Anzac Biscuits

Marlene packing away some biscuits for me

It was a warm and sunny Saturday. I got my laundry done, and the dishes washed. I've dropped my docs to the post and still had time for afternoon tea with a friend. I brought some grapes with me so we can nibble on it while we chat. 

I guess if you're older you tend to focus on people more. Work I suppose didn't matter if you're 60. What matters to Marlene nowadays is the well-being of her friends. There's a house along View Road that was falling apart. An old man lived there and he didn't have electricity. The neighbor gives him food while a common friend checks in on him whenever she could. Marlene, bit teary-eyed, feels sorry for him and she said she didn't understand why he had to do that to himself. He's depressed and he's alone.

There's a commercial on TV that talks about a group that supports people who are depressed. Depression seems to be the biggest problem here. Kiwi attitude is a can-do attitude, independent and likes DIY things. So perhaps, when people grow old, they try their best to go about things as how they usually would. Their kids had moved and started a family of their own. But maybe not all children wants to look after their old folks. My clueless kababayans mock depression. They couldn't understand why most Kiwis are affected by it. I mean how could they. They're young, and have just started their adventure here as a migrant. They're probably too busy living their lives that they may have not even thought about their aging parents who're left back home. It's a big thing and I hate it when it's just being brushed aside by clueless folks.

So Marlene packed away some anzac biscuits that she made. She said it's time for her to do some baking anyway. Those were Al's favorite. Al just arrived while I was stepping out of the door. He had a pack of biscuits for Marlene. It looked like it had chocolate coating. Al drove his dingy to Charlie's. That boat had been sitting in their backyard for ages and he's only used it once, then fell over. He and Marlene were too busy working that they didn't find the time to take the boat out in the water. And time just passed away until it was too late for him. He suffered a stroke a few years ago and both he and Marlene are just living out their days in their lovely home along Waitake Road with their old dog.

I guess he was curious about how I was faring with my job. I told him that I was doing ok and was just trying to get used to the people that i work with. He did say that I shouldn't be affected or offended by how Kiwis talk. They sure like to use the word "rubbish" and say it roughly, pirate style. That's just them being Kiwi expressing themselves without a care on whether they sound offensive or not. So that's well noted.

I'm just glad to have spent the afternoon at Waitake and not in my room. I get so homesick being in this house.