Things will get better.

A colleague mentioned today that, "这个七月好像很猛！ 好多衰事情发生了。"

So weird - Bloss and Butter always claim I am the most pan-tang among the three of us, but yet, I did not relate anything that I heard/knew this week to the Hungry Ghost Festival.

1) Just heard that an acquaintance, who is one year older than me, just passed away. From pancreatic cancer. She just got married in May this year. Beautiful bride. And she was all ready to start her new chapter in life with her hubby. Her hubby lost his wife within a month after she was diagnosed with the illness. Everything happened so quickly. I don't know and can't imagine how he is going to handle and cope with the sudden loss.

2) My colleague's dad contracted shingles, of all places, in his eyes! gosh... but fortunately, he is on his way to recovery though he still complains of itchiness and pain...

3) And then, a colleague's mum passed away. And then, another two -- each has one parent recovering from a bad fall in Changi Hospital and SGH.

Came home and told mum that it might be better that the hungry ghost festival ends quickly. Two more weeks...

***

And then, he finally found time this week to call me.

His tone wasn't exactly very right; in fact, so much softer and more tired than usual.

And to cut whole story short, I think if I were him, I might most probably regretted calling me.

With already so many problems at hand, and already mentally, emotionally and physically drained, you wouldn't want to call someone, only to add more totally-unnecessary stress to yourself, would you?

My accumulated worry and concern turned -- at that very instant when he called -- into aloofness, followed by frustration.

And after he pieced the whole two-month puzzle, all I could utter was a very soft "oh..." cos I could think of nothing else to say, except that I'm such a brat for venting on him.

Now when I recalled him "brushing me off" with a "Still very busy with many stuffs", that was, honestly, more than an understatement.

My heart just broke when he tried to choke out a dry chuckle, and told me he could not imagine why and how so many things could have happened just within two months, with no prior symptoms and such, and that everything seemed to happen all so swiftly at the snap of a finger.

Throughout the whole conversation, I could hear that every little bit of energy and zest has almost been sapped from him.

It hurts that I can't and dunno how to do anything to help alleviate his stress levels. Except to help him find out about certain stuffs while he goes busy wtih other things. And to pray.