Over two years ago, I landed in a city where I knew just one person - My Mother's Cousin (my aunt). I started my sojourn in this Little Red Dot called 'Singapore' with a practically clean slate. The first people I met were my new room-mates. I had seen their pictures but had never met them. Then came my classmates. Over time I also became well acquainted with my aunt's family - Their two adorable little sons and my uncle.
Things went smoothly and I settled in well. Just as I became very comfortable, I got an admit into another university in the same city and had to move to another locality. I was initially apprehensive, but knew that my folks in Singapore were there for me even if I moved to another locality.
Fortunately, I had lovely room-mates and good friends in the new University and locality. A few friends introduced me to their friends and the chain of friends grew. Just as I began to get well set into the routine of having many friends around, my folks in Singapore began to leave one by one.
My Former roomie and mentor was the first to leave. She returned to my hometown after her course. My Aunt and her family left Singapore too. Just as I got acclimatized to them leaving Singapore, two of my friends informed me that they were leaving Singapore in search of greener pastures.
I was back to a partially clean slate.
When I was in primary school, the teacher would write notes on the blackboard as we copied it into our notebook. We needed to write fast as the teacher would begin to erase the blackboard as soon as she finished writing on it. In case we could not catch up, we would leave a blank space as trying to catch up would result in us missing the next set of notes being written on the board.
Regretting the lost moments that I could have cherished with the people who left Singapore will only result in me losing out on time that I can spend with others and result in a chain of regrets. Keep taking notes and keep pace with life. If you can not keep pace, just try hard to. When our creator erases the blackboard, just leave an empty space and continue with the new set of notes.
We never know what the next person we meet may teach us. Keep pace with life. People will come and ago. Situations will change.
I chatter over stony ways,
In little sharps and trebles,
In little sharps and trebles,
I bubble into eddying bays,
I babble on the pebbles.
With many a curve my banks I fret
By many a field and fallow,
And many a fairy foreland set
With willow-weed and mallow.
I chatter, chatter, as I flow
To join the brimming river,
For men may come and men may go,
But I go on for ever.
-Alfred Lord Tennyson
