Visiting the children again

I was on clinic duty again today. Yesterday I was on duty in HRPB Ipoh. Today I was on duty in Taiping Hospital. But when I met the staff nurse at the ID clinic, I was told there were no new cases to be referred to me today.

So why should waste any more time at the hospital, huh? I might as well go visit the family I’ve been visiting regularly for the past few months… the family of Dahlia. I had already informed Dahlia earlier that I’d be visiting them after my clinic duty to deliver a used baby’s dining chair donated by a friend of mine.

The moment I got to the house, I heard loud cries from a baby. That had to be Dahlia’s grandchild, of course. (For those who may not have followed my blog earlier, Dahlia’s daughter Dilla was raped when she was 15, became pregnant and gave birth to this baby girl late last year.) Dahlia told me earlier that the baby is usually not so friendly with strangers, but when I got in the house, I took the little girl in my arms and she stopped crying. Ahh… she just wanted some attention.

I didn’t expect to see Dilla at home though. I thought her off-days (from the culinary college she goes to) are Wednesdays, but today is only Tuesday. Apparently she took MC for today to bring her baby for her regular appointment at the Klinik Kesihatan. Usually Dahlia would bring the baby for appointments, but today she wasn’t feeling too well and so she asked Dilla to tag along.

Dahlia’s 14 year old son was also home today. He leaves home about 11.20 am to go to school for the afternoon session. A bicycle was bought for him earlier, making it easier for him to go to school and to attend co-curricular activities in which he is very active, however his bicycle had been stolen at school and so now he has to go to school by bus. When he has activities to attend, he walks to/from school. His bicycle wasn’t the only one stolen. It seems because too many students go to school by their own vehicles (bicycles, motorcycles and even cars for some form 6 students), the school doesn’t allow the students to park their vehicles within the school compound. Not even the bicycles. And while the students do lock their bicycles, the locks are not attached to any fixed poles, and so while thieves aren’t able to ride the bicycles, they can carry the bikes onto a pickup/lorry and drive off. That was what possibly happened because quite a number of bicycles were stolen that day.

Anyway, Dahlia’s 2 younger children aged 2 and 3 were seeking extra attention today. They were climbing all over me while I was chatting with their mother. The boy was showing off the children’s books that I brought for them last month, while the girl happily landed on my laps and with that sweet smile of hers kept staring at my face. (hmmm… wonder if I looked funny to her…)

The children are already excited about the coming Family Day to be held at Lost World of Tambun. I hope it won’t be too difficult to drag them home after the event is over.