Yes, I was once again put to a test by the lord again. This time round I was rushing to my student's place located at Toa Payoh for his weekly piano lesson. I was in a hurry and rushing since I was late.
To reach my student's house, I got to pass by a few blocks of very old HDB estate along Tao Payoh lorong 5. The path is wide with green grasses along the walking path. This incident occurred during off peak period around 6pm.
There it was, lying seemingly motionless besides the path that made it obvious for any passerbys to see. Its head was moving but at one glance once can tell it was injured. Oh no, I thought the little bird, the pigeon must be in pain. Parked besides the pathway to indicate it needs help. I walked pass it while my head turned back to look at the injured bird.
Now I'm confused. I am late for my piano lesson and facing the possibility that the bird can survived with my help. When I reached my student's flat, I decided to cancel the appointment to help the bird. I figured out saving a life is more important than conducting my piano lesson. I explained to my student about the pigeon that needed my attention and he understood the situation. Surprising I was hoping to postpone my lesson to the following week, but he wanted the lesson replacement the following day. Which means he enjoyed the music lesson I had with him weekly!
Back to the rescue of the symbol of LOVE and PEACE, the pigeon. I quickly headed to the eateries and bought a pack of soybean so that I had an excuse to buy the round plastic container with a cap for 20cents. Then I filled the plastic container with water available at the eatery. I quickly headed back to see if the Pigeon had been collected by other people or could be well dead. After a few minutes walk, I was glad the sight of the pigoen was still around besides the walking path. It had not become a pray. Apparently, no one came to its help.
I quickly took out the water and placed it besides it weak head and to its beak so that it can have a sip of water. The pigeon was weak but struggled with a few sips after my encouragement. I'm glad it was alive! I thought. Next, the bird flagged its wing for me to see that it was trying very hard to survive. So my next thought was to locate it to a safer place for the pigeon so that it will not be an easy target for the famous Toa Payoh cats. I contacted my hubby and we both agree to transport the bird to a safer area. Meanwhile, my task was to station beside the injured bird so that cats will not prey on it while waiting for hubby to come.
At this time, I felt I had the "sight" of the Pigeon. Since I was hanging around the dying bird for a long time, many of the people staying at the old blocks were peeping at me from their window. I felt as helpless as the pigeon. I continued to interact with my handphone so that I looked normal hanging around there. I felt as helpless as the Pigeon. The path was obvious for anyone to see that the bird required help. However, during the off peak hour, many people just walked pass the dying bird seemingly bothered by their office politics still or bringing their work back home. All were lifeless creatures seemingly to me.
One ridiculous young man who lived at the ground floor came out to talk to me - 4 times. At first I thought he was interested to render assistant to the dying bird. However, his conversations to me were :" so what's your name?", " Where do You live?", "Do you come here often", "such thing is common here". He was only interested in getting my contacts. I cannot tolerate such idiotic person and when he came out of his pigeon flat for the fourth time, I took out my IPOD and plugged the earpiece to listen to music.
The pigeon wanted me to see what its seeing....at its final hours.
Suddenly, a mother with 2 daughters of age around 6-10years old came by. A picture that nobody should guard against. Afterall, there were cyclist that passed the dying bird and seemingly looking Abeng that passed by it without problems. And the cats were at a distance eyeing at the bird but dared not approach it since I was a meter away from it to shoo them away. The elder of the 2 daughters kicked the dying bird as she passed by it. I still recalled the look of the young kid was grinning. I was in disbelieved. I shouted at the young child. She grinned back as she walked away. The mother grinned back. Dying Pigeon was lifted up and rolled about 30cm away.
A waves of shocked was sent to my emotion by the scene I witnessed what the dying pigeon had gone through. I was speechless. I was lost. The irony if you can see from my point is that I have been guarding the dying pigeon from its predator, the cats. Not humans. But it was Human beings who gave the symbol of LOVE and PEACE the final blow of death.
Instantly, I questioned what world are we all living in? You worked, give birth, go back to all our pigeon holes in the evening and living no compassion at all to a dying animal. Was it human who gave up our chance of being loved by GOD? Maybe he did not forsaken us but human race who gave up the chance of being loved by God ourselves. If children can be so cruel without compassion that the pigeon last breath sees, then what will be the world we are creating for the future? If the pigeon is created by God to be the messager for God, then what would the pigeon report to the lord when he sees it?
The nuisance man told me the dying bird was there a day before I was even there...
