See New Things, Have Fun

I went to bed at 3 a.m. last night. Despite that, I woke up early enough to run 4km this morning. For that I gave myself a pat on the shoulder. Because that's what one does when he or she has done something commendable.

Neen bailed on dinner tonight. It seems that every time she bailed or said no to our dates, her family was the reason why. I admire her commitment to her family. A devotion so admirable I could never feel disappointed by the rain checks she had taken and the no-can't-do she had given me. I can't blame her for putting family first before anyone or anything else... unlike myself.

Last night, the first time I went to bed was really at 10.30 p.m.

My phone rang at midnight, waking me up. My brother was on the other line telling me that my mom got a high fever and that he was taking her to the hospital. He needed my help because he didn't know how the administrative things go, as if it requires a college degree to be able to deal with the front desk of a hospital. I grunted and told him to hand in the insurance/medical care card to the front desk and they'd take it from there. He wasn't very happy and hung up.

I was lying on my bed for a good 10 minutes before I started feeling guilty about the whole thing. What the fuck was wrong with me? My mom had septic diabetic fever and needed to be rushed to the ER and all I cared for was that I needed the rest so that I can run an extra k or two this morning. I called my bro and told him that I was putting on clothes and that I would go with him.

The whole trip to the hospital I felt like a horrible son. My mom asked me how was the Treasure Hunt competition and how did I do.  I told her we placed worse than last year and she told me "It's not really bout winning, it's about seeing new things and having fun, no?" (she said it in Bahasa Melayu of course). She was shaking, sweating and feverish... and yet she wondered how I did for the a competition that happened 4 days ago.

I had just realized then that the Treasure Hunt competition was my first time in Port Dickson. Everybody I know has been to PD, seriously who hasn't? I was so caught up with the race that I had forgotten that I was in a place that I had never been to. When I was in PD all I did was stay in my room while my team mates were doing jumping photo shoots by the beach with the sunset panorama in the back.

Tomorrow mom is undergoing a minor surgery to remove the septic in her back. I pray for her speedy recovery so that I could take her to do exactly what she reminded me to do last night in the car.