Monday, March 07, 2005

different beats, same tune

the link below leads to a story i wrote about my sister and i. it was published yesterday (sunday, 6 march 2005) as a contribution to a column called "the gap", which welcomes stories about the differences between family members.

hope you all find it a good read! do send me comments. =)

different beats, same tune by chua li-shun

as for the reactions of my family members...

my mother was surprised that i could write something that will actually be published. while i know she is proud of me, i could not help but be a little stung by her words. it sounded as if she doesn't believe that i can work on a piece without her advice and input, and have it come out well. she said that the story wasn't what she envisioned it to be like when i first told her that it was going to be published. i try not to think about how she thought it was like, but i am a tiny bit angry that she probably wanted me to write the story she would have, instead of letting me put pieces of myself in it. still, she has expressed her support for my love of writing, and has offered her advice anytime i need it.

my father, the man of few words, said nothing more than, "it's pretty good." this is a huge bit of acknowledgement from a man who spends his life focussing on the negative aspects of things. he hardly voices how proud he really is of his two daughters. if i were to perform well in anything, he would usually just grunt and say "good then". if things went wrong, he'd launch into a long lecture that more often than not would end in him stomping off in anger, leaving my mother to do the damage control. he's definitely improved in recent years, and i am glad that he's actually said a good word to me.

as for my sister, the main subject of the story, she played the part she has always played so well: the supportive sibling. she said she was touched by the fact that i had chosen her as the inspiration behind my story, and was moved by how i had written it. seeing that smile on her face, as she congratulated me on my first piece of published work, was all i needed to convince me that yes, i can keep writing even if i end up spending my days in a white coat in the future.

lishun at 8:47 PM

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