Saturday, May 31, 2014

31/5/2014 - The Gardens Mall Accident

It was supposed to be a happy Saturday for everyone, family outings, couple datings, and a happy rest day for me from work. Early morning my dad, mum and I had breakfast and we sent my dad to his training course.
Then we went home. Superb normal story right? It was supposed to be a normal any-other-day-like Saturday, until we went to the Gardens Mall at noon.

As usual, we would line up to have Sushi Zanmai on the third floor.
After the first dish came, suddenly we heard a loud scream, everyone turned around, then it was followed by a second loud scream.

Most of the people outside the restaurant rushed to see what happened, I hesitated for a while, then told my mum I would like to go and have a look too. Everyone was discussing whether it was someone committing suicide. My curiosity could not be pressed down. I went there to find out what happened like anybody else.
Because the railings next to the escalator were so full of people I had a hard time going in. Some boy couldn't get through so he asked: Excuse me, may I know what happened?
When this question popped out I was wondering myself whether I could get an answer out of them. But at that moment, I saw a tiny space. I squeezed myself in to have a good peep.

My heart dropped, and then started to beat very fast. I saw a body of a child. Lying on the ground, I saw a pool of blood around the head. It was for half a second, I came out of the crowd. My heart was beating so fast, I ran back to my mom. In my mind I was wondering why did I go to the crowd? Why did I stretch out to see? I saw a dead body.

Running back to my mum. I told her. Ma, a child fell. When she was about to comment on how children can be playful and stuff, I said. I think she's dead.  Her jaw dropped asking me huh? Oh my god.
I believe everyone's response would be the same.

I couldn't eat for a while, with my mind full of the image I just saw. It was just half a second, but I could remember how her position was on the ground. But the food came. I started eating, but the food tasted weird, it tasted really fishy, like it was not fresh. I told my mum, she said it is fine.
I guess its the nausea feeling I got from looking at the body.
The meal was uneasy.
Then we were discussing how could the child have fallen.
All crazy thoughts went into my mind, how I'd protect my child in the future, how I would lock them tight and how I'd prevent all of these crazy things from happening.
But somehow accidents are so hard to prevent. Everyday in the news, crazy things happen.
I bet the parents are having a hard time now.

Sometimes I really hate my brain, for having so many thoughts, I was thinking how they'd get her to the hospital, what would happen after this.
I also hated my curiosity. Knowing so many people saw it, I went online searching for the news.
True enough, I found it.

 This is what I found when I was eating lunch. Then it came to my mind.
The first scream might come from the parent. Because the parents were with her at the higher floors.
The second scream might have came from the people who were shocked by the fell downstairs.
And the moment when I saw the body, the parents were still running downstairs to get their daughter. No wonder I did not see anyone near the poor girl.



This is what I found, now. Why now? 
I was happily watching my online drama, spending my weekend. 
But I went to the toilet, and I heard my neighbors. 'Daddy Daddy' the kid said. 
The image and thought came into my mind again. 
What can the mother be doing now? What can the father be doing now? 
They can no longer hear the girl say daddy and mommy.
What could be happening in their house now? 


Rest in peace little angel, do not be afraid. You have gone to a better place. 


Everytime a sad thing happens, we are reminded again that life can be so fragile. 

Life is fragile. 

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