The Patio

I pretty much just shifted into my new home, or more aptly - my parent's new place. Felt like there's a need to define it cause it's not a place of my own and increasingly, I found that there was a trend of young adults my age living in house of their own. It's a dream definitely, but for now, I guess I'm happy here to a certain extent - or as much as my finances would allow.

That aside, it's the first time that I'm sitting in my brand new desk, reading. Being in a new environment, it's been a little hard to adapt to or it takes quite a bit of time to get used to. Plus it really doesn't help that I don't actually have windows in my room but sliding doors as I have a mini patio that was really just converted from a planter. I feel so exposed even with my day curtains drawn. I was just casually looking out, spacing out a little and digesting a bit of the chapter I've just read from my book, The Color Purple by Alice Walker. It was then that couple on their mini patio at the opposite block caught my eye. Probably also because this morning, they were having breakfast on their garden set at the patio filled with quaint little plants - a dream scene of a perfect life with your other half.

But at that moment, she was huddle over her laptop and he was engulfing her in a back hug. It seemed all romantic and sweet, my heart melted. Until, her hands started swiping across her eyes - a sign that she was crying. It seemed like he was trying to make it better but it didn't seem to. And he walked away. She sat at the patio crying, and I felt a little something in my heart. I was worried. And before you knew it, he was back, hidden behind the sliding doors. She shifted her body to face the figure behind the sliding door. But what I saw next shocked me - her body flung slightly back, as though it had just taken an impact. She was clutching her left cheek, yelping with more tears streaming down. And the sliding doors immediately went shut. I'm guessing he was sitting at the couch and had slapped her or something.

I don't really know how to quite describe how I feel. A myriad of pity, hurt for her, anger and a hope that it'll never happen to me.