Filial Piety

Music: 萧闳仁- 我沒有錯 Mood: full

"You sure you don't want to follow?" Mum asked for the third time in a week, in the car on our way back from work.

"No. Pin will be coming over in the afternoon." I repeated the answer for the third time, with my eyes closed.

It's Qing Ming festival this weekend. It's also the time of the year my parents will dutifully clean up grandparents' tombs in Ipoh, unfailingly each year; whereas my last recollection of going there was nearly 8 or 9 years ago. Relatives who are still paying their respects are getting lesser and lesser each year.

"who's going this time?"

"Only 大伯父，大伯母 (my dad's brother and his wife) and us."

"It's never easy getting to their tombs. The grasses along the way grew longer, so it's getting more and more difficult to get there each year since there are lesser people visiting there now," She paused and continued, "Both of you couldn't even recognize the way, not even your cousins who stays near here. They are not going back this time either," She paused again.

"Sooner or later, me and pa are going to be too old to drive there, so no one will be visiting poh poh and ah gong anymore."

I kept quiet.

"Next time, just burn our bodies and throw it into the sea, save all the fuss to visit or clean our tombs every year, "She hinted.

"I'll come along next year." I blurted out suddenly.

She drove slowly on the congested road. The radio continues to play its music, but there's an uncomfortable silence in the car. I slowly opened my eyes and stole a look at her- I just saw her mopping a trickle of tear off her right cheek.

It just so happened to be drizzling outside and this struck me- 清明时节雨纷纷，路上行人欲断魂。It means the drizzling rain during Qing Ming festival represents family members' dismal feelings for their loved ones. Indirectly, it's filial piety.

I promise I'll go next year.