Why I look like a tree

It's been some time since I felt like how I did today, that sense of clarity over why I have chosen my path as so. And of all the people to make me feel so special, you could not possibly guess who. A child, not more than 4 years of age, made me feel whole again today.

He's the son of my dad's friend, a little bundle of chaos. Running all over the place and screaming at the top of his lungs, hyperactive like any other kid his age. And then he saw me, in my No.4, with a military buzzcut, and the standard "mess with me and you'll know what's pain" look on my face. Catching him in the corner of my eye, I tried to salvage my image which had most probably seared itself into his young mind, with a smile. He took off for his mother's arms, all ready to burst into tears...

Curiously though, he didn't erupt into a pool of tears, but just kept staring at me, in the safety of his mother's arms nonetheless. And then came the torrent of questions which any toddler unleashes on his parent when he's in doubt.

'Why does that kor kor (Hokkien for brother) look like a tree?'
'He's a soldier, that's his uniform. Like your school uniform liddat, just that his have to help him hide.'
'Who he hide from? Teacher?'
'No lah, from bad men who want to hurt him, and us.'
'What does a soldier do mummy?'
'...To protect you, and mummy and daddy, and our country.'
'Why?'
'Because bad men will hurt us if he doesn't protect us.'
'Why?'
'They're bad men, they only do bad things remember?'
'Ohh, but daddy says bad men hurt people, kor kor not afraid meh?'
'I bet he is, but he loves us more than he afraid of bad men. That right Brandon?'

I give a nod, and just smile.

'Mummy, can I be a soldier when I grow up?'
'Why you want to be? Uniform very nice izzit?'
'No, because I want to show you how much I love you and daddy. I love you very much mummy.'

It's one of those picture perfect moments, the mum totally astonished by what her little kid has just said. As for me, I just smiled, which was totally spoiling my camouflage. After all, a tree doesn't have teeth does it?

Happy Independence Day, and let us all remember those who sacrifice themselves upon the altar of freedom, so that we may live to see another kid learn not only how to camouflage effectively, but also what it means to love someone.

Don