The Cooling Stream

The old house continued to stand firm on solid ground. It had been there for 40 years. It was a single storey detached house with a huge compound and a fish pond on its left wing.

The front lawn of the house was filled with many varieties of beautiful, colorful and fragrant flowers, plants and trees.

The old house had many rooms for the many children and grandchildren. It had been expanded and renovated several times. It had been furnished and refurnished. It had been painted and repainted.

In the old house lived an old couple. They had been blessed with many children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

The old man passed away in the late 70s. And the old woman had to take charge of the family in the way that she knew best.

All the children had grown up. They had their own separate house, living alone or with their family.

All the children had their own career path and their many dreams, visions, and goals. They had their own outlook and opinion on life, and they are good in sharing everything under the sun.

Then the second daughter passed away, leaving the old mother grieving and mourning for many days.

The old woman went on trips and journeys when the children were well off economically. She had a good time and had many things to tell her children and grandchildren.

The old woman passed away peacefully at the ripe old age of 80.

She had a good time with her sons, her daughters, her grandsons, her granddaughters, her great-grandsons, and her great-granddaughters.

She used to visit them and stayed with them individually and had many sweet moments with their family.

The old woman finally met with the Lord God. Hallelujah!

The old house was filled with many happiness and joys. We had many Chinese New Years there. We had many festivals and celebrations there. Our late mother had given us many ang pows there. Our late mother had put us to sleep with her favorite choruses and songs there.

The old house had brought along many stories, tales, and songs. Here we had listened to many stories and tales that we had in turn told them to our children. We had learned many songs and choruses and we had now passed them on.

The old house had also brought along many sentimental and sad moments. We had lost our loved ones, especially our late father and mother here. We had our many scars, many wounds, many pains and many sorrows here.

The old house stood the same........

......for another many years.

.......with more stories and tales to tell.......

.......with many songs and choruses to sing along.......

.......but from the same stories.......

.......from the same tales.......

.......from the same songs.......

.......from the same choruses.......

.......from the same mother, grandmother, great-grandmother........

Oh, my old house.