suicidal ah ma...

i was on half-day leave this morning and was at the simei mrt coffee shop having lunch when i heard in the background an shaky voice asking in hokkien if today is monday or tuesday. i turned my head and noted it was a frail old ah ma. she seemed a little untidy (messy hair and such) but otherwise, healthy-looking for her age. she must have been in her 80s, i thought. and i told her that today is thursday and she starting speaking with me...

ah ma: oh, thank you thank you... i have lost track of time. my daughter is at work and i am alone.

me: ok, it is good to come out and get some fresh air.

ah ma (sounding a little emo): i am so depressed. i am already 88 years old and i just wanna die cos life is hard and no one looks after me. just now i went to the block 9th floor and wanted to jump and someone stopped me...

me: ah ma, don't be like that, you have lived to a ripe old age and that is a happy thing (i decided to change subject here in the interest of preventing ah ma from taking me on a long story, which i can ill afford the time...). ah ma, have you had your morning coffee?

ah ma: no, no... 

me: ah ma, have you had your lunch? tell you what, let me buy you lunch. (i didn't give her time nor option to respond. again, i didn't want her to go into extended story-telling mode. this is something that i am aware all elderly has the capacity to, and i need to get home to prepare for my work later) 

ah ma (sheepishly): you will? oh, oh... aiyah, so pai seh la... 

me: it's ok, let me get you noodle ok?

i decided to get a bowl of dry noodle with a bit of chilli for her. i thought it to be safe to not put too much chilli cos most elderly couldn't take things that are too spicy. and guess what?... when i finally delivered the noodle to her, ah ma told me she does not take things that are too spicy, or better if there is no chilli. i told her the noodle has a little chilli but if she still thinks it is too spicy, she could simply pour in the soup and dilute the spiciness. i left her after that to buy my things... 

i walked by 5min later and i noticed ah ma had eaten all the meat and vegetables... but left the noodles untouched... hmm, was the noodle too spicy or was ah ma pulling a fast one? did ah ma take me for a ride with her emotional blackmail? these questions shot by for that moment. but well, it didn't matter. the noodle is for her and she decides what to do with it. 

:-)