Home

Adding to the fact that a 20-hour plane ride would pop his tiny ears silly, it is impossible to conceive that 7-year old Jude would be disheartened with the thought of embarking on a 14-day North American escapade. Sluggishly, Jude dragged his favourite clothes out of his closet as his mother packed the essentials into the luggage bag.

Jude sat on the floor, back against the wall as he stared at his mother gleefully folding away and tucking every piece of clothing expertly into the luggage bag, leaving no space for even ants to make room for themselves.

Silently, Jude calculated the remaining days before his entire family actually depart for their North American holiday. The sight of his mother whistling whilst packing made Jude all the more irate. "Why that look Jude? We'll be going to Disneyland and you and your brothers and sisters can get on all those fantastic rides, eat all the candy you want, shake hands with those lovable cartoon characters. Isn't it nice? Common Jude, you're going to love it. Trust Mamma. Now put on a smile for me will you", Jude's mother tried to make Jude feel better.

Jude smiled reluctantly. It wasn't difficult to brainwash a 7-year old kid and in an instant, Jude's mouth watered as he imagined being on one of those roller-coasters, with the wind messing his hair up at a blistering speed.

America was nothing like Jude had imagined. Everything he watched on TV multiplied by 10 and you're still nowhere close to the excitement that Jude and his siblings experienced. Everyday spent there was a blast and by the third day, Jude already forgot about his home at the end of a small road off Siglap.

During their trip to Canada, Jude touched snow for the very first time. The cold ice smoothing itself against his skin made Jude gasp in awe as he dug his hands deeper into the pile of snow. Jude carefully crafted the snow into a ball and pressed against the sides so that it hardened up. He aimed carefully and let fly his snowball right smack in the middle of his brother's head and a snowball fight soon engulfed amongst the siblings as their parents sat by the bench in the park, smooching like they were still in high school.

That evening, just before the sun began to set, Jude braved the chilling winds as he stood outside the hotel balcony and absorbed the breathtaking view of Vancouver that beset upon his little peering eyes.

"What are you looking at Jude. Come on in before you catch a cold", Jude's mother nagged after she noticed her youngest son standing on that same spot in the balcony for the past 20 minutes. Jude pointed out into the far horizon, with the look of amazement etched in his face. "What is it Jude?", his mother queried again. "What are you looking at?", his mother continued.

"Look at that Mummy. It's so beautiful isn't it?", Jude seeked his mother's approval as he pointed far away beyond the sunset. "It is indeed. You are looking at the Vancouver skyline Jude", his mother attempted to play tour guide for once. "No!", Jude interrupted his mother before she could ramble any more. "See that Mamma?", Jude pointed out again. "This is going to be my home Mamma. This is going to be my home", Jude corrected his mother as he dreamed of living in Vancouver.

That evening, the city of Vancouver emotionally encapsulated young Jude's heart. So much so that he made a vow to himself, though silently, it was still a vow. He vowed that when he grew up, he would make Vancouver his home. Jude's mother thought very little of the incident and as the years went by, she almost forgot about it.

There was one particular night though, Jude's mother was frantically sobbing whilst packing her luggage bag. She could still feel Jude's presence in the room. Jude's mother looked up and could almost make out young Jude's petite frame, back against the wall, whimpering at the thought of embarking on a North American holiday just 18 years ago.

How time flies Jude's mother thought to herself. In less than 24 hours time, the entire family will be on their way to Vancouver yet again. Only thing is, this time round, they're going there to attend Jude's graduation ceremony at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.

Jude's mother abandoned her packing duties as she rummaged the wooden cabinets for the old photograph albums. Her eyes watered as she flipped through the albums. Her mind couldn't help reminiscing the yesteryears when all her children were young and restless, running around and literally pulling the ends out of her hair.

The best times in life are spent when the kids are still young. She never understood that fact when her mother explained to her years ago. Instead, she spent her time slogging at work, thus missing out on watching the kids grow up. In a flash, one by one, her children is stepping into adulthood and Jude's mother could do nothing about it.

One of the last photos in the album was of Jude looking out into that Vancouver sunset and declaring his desire to make Vancouver his home. Initially, his mother brushed it aside as Jude was only 7 then. As she recalled the phone conversation she had with her youngest son Jude just a few hours before, it seems however that Jude wants to live and work in Vancouver after his graduation. Alas, Jude was telling the truth after all.