Watching DVDs

"Why are you wasting money buying..." brother said in a irritated tone. I stared at him and gave him an angry look before he could finish his sentence. He meant to say I was wasting money buying travel DVDs for mum to watch at the hospice...

"How can you be like this...?" I asked him back. Deep down, I wanted to say: "How can you even think of money? Do you know how long mum has?!" I didn't say it, because mum was there. But I was upset how he could even talk about money, about "wasting" money, when I just want to let mum look at places she has been and review sights she has seen before.

I put a DVD I bought the other day in, and got out the dishes I bought at the restaurant. Mum again had a request, one from last night, but I could not fulfil her request before because I could not find a place where they sold what she wanted. But today it occurred to me where I could buy typical Taiwanese dishes, dishes that remind her of the "olden days" and her childhood-- dishes that take the taste buds and memories back to the era of my grandma...

The taste of poached egg with garlic and pickled turnip, the taste of crispy fried pork rib, the pungent taste of oyster in black bean sauce, and the decadent smell of fish roe fried rice. The scent of these dishes filled the room as the large flatscreen tv began playing scenes of Hokkaido in winter time.

"didn't you and mum go there before during winter? Was it like this too?" I asked brother. Mum asked for her glasses, and brother looked up at the screen, captured by scenes of snow covered mountains and valleys.

"Yes, it was like that..."

Again, beautiful memories relieved, stories were shared, and mum smiled as she ate little bites of what she so wanted to eat.

Could any joy be more simple, more beautiful?