Confucius sits in his chair. A mute uncle utters his first word in decades. A talking potato is sworn to confidentiality. These are stories written with Liang Wern Fook’s left hand. All authors write with this hand, coaxing out left-handed stories from a right-handed reality. Liang has been writing with his right hand for a long time, but in this thought-provoking collection, he has returned to his left, crafting stories that surprise even his right. Stories that are replete with playful irony, ranging from the absurd to the comical; stories which transcend personal difficulties to reveal shared tragedies, collectively endured.

Excerpt - "Unfinished"

Ailments that come with old age kept Grandpa in his room most of the time. His eyesight had also deteriorated in recent years, making it even harder for him to leave his room and his armchair, a gift that I bought him with my first paycheck.

He muttered that I was a sor zai when I gifted him that chair, chiding me for being a silly boy spending money on unnecessary things, especially when the armchair wasn’t even comfortable. Yet, from that day onwards, it had become an integral part of his life, like a body that held him close, keeping him warm and snug as he leaned into its soft embrace, and slowly became one with him as years went by.

I sank my whole body into the armchair, trying to imagine how Grandpa used to fall into its firm backrest and steady arms on those twilight evenings: all hushed and serene, his eyes gently closed. The way his body would retreat into relaxation, the way his face would withdraw into contentment, as he listened intently to the radio broadcasting the evening news in Cantonese.