A Father and Child Walk

It was a long walk from the taxi drop-off point to the clinic. Wong felt awkward and strange to walk beside his father, accompanying him to his doctor visit. His father is worn down in age, and no longer possessing the fury he once had when he talked to his wife and his children. He spoke so loud and so aggressively, especially when he was drunk, which is quite often, that all his children have drifted away from him when they were old enough and for Wong, he moved away from his father’s house when his mother passed away when he was still in secondary school. He went to live with his older brother. From then on, contact with his father is only limited to the festive holidays. The long walk and the wait at the clinic will be the longest time he has ever spent alone with his father. So Meng tried to fill the silence and awkwardness by telling his father things they saw along the way to the clinic; the recent renovations, the electric porter system the hospital has just installed, the different F&B outlets etc. Wong wished he could say more and had a more meaningful conversation with his father, but he couldn't. The physical proximity between both men is separated by an emotional distance that both have no idea how to overcome.
It was a long walk from where they were till the end of the track. Wong has brought his daughter Ling to the nature reserve for a hike to take photos of different flora and fauna for her science project. In the wood, Wong has many ‘big’ and ‘small’ dialogue with Ling. He discovers some things about his daughter along the way and with it comes an awareness and appreciation of each other. Wong relishes the sharing they have with each other at the hike. How he wished his time with his father could the same.
“What a blessing to have someone, especially a parent, walk with you through life's journey.”