We visited Dad's grave today, yes..all of us, including Mum. It was a long quiet drive, especially during the last stretch of the journey, when we passed by the ever serene reservoir just before reaching our destination. As I turned in, again, the silence consumed the surroundings. It is abit of both the serenity and scary type of silence. The quietness, away from the bustling traffic but also scarce of human activity.
大姐 bought some flowers, for both Dad and 3rd Uncle. Within minutes, we reached Dad's urn. He look the same (the photo of course), Mum cleaned it with a wet cloth, it turned out to be quite dusty. Within seconds, it was all dried up as the droplets of water evaporated as quickly as it was left lingering on the surface just awhile ago. Tried to re-arrange the flowers, squeezing and placing them together, both the fresh and fake ones, and also the only hand-made bunch by 二姐. We lingered there for awhile, not making much conversation, as if we were each enjoying a thought-provoking and silence chat with Dad. It seemed like just yesterday that Dad was with us but no, it had been exactly two years and a month since he left us. But the pain is still fresh and I had to fight back my tears and try to remain calm.
Then automatically, almost in the same motion, we set to walk to 3rd Uncle's on the other block just behind Dad's. Was I imagining things, but I thought the photo was little fading, or properly due to the reflection against the sunlight. Mum left the other side of the clean wet cloth to wipe Uncle's as she spoke to him, telling him she had come to visit. Fresh flowers were again, squeezed into the small space. We stayed for a brief moment, before we all proceeded back to Dad's. Again, we stood in silence. I guess, none of us know what to say. And then, we left. We will visit again soon, when Qing Ming arrived in weeks.
Next destination, AMK Hub for lunch. As I drove, I realised it had been some time since we all went out together....just the four of us..without the noisy kids and the boring-looking SIL(haha)...but it looks like only me and 大姐 are enjoying the sushi and sashimi. 二姐 is on a vegetarian diet, I don't understand why she had to torture herself...depriving herself of great food, lying right in front of her. Mum had already taken her lunch so I just ordered her favourtie Inari for her. It was a quick lunch and we walked a little. It was a nice and lazy afternoon to spend together. I realised I missed family time. And it was nice...without all the shouting and screaming at the boys...without the boring looks on the 2 SIL, and just us...simple and nice.
But time passed when you are having fun, having a good time, so we went home after 大姐 picked up a book somewhere in YCK. Then it was back home where all of the 2 sisters laze around and me going for a jog (it didn't end up in a jog as stadium was closed for sports meet)...and I went home and laze around like them, while waiting for the boys to be home, and the beginning of yet another crazy screaming/ shouting session ever....