Adding Fragrance To A Life I

That Saturday afternoon, I received a call while washing the dishes.

"Hi, Lee Sah. I'm Kit. Are you free this evening?"

"We have the boys' fellowship tonight at Calvary Care Home and I'm going. Is there anything?"

"We're going to celebrate Baha'i New Year with performances at Baha'i Centre at seven o'clock. Dinner will be served. I'd like to invite you."

"Happy New Year, Kit! But sorry that I won't be able to join your celebration and stay for dinner. Nevertheless, I'll drop by at your place at about half past five. Will you be around?"

During several months last year, I often popped into Kit's place on Tuesdays to help him in gardening, especially removing weed. Since I was more involved in Calvary Care Home (CCH) last November, I paid less attention to this elderly man, knowing that another young man also visited him quite regularly.

Early this year when I talked to Saratha on the phone, she told me that Kit somehow looked forward to my presence which used to add colours to his routine. Not long after this, Kit personally telephoned me during the Chinese New Year, asking me how I was going and inviting me to have a share of his cookies.

I drove to Baha'i Centre for the second time this year. Kit was neither in the front yard nor in his room. Since the gate and doors were open, I knew he must be in the new garden near his bed. He had transfered evening primroses there in order to smell the fragrance of the flowers every night, which evoked the strong memory of his stay in Taiwan.

Since the end of last year, the number of plants around the swing had increased.

I also noticed that weeds had grown tall. Besides Kit himself, sitting on the wheelchair, whose hands could only reach the wild plants right in front of him, nobody else had helped him in weeding. So I picked up again my old job as an assistant gardener.

My appointment at CCH had been postponed to 7pm. I took my time to pull out unwanted grass with its roots. People of the Baha'i faith dressed in their new clothes began to come into the centre for the preparations of the event. I suddenly felt compassion for Kit who was staying alone in his messy room which was just next to the beautifully decorated hall where the Baha'is gathered for functions.

Some people were curious to see me squatting among the plants. Kit told them my identity as Saratha's former colleague and as a Christian. When they complimented me on my act, I simply smiled in return. And I prayed in my heart that one day they would know the truth of the salvation through Jesus.

When I said goodbye to Kit, he asked me, "What time will your gathering be over?"

"I think at about nine o'clock."

"You can come over after that. We'll still be around."

"But I'll have two boys with me. I'm going to bring them back to my house."

"Just pass by here. We'll have a lot of food..."

I did not promise, because I did not think I would have the energy to drive everywhere with my passengers at night.

I started my car engine. Added to my collection inside the car were flowers releasing pandan aroma which Kit had asked me to pluck from his garden and a red toy car which Luke had left.

I made up my mind that as long as I was able to, I would continue to add fragrance and colours to Kit's and the CCH children's lives.