the 18th floor. This old lady had lived with her son who had stopped talking to her for a long time.
Perhaps she was tired of living. Perhaps she was lonely. At 90, most of her friends had probably crossed over to another place by now. But isn't it a waste to end it off just like that? Not many people can make it to 90 years of age. My last conversation with her was just 2-3 weeks before her death. If I had known she was so lonely, if I had known that she merely wanted a friend to talk to, I would have spoken to her a bit more. If only, if only...
My dad was just back from his jog when he announced that somebody had committed suicide. The person had jumped from the eighteenth floor from our block and the police had sealed off an area of the courtyard below with yellow tape and covered the body with a canvas.
I remembered going to work that morning thinking to myself what a miserable neighbourhood this place is. There is always a funeral here every month because there are many senior citizens in this area. I've often wondered when I would be able to move to a better neighbourhood at all.
It wasn't until I got back from work that I learnt the identity of the victim. My heart sank when I heard the tragic story. It turned out to be the old lady who lived on the sixth floor right above us. She was ninety, depended on a walking stick to move around but otherwise she was still looking healthy. I had met her in the lift a few times. She was friendly and tried to make some conversation with me whenever we met. I often felt awkward in front of her because I always never know what to say to someone I hardly know. Nevertheless I stayed polite and replied with a few words and smiled. All that while, she didn't appear to be troubled at all.
According to the cleaner, she had seen this old lady having her breakfast at the coffee shop before taking a lift up to our block. A few minutes later, she jumped from the 18th floor. This old lady had lived with her son who had stopped talking to her for a long time.
Perhaps she was tired of living. Perhaps she was lonely. At 90, most of her friends had probably crossed over to another place by now. But isn't it a waste to end it off just like that? Not many people can make it to 90 years of age. My last conversation with her was just 2-3 weeks before her death. If I had known she was so lonely, if I had known that she merely wanted a friend to talk to, I would have spoken to her a bit more. If only, if only...
Life is unpredictable. Look around you, at your friends and family. Each day is a precious gift from God. Spend more time with your family and friends when you can. Sigh... isn't it sad?
