More Days Than Life

Took a numbers of years figuring this. Whenever Babi used the expression she never provided any kind of gloss, leaving it entirely up to you to catch her meaning. And in this case it was not an easy task. Vise dana no zivota—in mild exclamation. Usually of course one needed to get on with it, chop-chop; get a move on. Ne ostavljaj za sutra sto mozes uradit danas—which in later years would be playfully twisted around for prodding, Better leave it for tomorrow and we can do it then…. Latter days the first occurred much more frequently, if not for the first time in fact after her mellowing had begun. Once Bab had accomplished her life task of saving, protecting and shepherding through she could afford to be more relaxed and sanguine. Vise dana no zivota. More days than life.... The life term was short: the days stretched far beyond. It might wait for the morrow; let it be, enough for now. Likely it was her mother’s expression. Nothing that had come down of her father, nothing of his talk or action, nothing suggested from the forbidding photographs, would suggest the man could have uttered anything of the sort. Last night on the bus from the airport after there had been a delay following a thunderstorm and an unnerving holding pattern, looking out at the remarkably, utterly other Singaporean streets around the stops, another of Bab’s sayings had returned. It must have been the sight of some figure plodding along into the night; some everyday sense of hardship and labouring along toward bedtime. Nije bog nikome sve dao, niti sve odnio. Neither did god give any all, nor take all from any…. Years that had not been recalled. So long now, with the six years on the equator submerging segments of that past world. Bab used the expression both for cautionary reminder and at other times also to show gifts and talents where none might have been expected. A few days ago on ABC online in the review of demented Charlie Manson’s life his early years of utter dysfunction with his hopeless mother had been reviewed. Like all such examples, in the most notorious criminal justice cases there was no room for weighing formative moral squalor and degradation. Looking out the dark Singaporean window the thought firmed one could not remain long in this milieu, not this time. Twenty-five days had been recorded on the immigration declaration. Even that would be a stretch. A few years ago the average stay in SG had been reported three days. The authorities were attempting to devise ways and means of detaining visitors with more attractions, discounts and tie-ins. Not long after emerging from the Changi tunnels a hoarding for a cafe it may have been had teased with prospective uplift of the soul; one of those striking examples of unsophisticated, junior grade Singaporean copywriting. Then soon following, not two hundred metres on, pasted sheeting anticipating a new gym opening with a range of activities for the whole family. The encouraging tag prompted with the same religious fervour, Rejoice in the Facilities.