My mum finally realises that I’ve been coughing and gives me some cough syrup.
As I grow up, I begin to tell her fewer things. I’m learning to be a man to take care of myself and try not to worry her about anything. I go to the polyclinic myself when I’m sick or decide that I should give myself a day off from work. I don’t even go into details of how much pains I’m undergoing daily on my knees and back.
Since I’m more alone now, my mum has stopped nagging at me when I eat heaty or spicy food or any cold stuff from the fridge when I’m coughing. This has eventually added on to my illness each time, which makes them long lasting.
And of course, for normal illness like coughing, I wouldn’t be bothered to visit a doctor since my weekdays are already being plundered by the army, and visiting the camp’s MO is always being treated as “chao keng” (forge illness/injury to slack) and in fact, I’m already a regular customer there due to my injuries. As for Saturdays, they’re too precious to be spent sitting down at the polyclinic for the whole morning.
Can growing up to be independence make up for straying away from parents?
How I wish I can be a child forever.