Bedtime With Aja

Last night as I twirled about the living room
sucking lemon custard from the tub
and feeling the flecks of zest on my tongue
with my two brothers

I caught sight of something
that stopped me in my tracks

Displayed on the piano
were 3 Mid-Autumn Festival lanterns
you know, the colourful ones made with
twine and coloured plastic panels?

they sent a twinge straight to my heart
taking me back to a memory
15 (gawd I 'm that fucking old) years ago

Sit down my children, and I shall tell you a story.

Way back in 1990, I joined a lantern-making competition.
I was seven and though mommy wanted to help me make it
the rules said that it was a 'children's' lantern making contest
and I was adamant to follow the rules.

So I made my little lantern
as best I could
a little rooster, misshapen and nowhere near as colourful
as those sold at the market

We turned up on competition day
mother and I
and to my utter disappointment
every single one of them
had professional looking lanterns
of various shapes, colours, sizes
there was even a dragon

I remember that night vividly
How I hungered to fit in

How I somehow decided it was my mother's fault that I had refused her help
I remember how we were all walking in a group
mothers and children
displaying our creations

I remember how the clouds started to gather overhead
and omnious gray, the sudden wind, the goosebumps on my skin

I remember running with the other children
when the first fat droplets burst on my cheeks

I remember my mother telling me not to run
and me in my great defiance
running even faster

I remember how she gave chase after me
on the dusty street, strewn with little rocks

I remember turning around
just in time
to see her stumble and then fall,
hitting the ground

then I remember the mortification bloom and spread like wildfire in my chest
my heart breaking as i ran towards her
tears streaming down my face
feeling like she was going to die and it was all because of me

I got to her, clung on
my face wet with tears
worry and sorrow furrowing my brow

My mother suffered a pair of skinned knees
I learnt to always listen to the people I love

Oops. realised the title to this post is missing a 'stories'.
(=