When we were kids

Passed by the playground downstairs on the way to Grams' on Sunday. The cushioned floor was torn in various places, the bright blue/yellow/red handles and slides were no longer as bright as they used to be, but the kids didn't seem to mind that; some fifteen boys and girls were screaming and climbing everywhere with only a couple of adults watching. I bet they had either forgotten or never seen the playground brand new.

(Un?)Fortunately, I remember.

My earliest memory of the playground started from some eight years ago, when I was 17, Ying was ten, Ni was nine, Wei was a baby at five-six. We would always go to the playground in the afternoon or after dinner. Yes, 17 year old mf at the playground with my little cousins. Of course I could hardly squeeze into the little slide rides or what by then, even if I was shameless enough to do so! But it was so fun just being with them. Remember we took a picture there when Ling, Tian, Yan and I came back after lunch and found the three kids hanging on the handles like monkeys :)

Before the playground, Aunt used to bring us to the adjoining campus of Westlake and Braddell pri/sec schools after dinner; it was open even on Sunday to public. We often saw people playing football, jogging, strolling. The kids were barely more than toddlers then; in fact, Wei wasn't even in the picture yet!

And even earlier, when Ling was in her teens and the rest of us (if we were born by then!) were kids, we played catching up and down the block, hiding in lifts and behind flower pots - we were small enough for that :) And the spider and ant game in front of the letter boxes. At that time, the provision shop was still around. We would play in the balcony above, run around the shop, snack on biscuits, eat bubblegum, play hide-and-seek in the dark storeroom, push someone around on the trolley..

Cousins in front of shop

Then suddenly we were all grown up! And people are getting married!

Now the kids - ok, Ying is already 18, Ni 17, Wei 13-14 - stayed indoors most of the time instead of going downstairs to play. So different!

Sometimes I get a shock when I do my maths and realise the three of them were not as young as I think. To me, they are still babies lor. I guess that's the case when you watch them grow up. Translate this to parents, I can suddenly understand why children, no matter how old, even if the children become parents themselves, their parents will still see them as kids. Think it's kind of sweet but also think that parents have to learn to let these kids live their lives too. I realise the next time I bring them out, I don't need to hold their hands in case they stray anymore - they're old enough. But they'll always be my cute little cousins :)