duality

She told him to bake cookies. He helped her baking cookies for several times already so doing this alone should not be difficult. He wanted to try it once as well. He thought it could be fun. He took all the equipments and ingredients for baking cookie out from the cupboard in the kitchen and put them on a desk in another room. He started to read the recipe that explains the required items and amount to be used. Then he started to mix all the compositions without much confidence. She passed by occasionally and gave him some advices. When it was time to mix the flour she then joined him at the table and mix the flour for him.

He looked at her while she work on the flour, looked at her working hands carrying the measure cup and holding mixing spoon. He looked at her sitting pose and her movement while she was working just like that. Within that moment he suddenly entered the memories of his childhood incidentally. They were all flashed back so fast to his head and he can see them so clear. Inside the old wooden house he went up to the second floor and received some candies from his grandma every morning before going to school. Sticky but delicious candies were taken out from a big tin box with colorful paper label. Big tin box means lots of candies were purchased each time. He could not remember what he said after he got those candies every morning. He could not remember whether he was happy when those candies were given to him. At that age he barely knew the concept of buying and selling things but he knew that every morning he will get the candies eventually. How many candies a day, was that the same amount of candies everyday he couldn’t remember as well. Beside the candies story he also recalled another memories such like when his grandma was sitting clumsily on a wooden stool, searching for her stuffs-- or when she was sitting on a well-polished, clean wooden floor and repairing cloths with needle and several color threads-- or when she went to take care of his younger sister-- or when she worked in the kitchen, preparing supper-- or recently when he went to give her a hug and sobbed at her lap like a child before he left her for a long journey. With this last memory he sensed the warmth, her love for him, her scent, her sadness, her happiness, her fear, her gently touch, her concern about his journey, her greatness strength, her long life experience, all while he rested on her lap for long like an eternity.


Smooth and youthful skin like those of the young women. The steady movement that shows no sign of weakness. The graceful acts while working together with the clear sweet voice that kept explaining things with excitement as if to express the funny side of life. Black shining hair. Sharp, clear vivid eyes.

Wrinkled face and rough skin due to old age. Flimsy movement that cannot be compared to those of teenage girl. The slow and shaking movement with the exhausting breathes that sound tiresome as if to express every fatigued minutes of life. White dull hair. Half-closed dim eyes.