Luke, someone we all know.

He said he wasn’t like this when he was younger. “I had a temper, and I would flip a table if things didn’t go with my way.”

Luke is one of the nicest gentlemen I have ever met whose every word and action exhibits mild flow of tenderness. His voice registers in a cozy, friendly-to-ear range, and never goes beyond. Monotonous, one may reckon, but it mesmerizes the ears that capture his pitch.

He confessed his true color to be impulsive and cranky, and it was only through frustration that has finally adjusted his bad temper. He said he was very grateful.

He was born in the 70‘s. A time he believes access to money was rather easy and everyone led on a pretty enjoyable life. He thinks his childhood was extravagant with his wishes and desires, but unfortunately he witnessed the turning point where opportunities no longer bestowed to ones who ask for it, and it became very hard to make money despite efforts.

It is later this point that his parent’s construction company faced tremendous problems in their power plant project in Penghu. They ended up losing a billion dollars and the judicial trial is still ongoing to this date . His life then went south and the path that led ahead indeed had bent a man’s knees.

He works for many jobs now.

He pays for many people now.

And yet, he lives without any real support.

His biological mother left him shortly after giving birth to him. “I actually have a half sister I never met. My father said she is now living with my biological mom. It is weird knowing someone who shares blood with you but you never got to know who she is. For one thing, she could be the one walking on the same street with you.”

His “family” consists of not only his step mother but the two elder brothers his step mom gave birth in her previous marriage. The second brother, he mentioned, despises him. The brother would pick up on him and take advantage of him. For example, he would ask Luke to pay more the rent when splitting the bill was what they first agreed upon. He, of course, paid all the rent in the end.

His sister, raising two girls, relies on Luke support as well to barely make ends meet. He would have to take her girls to schools, to girl scout events, pay for babysitters, and even for the bills his brother in law should cover. How strikingly he would need to pay for so many people that share no biological connection with him.

His voice is so soft.

So soft as you hit marsh mellow and it gradually absorbs you.

So soft as if he could console his pain with his soothing tone, telling himself he would be fine and everything would be better…