Page 54 - KCMAGAZINE 20230717
P. 54
Life Doesn’t Get
Easier or More Forgiving,
We Get Stronger and
More Resilient ~Illustration
by Lai Kah Yan
Written by Ku Min Tzi matters worse, Adam’s father chose to seek
alcohol to relieve stress. I rarely see Adam
August 23rd, 2020 now. He has been working part time and
It was a spooky and stormy Sunday night, taking night shifts due to class being in
I returned to the hostel after staying home the afternoon. He looks tired all the time
for the weekend. I was greeted with a and it took a toll on his grades. One night,
dark room which looked terrifying from I saw him break down in tears. He was
a distance. There was a faint whimpering shirtless, revealing bruises on his body.
sound amidst the raging thunder. I felt
chills running down my spine. Under the “I… I feel like everything has gone
illumination of the moonlight, I cowardly wrong… Like my world is crumbling
held the door ajar. I saw a shadowy figure around me,” mumbled Adam. He
in the corner of the room whimpering. It continued while snivelling,
happened again.
“It’s getting colder, and so is my heart. It’s
Adam is my roommate and we went to getting darker, and so are my thoughts. ashamed, guilty, even though everything because of him.
the same college. He was a smart and The leaves are falling and so am I, falling that happened to him wasn't his fault. It
trustworthy person. He was an extrovert apart.” just felt wrong. I stopped asking questions. We sat outside the surgery room.
while I was an introvert, we got along I pulled up my chair to sit next to him
like a house on fire. He loved to talk, I held him in my arms, I had never felt and comforted him in an attempt to “After all he’s done to you, why do you still
and I liked to listen. But after our second so helpless in my life. He cried until he tranquillise his emotions, but to no avail. care about him so much?” I asked.
semester break, he started becoming fell asleep, it was obvious he hadn't been He was trying to stand strong even when
quieter. Each time he opened the hostel sleeping well since he slept like a log while the ground beneath was shaking. We sat in “Well, he’s my dad. He’s taken care of me
door, he seemed more and more soulless. I carried him to his bed. After class ended silence until his phone rang. He stood up for so long, now I just wanna help him get
He used to be the bright sun that beamed the next day, I brought him to a nearby in shock, his face turned pale, as his lips back on the right track.” Adam answered
rays of positivity everywhere he went, cafe to have a serious talk. He refused to trembled and his legs shook. while trying to force a smile.
now he just looks like a walking corpse make eye contact and avoided as many
awaiting doomsday’s arrival. questions as he could. “My… My dad fell down the stairs,” Adam Deep down we all know it isn't as easy as
quivered. it seems. We waited in silence after that. I
Early July, 2020 “I can't help if you aren’t willing to tell me fell asleep while waiting for the surgery to
I heard his mother fled the house with anything.” I said sternly. We rushed to the hospital. While we were finish. I woke up from all the screaming.
most of their money. Adam’s father is now on the way there, I realised that he still Adam was arguing with his father.
struggling to make ends meet. To make He couldn't even lift his head up, he felt cares about his father albeit suffering
51 52
