Boardwalk

Laundry is done and hanging up to dry. Dishes are washed and put away. Floor is swept. A pot of stewed nectarines is cooling on an iron trivet. And we are quickly away and out into the afternoon.

I rather regret choosing the Stardust's perambulator, even though we have gotten quite good use out of it from when he was about a month old. It's a sturdy thing, but bulky and difficult for a single person to manage. I pray that our route today is free from stairs, escalators, narrow aisles or bumpy cobblestones. There's no way I can safely tote Stardust on my hip whilst attempting to use both hands to open or close the stroller. Fortunately, the buses here are wheelchair-friendly (hopefully, we will see more of these in Singapore soon) so it is easy to hop on and ride down to the harbour for the two of us.

On the dock, Stardust waves eagerly at passing seagulls, yachts, sausage dogs. We stop at a nearby cafe for a drink of water. Stardust is learning to observe his world and I am happy to give him a running commentary on the people we see. People-watching is a skill.

I find myself telling him a long and involved story about the intricacies of an elderly gentleman's double-life as a shuriken-wielding spy. Stardust is looking at me with a very puzzled expression and I realise that I have been watching far too many movies. I am suddenly tired - it's time to go home.