I've written about what life is like in the suburbs of urban government housing in Singapore before. So many wonderful things about it once you get over some of the smells, sounds, and sights that could potentially offend. Here's a little article about a new development:
Stray cats.
Every housing estate in Singapore has them. Yeah verily, probably every neighborhood of the world has them. Every neighborhood also has the people who care about animals who loiter around the block. It's easy to spot little piles of cat food set out show signs that someone in the vicinity cares about these homeless. I've known since childhood that giving a little care and affection to a stray is an invitation to have them a regular feature on your doorstep. I've never much liked strays.
But this one I'm beginning to love. We first noticed her 2 years ago when she'd sometimes follow us at a distance. Just observing. Refusing to speak. More than a year ago, because of the irresistible power of our puppy JACK, I discovered she spoke. Only Chinese. A little incoherent.
She'll disappear for months and then we'll see her again. She learned to stop sticking her tongue out at us if she was unhappy with us. Usually when we said it was time to go home.
Last week she was around quite a bit. Even in the middle of a school day. Seemed to be waiting and watching for me to be home. It was her 11th birthday. Developmentally she seems to be about 5. She ate 2 meals in my home. She agreed to go to school the next day. I wonder how can this girl be in 5th grade? School must be torture for her. She told me her parents live in China, and she stays with her grandparents who work until late at night. I'm not absolutely sure that I understand her, or that she's telling me the truth. She doesn't know the difference between a piano and a guitar. She has no friends and I've never seen her with any family as she loiters around our neighborhood, but she LOVES to take Jack for walks, or give him treats; and it seems she's beginning to feel quite at home at apartment #05-277. This week I hope to find her grandparents, or visit her school.
For months at bedtime Cameron and I have prayed for God to give us a way to show God's love to people who don't know him. To give us a larger heart and opportunities to serve the poor. She's one of the answers to this prayer.
I'm keeping track of what transpires: CHRONICLE of interaction with this child:
https://docs.google.com/document/edit?id=1LmzFRRynWUFHxt9kwHRq7_LLHPTFDR0DshnLS2KyYT
4 comments:
when you find out her name, please tell us, so we can pray for her. In the meantime, we'll just pray for "Kimberly's answer to prayer" or her little kitten. : O )
May the Lord bless you as you minister "to the least of these" - giving you wisdom and discernment in reaching out to her. May the Lord open this little girl's mind to grasp His love.
Blessings,
Silk
6 September. I wrote out this Chronicle of interaction with Neighbor child Yi Hui LIM. Praying for wisdom what to do from here.
August – April 2008-2009 – Sometime after moving into Blk 356 Clementi Ave 2, in Late July 2008, my family would see her around the neighborhood. She would follow our family at a distance and stare at us at length. Would not greet us when we spoke to her. The kids ignore her on the playground
April 2009 – We purchased a puppy. Sometime after that, while walking the dog and seeing her outside, she opened up and I learned that she was not a mute. She spoke some in Chinese. Was very interested in the dog. Obvious that there are some developmental delays, or mental disabilities. Hard to tell how much she understands. Never see her with any other people. Warms so quickly to me, she is obviously neglected.
For the next year, I would see her downstairs when I walked the dog. Sometimes we would talk and I would let her hold the leash to try to walk him and learn his commands. Pitiful child. The other kids ignore her. Whenever I try to find out about her family she changes the subject. Doesn’t answer.
2010 A few days in the Spring she followed me home. It was troubling to see that a child this young is never supervised outside and she so easily follows a neighbor home and wants to come in. I tell her that I am a good person, but that there are many dangerous and bad people in the world. She must not go into stranger’s homes. The second time she followed me home I let her come in and play with the dog and showed her the piano and some children’s books.
2010 After traveling for most of June/July, during the last week of August and first week of September: Can’t recall which days she came over different times of the day and stayed for awhile. Things we would do together: Walk the dog. Brush the dog. Give the dog a bath. Walk downstairs to the grocery store or Hawker Centre. While I worked on computer, or at my housework, she did some Chinese homework or looked at picture books. Helped me bake an apple pie. Helped clean up the kitchen. Teach her some music on the piano.
Monday August 23
Neighbor girl came over in the morning as if she’s a stray cat. She told me she woke up late for school and if she goes late the teacher will spank her bottom and grab her shirt and shake her. I am not sure how much she understands my questions, how much I understand her answers, and how much of what she says is the truth or if she’s lying to me to gain my sympathy. I tell her I must meet her parents and grandparents. She says that her grandparents are sleeping and sick. Her mother is in China. It is so hard when her language in both English and Chinese is so limited and I’m not sure what is true.
I learned that she lives across the lawn at #04-235. I don't remember her name from last spring when she told me, but I’ll figure out how to know it again without asking her again. She said Wednesday is her birthday. Told her she should be in school. She can come back after 3PM. She told me no one is at home. Her mother is in China. She’s hungry. Adults come back late at night. After 3 PM I let her come in.
Tuesday August 24
She showed up on doorstep first thing in AM in school uniform. Told her to go to school (My neighbor Shaw said she’d been sitting on the steps outside our house). I told her she couldn’t come over until the Afternoon. Later when she came back, we walked Jack on canal across Clementi Road.
Wed, August 25,
Returned from lunch with a friend to visit at home, The neighbor girl was waiting for me, so I let her come in and play with the dog while my friend and I visited. Later, I made a picnic of taco salad to take to church. Before I left, I let her try some with my son Cameron. He said She wouldn’t leave until about 9PM.
READ CHRONICLE of interaction with this child:
https://docs.google.com/document/edit?id=1LmzFRRynWUFHxt9kwHRq7_LLHPTFDR0DshnLS2KyYTk&hl=en&authkey=CNqxylU
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