The Street named “Jalan Kenangan”
by Carissa Morais

There is a street somewhere in town
Not many of us have walked passed it
Or have seen its sun-kissed greenery
Or the colourful candy stripes splashed around the city
And the photographs that cover the walls
If you close your eyes
You might be able to see an old, run-down signboard
“Jalan Kenangan”
As vividly as I can
But if you can't
I shall tell of my discoveries and adventures
Of this magical place that I saw

16 years ago,
I was a child of two years old,
Crying uncontrollably as you poured
Water and baby bath on me
Wailing my heart out
As you gave me a fresh bath
Placing my tiny body delicately on your legs
Enduring my ear-shattering screams
Scrubbing me in silence

12 years ago,
Giant Supermarket was our frequent destination
Oh what a joy it was for me
When you happily declared that I could have
Anything I desired, whatever I wanted
From the pink teddy bear to the packet of
chocolate treats sitting lonely at the last rack
Walking hand-in-hand with me
As you led me through the green and yellow doors

10 years ago,
The fat kid that I was becoming
Spare tyres and fat bulges bursting out of my T-shirt
Troubled you in a way
Because you withheld my favourite sugary goodies away from me
But you still granted me a candy bar
Just to see a smile on my face and a tear vanish
The foolish kid that I was
Ate it up greedily
Not even offering you a bite

6 years ago,
When my eyes kept squinting to see the images around me
Not hesitating, you took me to the hospital
Getting up early in the morning for my appointments
Because of that, I now see things clearly
My first pair of glasses was your labour
of concern and love
So that I could be comfortable and
Enjoy the clarity around me that I almost missed out

3 years ago,
We had fun in the kitchen
Just you and me and a ball of dough
Trying to roll out the perfect capati
The way you did so skillfully
After a few blunders and mess-ups
I finally got it right
Then came the frying pan
Oh what a nightmare!
Still you let me make mistakes
Because you knew that I'd learn my lesson

1 year ago,
Was an important year for me
The finale of a long and exciting chapter in my life
Amidst the preparations for the exam
And the pressure weighing on my shoulders to succeed
You still called me on the phone and
encouraged me, giving me your blessings
and having confidence in me
With that, I walked into the exam hall
I came out victorious
For your prayers kept me striving till the end

If I were to go on with my recount
I shan't be surprised to see eyes closed in boredom
Or snores of slumber
Beneath this roll of paper
Burst forth more stories and happy times as well as
the not-so-happy times
For all that you've done for me
For the time and attention you invested in me
The unconditional love, the sacrifice,
The pink muffins and the mutton curries
The encouragement and the words of wisdom
Will forever make itself a home in my little
street called “Jalan Kenangan”


HAPPY 50TH ANNIVERSARY
TATA AND AMACHI
:-)