Children's laughter. Innocent squeals of joy that is so irritable yet sometimes vibrant with energy that only a child can exude.
I looked the the window, looking for the source of the laughter and saw a group of kids, watched over my maids, playing at the urban playground with the steel struts and rubber floors.
It hit me then, where my beloved sand pits, with see-saws and swings. With structures to climb into and laze within the circular confines? The answer was greeted with the carpark lots.
There used to be a time where kids run around those (I admit, dirty) playgrounds playing catching and what not. Often unsupervised or with the occasional parent. I remember being supervised by my Ah Por last time when I was young. The times where should would bring me down to play in the sand and even though I knew no kid around the block, the simple joy was enough. To build a sand castle or even sit on the swing.
Of course, the most memorable time was during the mooncake festival. Where that playground would be decorated with candles and children would run around with lanterns, both traditional and modern (You know, the one with the musics?).
I don't remember these happening around anymore.
Now I see the smooth and safe structures that reflect the growing society, I see more maids supervising the kids than parents, but most importantly I rarely hear the happy joyous laughter from the kids.
It makes me wonder, are the children of nowadays better off? With their modern gadgetry or us, with the rugged sand between our toes and the rough surfaces of which we climb while we enjoy the wind blowing through our hair...
