i rang home and after a long while my dad answered. there were birds twittering in the background. where are you, i said to my pa. i did think, from the sound of the ringtone, that they must both be out and had transferred calls to one of their cellphones, and that, it being a sunday, he might be on his way to novena, but it certainly didn't sound like he was in the train.

- mummy's taken her student to punggol park to study. i'm going to the photocopy shop.
- mummy took her student to punggol park to study? are you sure anyone can study in punggol park?
- yes, he keeps nodding off in the house, so she thought a new environment would help. i gave her a poncho to sit on.
- are you sure you're not at the park also? why are there so many birds in the background?
- oh, i'm cycling along hougang ave 7.
- you mean you are talking to me while cycling?
- yes?
- pa! they always tell you not to talk on the phone while you're driving! isn't it more dangerous when you're on a bicycle?
- oh! ah! i never thought of that.
- neither have the traffic police! they never thought to ban such a damn obvious silly thing.
- but i have very good balance.
(this from the man who has had three bicycle accidents and multiple fractured limbs. he is far too dreamy to know where he is going. people who ask why i am scatty and absent-minded obviously haven't met my pa.)
- famous last words! get off lah, quickly.
so he got off and leaned his bicycle and himself against a convenient fence to talk to me. i tell you my pa isn't fit to be let out in traffic.