I was hit on my back as I walked down the hall. I turned around angrily, only to discover a lovely cat. His name was Oscar and he was born at the shelter I was visiting. The volunteer let me know that the mother was abandoned by her owner. She and the rest of the litter (幼崽) had been adopted quickly, but Oscar remained.

I could tell he was just what we needed. We were just married, full of love and hope, but we were also facing a few unexpected trials. Just weeks after our wedding, my husband was injured in an accident at work, which not only broke his body but his spirit. Hours of physical treatment led to sleepless nights. I hoped that this little cat would cheer up my husband.

When I brought Oscar home, I asked my husband to shut his eyes and open his hands. I handed him the cat, who reached up and rubbed his paws (爪子) against my husband’s face. It had been months since I saw my husband smile like this, and Oscar himself couldn’t stop purring (发出呼噜声).

Years passed, and our sweet Oscar continued to bring us comfort. He had an ability to know if someone was having an emotional moment; he would always try to help.

One day, I received a phone call from my mother telling me that my father had cancer. I swore to do everything I could to help him. Feeling upset, I took a bath to try to collect my thoughts. Oscar reached up, opened the closed door, and jumped directly into the bathtub with me. Hearing the loud noise, my husband ran into the bathroom to find Oscar all wet just inches from my face. That little guy was all heart.

Fortunately, my father beat cancer and recovered fully. Following his final treatment, he was given two weeks of rest at home. He asked if he and my mother could “babysit” Oscar for those weeks. We were more than happy to share.

On the final day of Oscar’s visit, my father decided to bake cookies for me and my husband to thank us for “lending” him our cat.

“Did you add these paw prints on the cookies?” I asked my dad surprisingly.

Returns

When I saw my mother at her home last month, it was a hot Sunday. I travelled there by train. As the train reduced its speed, I knew I was going to see her.

Leaving the station, I headed to the town center where I bought cakes — the kind she used to tell me to bring home. And I bought a cat, which I think can accompany her for along time. Until I got home, I didn’t think anything besides, I’m going to see her again and she’s waiting for me.

I knocked on the narrow door of the ground-floor apartment. She called out, “Yes. Come in!” “You should lock the door!” “I knew it was you. There’s no one else it could have been.”

When she saw the cat, she was very pleased as if it were my kid. She took the cakes, a little uneasy, but thanked me with a happy tone to her voice. That’s because she had already bought some for us on her way back home.

She was laughing, standing by the table. She put her hand on my shoulder, tilting her face up for me to kiss. At the same time, she was firing off questions about my trip, my children, my husband, my work...

We sat opposite each other at the table that, along with the meal she had already prepared for me, almost filled her apartment. She bought it big — it can seat at least ten people! But in six years, not once...

After meal, she tried to come up with more subjects of conversation, so that I wouldn’t go too soon, leaving her alone with her desire for me, her longing to live with me, her daughter, forever. Meanwhile, the cat approached us, which kept us busy for along time — watching it, taking turns holding it... My mother was the happiest she’d been since I got home. She seemed to have forgotten that I was going to leave.

It’s time for me to say goodbye to her.

A month later, I, along with my husband and kids, came back to visit my mother.

A cross between dinner and performance art, Dining in the Dark is a new trend where diners enjoy a meal with one of the key senses removed in order to strengthen your other senses, such as taste. Many of these restaurants are operated by the blind in order to offer a chance into their world and a unique experience on the world around you. The very first dine in the dark restaurant was opened in 1999 in Zurich, Switzerland, and is called Blindekuh (Blind man’s Buff). Since then, they have grown in popularity and popped up on nearly every country.

Encouraged by online reviews, my husband and I found Nox, a dine in the dark restaurant in Singapore and we booked a dinner in the dark , all ready to challenge my taste buds and table manners. We started in the entrance and had a glass of wine with the manager who explained the process. First, we put phones, watches, and anything that could reflect or provide a light source into a secure locker. Before entering the dark room, we were seated in a lighted room and given some starters while reviewing the drinks menu. Soon after, we were introduced to our waiter who was visually impaired. He was responsible for guiding us up to the second floor of the restaurant (the dark room) and bringing us to our table. There were 2 other couples with us and we were requested to form a single line and rest our hands on the shoulders of the person in front of us as the waiter guided all of us up to the room.

My first response to stepping into a completely dark room was

This experience had instead given me a much-needed attitude towards life.