The long stroll home, picking up her granddaughter from her preschool, everything happened serendipitously, everything is, unplanned, so everything they encountered is new and, exciting, translated…
The retired and young children, have nothing but time on their, hands.
My granddaughter, Domee, who’s a little over five years old and I stood on the escalator of the MRT stations, despite how the bulletin in the station had “you can stand on both side of the escalator, with the sign of “hold tight to the railing, steady your foothold”, there were still those who tried to, surpass us from behind, “excuse me! Excuse me!” Domee got close to me immediately, to make way for those who wanted to pass through more, quickly, and was still bumped into by those hurrying past, without an apology to her.
“Grandma, why are they all running? They’re not steadying their foothold, they’re, misbehaving!” She’d patted where she was bumped into, where she, hurt, and I’d attempted to explain to her: they’re all chasing time, to get home soon, which is reasonable. Maybe they’re rushing to make the suppers, pick up their young to cram school, to meet somebody important………”, she seemed to understand, more or less, then she’d, asked me, “then, aren’t we too, in a, rush as, well?”
No, we’re not, in a rush, I’d, assured her. Switch from the route we were on, to another at Taipei Main Station, the afterwork crowd was rushing on, if this station is completely cramped up with passengers, then we wait for the next one to come, or, can get off at Zhongshan Station early, to take our, walk back for a short bit, until the afternoon rush subsided, then, we shall, take the train home.
Domee offered no objections, so I’d taken her to the most literary underground shopping strip, all the way, we’d, looked around for the books, the two of us had found separate treasures for our, selves then, grabbed a book each, situated ourselves down, to get immersed in reading. Who cares if it’s scorching hot outside, of if it’s a total, downpour out the door? The underpass shopping strip is equipped with the air-conditioning, with the foods and drinks we get to, choose from if we wanted. At the Jazz Plaza, a lot of adolescents were, dancing b-bop in front of the mirrors, Domee wanted to join in, she’d danced and sweated like, crazy then, with grandma, me, like the “Grandma of a star” handing the water bottle to her, the towel too. Then she’d lifted her head that’s red to me, stated, “I want a mirror like this in my bedroom too.” I knew that it was only for the moment’s enthusiasm, so I’d, gave her a, perfunctory, “We’ll see!”
The water alone, is only for her, thirst, and we’d, come across the bakery then, she’d pulled her grandma, in to shop. The flash mob shop had the cookies about to expire on sale, we’d, pushed our way through inside, grabbed all that we could, get our hands, on. Passed by the children’s clothing, toy stores, the curiosity took my granddaughter over, “I will have that when I grow up”, “I want this”, she’d not had a dollar in her pocket, and yet, she’d, shopped the whole strip, grabbed the items that caught her eyes down, with my, “okay, we’ll see, later!”, the five-year-old was sold on the, empty promises too easily. But when we got to the Gacha vending machines, she’d, halted, and I’d had to, fake my crying bouts, and got her to, concede, and she’d, fallen for my false pretenses, then, continued, walking along with me. And as we came across an ice cream shop, even grandma could no longer, say no, and, I’d, magically, made the bills appeared out of my, pockets then.
picking her granddaughter up and walking home with her…photo from online
After a whole hour, we’d only arrived to the Taipei Main Station, with both of us, completely, tired, out already. Even if we’re not in a hurry, we shall not, torture our, fatigued legs and, feet then. Besides, young Domee had spent her entire day at the preschool, and was, out of, energy, in desperate need of a, recharge now. She tilted her head toward me, “Grandma, I want rice in gravy tonight, with bunny’s favorite, carrots, and the meats that crows loved too!” her personal chef, I, with zest stated to her, “Yes my love!”, and this time, I hadn’t, given her the, runaround then.
In the sunset years of my life, with not much I need to do, with my young granddaughter by my side, who can, ask for, more?
And so, this is, how your life is, centered around caring for your young granddaughter, and it gives you something to do, now that you’re, retired, and, you’re, making memories with her, and she will, love you for it!
Mirroring the World 