Be thankful for what you have...

Picked up a young mother carrying her few months old baby at United Square taxi stand. She wanted to go to Lorong Ah Soo which is off Paya Lebar Road. As soon as she settled down, her baby started to cry. You wouldn't believe it, the baby continued to cry, shriek, wail non-stop from the start of the journey till she reached her destination. Her piercing cries did not even weaken to a whimper but was continually very strong and loud. The young mother did not even try to soothe or quieten her baby but just sat there dreaming or in a daze as I peeked at her through the rear mirror from time to time. At long last, we arrived at her apartment. She paid her fare and said "Thank you" and I quickly said thank you too as she alighted.

As I drove off, the cries of the baby kept ringing in my ears and for quite a while too. I think the young mother must be totally absorbed in her thoughts or maybe in a difficult marital problem or, maybe... While thinking about it, came another woman cradling her baby at the same time holding the hands of her young, maybe 3 or 4 year old daughter, trying to flag my cab by nodding her head, using body language. I read and stop to pick them up.

"Hello" I said, no reply, "Where do you wish to go?"

She looked around and at the back also and hurriedly said "Quick Uncle, fetch me to Seng Kang". It was around 6.30pm.

"Okay" and off I went. Along the route, I asked, "Is there a problem ma'am?"

She replied and told me she was temporarily seperated from her husband who is jobless and cannot maintain the family, moreover very violent. She feared for the safety of her children. Her husband has been stalking and hounding them and she is afraid.

"Did you make a police report or a restraining order to safeguard yourself and your children?"

"No, not yet, this harrassing just started last week, I left our home about a month now and presently staying in my auntie's house."

"Oh, I see, how are you going to resolve your problem?"

She spoke very good english and sounded intelligent enough. She said right now she has not decided what to do, still very confused, but she wants to go look for a job first. She stopped working after giving birth to her first daughter and had not been working since then. I sympathised with her and told her to take care of herself and her children as we reached her aunt's apartment. She paid the fare and said "Thank you, bye"

"Thank you, take care"

I parked my taxi at a parking lot nearby to have a smoke, as well as to rest a while. Sometimes we think we have problems but other peoples' problems overwhelm us, be thankful for what you have.........