Yiren Pontificates

I was dining at a random kopi-tiam in my usual uncle style a couple of evenings back when I saw this incident. The hawker who fried some decent horfun took a break after settling my dinner and went for a puff along the corridor (five-foot walkway). There were a couple of folks enjoying a cool beer along with some casual conversation. An old, tanned man was sitting by the parapet and was quietly enjoying his smoke for the evening. He seemed at ease and was visibly comfortable with his position; head resting against the wall, staring blankly into space possibly visualizing the smoke patterns coming out of his nostrils. The night is young for him as the cold glass of beer sits untouched by his side. The hawker went to join him, took a casual glance and sat.

I was enjoying my book (actually trying my best to finish it, it has been a month since i started on it) and the dinner. I must say the green chili was an excellent companion to the semi-dried horfun. A loud noise (some say cheer) broke the regular beat of the clashing kitchen utensils; a toddler entered the scene and transformed all the adults surrounding her. I could hardly recognise the contorted faces as teeth flashed and eyes squinted. The kid ambled along, rather unsteadily and gave the hawker a hug. She was small and her head thumped into the beer belly of the old chinese man. The girl stayed in the position momentarily and the hawker’s smile oozed with bliss. It was obvious that the girl was unrelated to the