Daphne Iking's Articles
According to the battery icon of my trusted MacBook, I have only 55 minutes left till my laptop dies on me. I fell asleep last night, with the lights glaring and the computer on, aiming to reply emails and to complete this article that is a week overdue- but there is only so much that a weary body can handle. I crashed the moment I keyed in my password to my email account. Over the past few months, I have had a maximum of 3 hours sleep each night. It’s just been crazy.
I wake up to Isobel’s feet plonked uncomfortably on my face. She is a tall girl and insists on sleeping with me. It’s ok when we are lying on my Super Queen size bed in KL, but we are in my parent’s house. The bed I have been sleeping on since junior High. I say a little prayer and take a glance on my blackberry. SHIT! We overslept. Thank God I’ve packed the night before. I scream out my mum’s name to help me with the little one, and in 20minutes, we are on the road to the airport.
Now, on board I am struggling to complete this before my mad day begins again as soon as I touch down. I have not had a weekend off since Ryan and I decided to go our separate ways. October 17, 2008 will remain a painful memory for the whole family. It has been over a year plus since we said our goodbyes. And suffice to say, it has not been easy.
But God has been kind. Keeping me busy with projects after projects. They say an idle mind, is a devil’s mind. This whole phase has not just pushed my physique to the brim, but my body and emotional being too. I also noticed that this little exercise showed me who my true friends are. One thing for sure. Isobel Daniella is my truest supporter. She is my pillar of strength and drives me to be the best I possibly can.
So here we are. Just the two of us. I dread the day I have to tell her what she needs to know, but I know she will understand. She is so much like me in many ways. I cringe but subconsciously, I take pride knowing she will have the inner strength passed down from my mother. I have faith. I am just saddened by the interpretation of many and how unkind some folks can be when they know nuts about the whole situation.
Bel is kept amused with my iPod. I forgot her teddy bear and she can’t watch her sesame street on my laptop (for obvious reasons). She is so easy to please. I remember on her 1st birthday, I blocked the reality of being a (then) soon-to-be single mother by throwing her a posh party and I bought her many, many toys. Fisher-Price won’t take her as Miss Ambassador because she chose to play with the loose bottle cap she found in my handbag instead.
For her second year birthday, we decided to make it more intimate and less fanfare -Just my sister and her boyfriend and 2 other pals. Her favourite song is Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. So we drove to Kuala Selangor to catch the fireflies in action.
“I can’t give you the stars, but I can get you something similar. Still sparkly. Still beautifully magical”
She had fireflies flying to her, resting on her arms and face and body. Even the boatman was amazed as we gazed at her lithe body, gurgling to the happy chuckling of these starry insects attraction towards her.
I know Isobel is special. Most children are. But she really, really is. She can make the grumpiest person smile and carry her to wherever she wants to go. She eased the anger of my father who could not understand the legal predicament his former son-in-law was embarking on. She made me walk, if not run while keeping my head up high, despite feeling like the crappiest person on earth. And she forced me to do something I’ve been meaning to do for the longest time. Finally. After talking about establishing my own business for many,many years, I finally got my act together and set up Lebosi Sdn Bhd.
The harsh fact that it was just going to be just her and I alone made me realize that freelancing in the TV world was not going to be enough for her education funds. So, here I am. Working 3 jobs at the same time just to make enough money to make ends meet.
But as I said, Isobel is special. And blessings she has brought me despite the little heartache along the way. We met someone special who believed in my efforts to conserve planet earth and now he is my business partner. As of today, I am unsure of what will unravel in days to come, but what I do know is this.
God has plans for us. Be it good or bad, bitter or sweet – every experience is a journey of self-enlightenment. Isobel and I will be ok.
Ps: Isobel and I are saying NO to Lead Acid.
