Romantic as I might have been,
The Chateau was not a place that I was familiar with nor had been,
The name titillates and teases for a long time,
But now I can claim to be a have been.
The 3 days 2 nights sojourn
May seem adequate,
If it was only to touch base and go, Alas, enough it was not,
For me to capture every morsel of the legend,
For even though I marvelled at its beauty of intricacy,
Time I had none to examine its every crevice, turn and corner. Words are beyond me even as I now recall,
All I do know is that for now.
My longing heart is temporary settled,
By the display and portions of its food,
The people that gather, the garden that smitten,
The orchids, the cones, the trees, The castles, the lights, the space it provides,
The swimming pool, the lazy beds That Maya and I lay,
Fanned by the breeze and veiled by the lace,
It seems clear to me now,
That the Chateau was deliberately kept in obscurity from me,
Its awe, its looks, its physique, big strong and beautiful,
Its awesome heights, its serenity, oh the hills,
The mist, the greens and yes, the monkeys too.
I made my peace when after 61 years,
In September 2019,
I won an award for story writing. They say God gives when you least expect to receive,
My blessings came in the form of this prize,
Awarded by huge personalities like Tan Sri,
To small achievers like me.
In love yes I am,
Smitten, overwhelmed, it is true,
With the personal and genuine touch of the service,
From clean beds, arranged slippers to nightcaps on the bed,
Not to forget the Bonjour Madame and Bon Apetit.
My resolution was fulfilled,
On the morning I was able to watch,
The sunrise from my bed.
My grandkids' joys were imbued and understood,
The moment, the sound of moving leaves and stirring branches,
Moved the insects, the birds and the bees to their moods.
My stress was alleviated when I soon discover,
I now had Christmas presents from the acorns I picked, undeterred. Alas, my short romance with the Chateau was over,
In less than 72 hours the relationship was dismembered,
Oh, my gosh, it was so sweet and bitter,
Bitter because I knocked my face, Umpteenth times upon the glass window,
As my feeble hands tried hard with the camera,
To shoot the sunrise as a photo.
With many a time my wobbling feet,
Caught in between the bench in the suite,
What can I say of the blue-black patches,
Imprinted on my thighs and knees,
By the narrow edges of the bed? Sweet ah, the lingering taste,
Of the picturesque scenarios and its exuberant colours,
Not to mention the sweets and fruits,
The organic drinks and custard fruits of glass,
Laid every night on the bedside table.
But most of all, I will miss,
The people I had met but not yet discover.
Written by Kuang Ching Hei
Third Prize Winner
Love Story Category
Jasmina Awards 2019
Note: This a reflective piece written after the weekend stay at The Chateau, Bukit Tinggi together with the other winners of Jasmina Awards 2019. Click HERE to view pictures from the magical weekend.