Five Cents

A good evening footbaLLing session was spent with the usuaL MaLay peeps in Sengkang, on the basketbaLL court Located right beside Audrey's bLock.

As aLways, every good thing has to end, and it was when 10p.m came. Lights off, foLLowed by appLause and praise from everyone. Then I bade goodbye, and the next thing I thought of was to quench my bLoody thirst, with the onLy product that I Like and wouLd drink - NutriSoy's soya miLk (priced $1.05).

I reached for my pouch and dug out the shiLLings .. 3 ten-cents, 1 fifty and a twenty. Fuck, Im short of five cents! The onLy other stuff inside that pouch was my mobiLe phone and bunch of house keys.

I cursed my Luck, or rather, my own foLLy. There were at Least a dozen five cent coins Left on the Living room tabLe before I Left home. It was another case of so-near-yet-so-far .. under the unbearabLe condition of thirst, I started to understand the true vaLue of five cents.

You cannot buy a tee-shirt of $36 if you onLy have $35.95 .. you cannot run a marathon of $75 if you onLy have $74.95 .. and it goes on and on ..

Five cents, that petty puny LittLe goLd coin which never seemed to be of any importance, has since became a respectabLe icon to my Life that night.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This morning .. two hours ago ..

Same shit different day it was. I woke up, turned my computer on, and went to wash up. Looked around the kitchen and there was no more bread. OnLy food Left is instant noodLes and no way am I gonna have that for breakfast ..

So, decided to make a trip to the grocery just buiLdings away. Put on my tee, grabbed a doLLar coin and yes, those five cent coins shouLd make up for the remainder for a Sunshine Loaf of bread.

Out of the house, a short waLk and I am there at the grocery. Picked up the bread .. and advanced proudLy to the storekeeper.

"Auntie, how much (for the bread) ah?"

.. "$1.40"

ProudLy, I took out the shiLLings, counted for a moment, exactLy $1.40, and handed to her.

"Eh Boy ah, sorry hor, Auntie dun accept five cents .."

WHAT THE F U C K!

.. had to waLk to NTUC supermarket instead.

Back to square one with my perception on five cents.