the threads in her head

Tekong remains a mysterious place. Shrouded with tales, mysteries, ghost stories. Marked by the footsteps, sweat and voices of father, brothers, cousins and friends. Like a strange power, a force of its own. Mixed impressions, that of rural areas, but also of modern technologies, air-conditioning and elevators... conjuring images from nothingness.

Light-heartedly, one exclaims and crack jokes about it, "it made my fat cousin slimmer and my thin cousin fatter". Laugher is heard, some murmurs of, "really? wow." "Yea really. And you better make sure you can run and your stamina is quite okay. Train up before you go!" "Oh, do you have a training schedule then?" "I'm a girl! What use would I have for it? Go ask your coach to help you with one." so on, and so forth. Flippant banter, if you will.

Then the topic was dropped for a few months. No need, no more, to think about it.

But, now, months later, it becomes a topic that is on my mind.

Tekong, seems to have a strange power all of its own. Changes things, for one. But that is to be expected. Change is inevitable. At the very least, a lifestyle change. But the changes on different people differs so much.

One happy, one sad. One feeling fine, the other feeling as though he's in hell. One promising tales, the other not calling. What am I supposed to feel, pray tell. What am I supposed to feel?

Trying to understand, and as usual, failing. Being unable to relate, unable to comprehend, unable to picture it. Only, only trying to form feelings.