A couple of months ago I found myself having some time to kill.
Not wanting to wander about the shopping mall in a frame of mindlessness, I decided to head to the library.
Originally I was planning to be there till the time came for me to go.
But then I got hungry.
So, armed with two local fiction short story books, off I went, out of the library, and to the food court on the other side of the mall.
But lazy and introverted me didn't feel like going around looking for a table, so I got one piece of fried yam cake and one piece of battered 3-in-1 from the stall right near the entrance of the food court, and went back out to the rooftop terrace steps overlooking the pond instead.
It's been very long since the last time I sat here.
At that time there was no public library here in the shopping mall.
Neither was there a Universal Studios Singapore on the other side.
The landmark Merlion statue that used to be at the Imbiah side is now gone- demolished.
And now there's an additional cable car tower near the beaches on the island of Sentosa itself.
Sitting cross-legged on the steps this evening made me think of the times when The Parents and I used to sit here.
We used to come here on a Sunday after a full day of beach chillin' at either Palawan Beach or Tanjong Beach on Sentosa opposite.
It's not the same as I now, however.
Because never would The Parents be okay with dim sum and fritters as dinner, and never would they encourage reading and eating at the same time.
No, they were all about the moment.
If we were having dinner, we were having dinner.
I'm pretty sure there were times they wished they could dabao char kuay teow or char siew rice from the food court behind, but they weren't picnic friendly- at that time- so, more often than not, One Parent would go get burgers from Burger King downstairs and we'd make it a set and a meal.
I can't remember whether we ever ordered the Whopper burger or even the chicken burgers, but there was always Mushroom Swiss, two cups of Coke, and along with that, a portion of fries (dipped with a lot of chili) and a portion of onion rings.
You know, it's difficult for me to say whether or not I'll come here in the evening for a meal next time, but I'm glad for today, I'm glad for the smiles, and who knows, maybe one day (when the heat is gone) I might give myself some space and time to munch on a burger and maybe even have a milkshake this time.
It won't be from Burger King though.
There's a Shake Shack downstairs.