Tell Your Children ‘19

Tell Your Children ‘19

By Ng Kwang Ming David

What would I tell my children?

I’d tell them about Hock Swee Leong
I’d tell them about bright red palms
Red from carrying two stainless steel pots
One on the left for Kopi ‘o’, the other
On the right for Kopi.  Always from the same Hainanese stall at Cuppage Centre.

I’d tell them about nuts and bolts, gears and wheels, pedals and handlebars.
I won’t forget about ‘Autosol’ and orange velvet cloth.

I’d tell them about ‘Lao Chek’ whose skill and craftsmanship
In balancing a pair of wheels for racing bikes, so matchless
that the team manager from Italy would come seek him out.

I’d tell them about long naps in the delivery truck
I’d be honest about whistling and making cat calls at girls as the truck drove past Centrepoint.

I’d tell them I miss those days
I’d tell them about freedom from gadgets, from addictive games
I’d tell them to cherish their childhood and not to waste it on mind-numbing past times.

I’d tell them I was once a kid growing up in a bicycle shop.