‘Food is symbolic of love when words are inadequate.’
—Alan D. Wolfelt , world-renowned grief counselor, international educator and author.
I was at the Immigration office at the Urban Transformation Centre (UTC) Kuching, patiently waiting for my new passport to be ready.
After paying for the cost, I was told that it would be ready in an hour.
Lost in thoughts as I sat, suddenly I felt someone lightly touching my upper right arm. I looked down and saw a smiling little boy. He ran back to his grandmother who was sitting behind me when I smiled back at him.
I heard his grandmother scolding him. Probably she was telling him not to be naughty and not to simply touch strangers. The boy did not listen to her. He came to my seat a few times to touch my arm. Each time he did that, he smiled before running back to his grandmother. I just smiled at him.
I could hear his grandmother scolding him in a louder voice. Maybe she was really afraid I might get angry at her grandson. After all, not everyone was friendly – even to little kids.
Meanwhile, I was frantically talking silently to myself. “Do I have sweets or biscuits in my bag today?” I had just changed my bag that very morning.
After searching hard, I was very happy to see a small packet of seaweed biscuits in it. I must have put the snack in the bag earlier this morning as a contingency plan to ward off any hunger pangs.
Without hesitation, I passed the seaweed biscuits to the little boy. He showed them to his grandmother who told him to thank me in return. Soon, he was happily munching on the biscuits with an even bigger smile on his face. And he sat still after that.
This was not the first time I shared my snacks with little children in a public place.
The last time I did so was at the dental clinic, also at the UTC Kuching. I was waiting to have a tooth extracted when a little girl kept approaching me, touching me and smiling at me.
Now, come to think of it, can little children see through our bags and see the snacks inside?
Anyway, the little girl was very restless. She kept moving between the seats.
When I talked to her young mother, I found out they had been there for a while and that she did not bring any food for her daughter. Perhaps the little girl was hungry.
When I looked into my bag, I found a snack and happily passed it to the little girl.
I think I also reminded the young mother to bring some snacks for her little girl the next time she decided to follow her husband to a government clinic or any other appointment.
I have learnt from my experience as an aunt to many nephews and nieces that it is handy to have food and a bottle of plain water in my bag wherever I go.
In certain places like government clinics, there are no drink kiosks or canteens. If the queue to see the doctor is very long, you — and those waiting with you — may have to wait for a long time before you go home with your medicine.
It is also very useful to have some medicated oil or painkiller with you in case you have a terrible headache or stomache.
“Always be prepared” is a good motto when you have to go anywhere.
I have also learnt from experience that it is good to have some packets of preserved fruits like ‘samboi” and sweets in your bag. You may need them when you feel nauseous or when your sugar level is low.
Yesterday, I gave a little boy who lived in the house directly opposite mine a big packet of biscuits and a big packet of sweets.
As usual, the little boy, who was about seven or eight years old, was very polite.
“Thank you, Po Po (grandmother), “ he said. “I can take these biscuits but not these sweets,” he said.
“Ok. I will take back the sweets,” I told him. I did not ask him why he could not take sweets. Anyway, I was not surprised because many modern mothers did not encourage their children to take sweets simply because sweets were bad for the teeth.
The little boys’ words also reminded me to keep more biscuits and less sweets in my bag. They will come in handy when I meet little boys and girls in future.
