DOC 1

While driving her son to school, Martha realised she missed out something she wanted to tell her husband. At the traffic light junction when the red light was on, she fumbled through the front compartment and managed to pull out a sticky pad and she further ruffled through her pocket to draw out a pen. In red ink, she scribbled something on the pad against time before the green light comes on and she plastered the message on her child's shirt.

"Mark, when Daddy fetches you later, remember to pass this to him. I only want whatever I wrote there from the supermarket and nothing else. I'll be in the O T later in another one of those marathons and my handphone will be off later. Also, I'll be late, so don't wait up."

"'k Mom," the little boy replied while folding the yellow paper and pushing it into his pants pocket.

When they reached the school, the little boy opened the door and leaped off to the ground to join the horde of primary school children making a dash for the assembly ground before the ringing of the bell.

"Bye Mom," he said and closed the door behind.

As Martha made a dash for the hospital, Mark stood in the midst of the children and reached for the paper. He gradually unfolded to paper to see what was written. A lady accidentally bumped into him while he was doing so and dropped the paper onto the ground. The lady then bent down to retrieve the paper.

"Sorry Mark," she said as she tried to return the note and realised that it stucked to her finger,"oh. Never knew talismans come in this shape and it has a sticky end."

"No Miss Gwee, it's one of those last minute messages my mom leaves for my dad," he replied as he peeled it off her finger.

"A note? It looks like those Chinese talisman with red ink on yellow paper. Looks very illegible," she said with a puzzled look on her face.

"Let's say my parents are complementary healthcare professionals," sniggered the precocious child before he made his way to join the other children.