When I was five, both my little brother and I carried around chewing gum for our casual snack. Our favourite flavour was Muscat grape. My mother would buy a package of Muscat grape flavoured chewing gum for each of us, and we would chew a piece whenever we wanted.
The day before my brother’s last major heart operation, I attended an annual showcase event of the local YAMAHA music school. All my family were supposed to come to watch me on the stage, but since my brother and mother had to stay in the hospital, my father and grandmother came with me to the showcase event. After having a fun time at the event with my friends and teacher, I headed to the hospital to meet my brother and mother.
We took the familiar elevator to the floor where my brother’s room was located, and once the door opened, we saw both my brother and mother waiting at the elevator hall.
I showed my brother some gift items I received at the music showcase event earlier that day. He particularly liked the clear file with an illustration of Mickey Mouse, and he started to run around the hall with the file in his hand. I immediately chased after him.
Soon, we were running around the hall chasing after each other and screaming with excitement. We completely forgot that we were at the hospital. But my father finally reminded us.
“Stop it, both of you,” he said with a frowny face. “You’re making too much noise.”
My brother and I sat on the bench laughing. We were both sweating from our exercise. When we were having such a fun time, it would be even nicer to have something to eat.
“Oh, I wish I had brought my Muscat grape chewing gum with me!”
I exclaimed. Then my brother said to me,
“I have mine.”
“Where?”
“In my room.”
“Let ‘s go and fetch it!”
Upon my shout, we both stood up and ran through the corridor heading to his room. Once in the room, my brother went to his bed and picked up his package of Muscat grape chewing gum. It was still new.
“Wow, we can have Muscat grape chewing gum. Hurray!“
I jumped with delight, and my brother followed my lead.
Thus, we came back to the elevator hall, opened the package, and savoured the Muscat grape chewing gum.
It was just another ordinary day I played with my brother and ate our favourite chewing gum together. Two days later, when he did not come back from the operation, I still had that half-opened package of Muscat grape chewing gum with me.