Turning 2.0 Season 3 Chapter 4 : Everything ( Michael Buble )

Previously:
As it turned out, sometimes you only discover what is truly amazing when you view it from afar, not when it's staring you right in the face. I just realized for the first time that something good can come out of a relationship. Not everything must end in disaster.

"The past will always be there. And the past will never change. The only thing we can do is try and change the present for a better future. The only thing we can do is try to enjoy the present and find a silver lining in everything we encounter. Blessing in disguise, as some might say. I am counting my blessings everyday"

Kuching
August 2007

Going back to Kuching has been a life opening experience for me. Three weeks in and I have seen so much changes. Not only of physical things that surrounded me but things within me as well. I opened up to new opportunities and I became a man that grasped chances as they come. However, going back to Kuching has also strenthened my love for my brother and my sister. They say that siblings grow apart as they grow up. From the looks of it, time and space have only strenghtened the bond we ha.

Ever since the birth of my brother and my sister, I cant think of any moment in life that I feel empty. Even at my emptiest moment and my lowest moment, I will always tell myself that I need to go on and fight for them. Because they deserve it. Ever since they were young, they were discriminated by my mother’s family. My grandfather disliked them because of my stepdad’s temper. Everytime he gave us money, he would give them half of what he would give me. My grandmother would also chased them back to my house everytime they go over to their house to play (we live across the road from each other). My stepdad’s side of the family on the other hand, only began showing their affection for them a few years ago. Even so, they don’t seemed that enthusiastic.

So from the moment they were born, the only people we had was each other. Everytime my mom fought with my stepdad, we would stick together. Everytime something bad were to happen, we would stick together. Of course we do bicker. For goodness sake, we even fought until one of us had to go to the hospital because of bleeding. But after a few hours, we would be back to our old selves. Laughing and joking.

Going back to Kuching I began to see how strong of an individual they both have became. They would go to school in the morning, come back home in the afternoon and take a few hours of nap. Then they would wake up at night and go for tuition or help my mother with the preparation of the food that my mum was selling. Then around 10 pm, they would follow my mum out to sell the food until 2 am in the morning. By the time they reach home, It would have been about 3 am. Then they go to bed and wake up at 6 in the morning to go to school again. Sure, they are way luckier than most kids in Africa but for most kids in Kuching, the life they are living are not normal. And I am well aware that they would not be able to live a more luxurious life as long as I have not graduated and received a stable income. And somehow seeing them live that life broke my heart. But I kept telling myself that that would not last long and that better days are coming.

The thing that touched me as well was the fact that when the money I brought back from Japan finally dried out, they kept asking if I needed any money. My sister even bought food for me. Luckily, my cousin paid his long overdue debts though. Or else I might really have to depend on them to survive. LOL. But with the money I brought back, I tried giving them something they could not have while I was not around. I brought them out to play and to eat out. I brought them to KFC and even to the playground. Seeing them running around, playing makes me happy.

One night, I told my sister that we were going out the next day. I told her that so that she could sleep early that night. Instead, she didn’t sleep the whole night because she was so excited. When my mother woke up in the morning, my mother was pissed. She told my sister off for not sleeping at all and disallowed her from going out. As I sat at the couch looking at my sister, I asked my brother if he still wanted to go out. He said he rather stay home cause he doesn’t want my sister to be alone. Hearing that my eyes became teary. Luckily my mother finally gave in to the power of persuasion and allowed us to go out. However, in order to protect her supremacy, she didn’t allow my sister to play with us. Instead she brought her shopping. LOL. What a punishment. But yeah, that day I realized one thing. I might not have a rich family with a big house and a big car. But I do have a rich family with a big heart and loving atmosphere. And at the end of the day, only that counts. Everything else will fall into place eventually.

Going back to Kuching has changed my love for my family. I love them more now.

Coming Up Next In Chapter 5 : Headlines (Friendship Never Ends)
Sometimes when we walk away to move on with our own life, we leave a friend behind. And as time passes by, we begin to lose touch. And at one point, you just forget completely about that friend.