ILLUSTRATION AND VISUAL NARRATIVE - Final Project

Arletta Leviani (0337751)
Illustration and Visual Narrative
Final Project

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Final Project: Decisive Moment

We are starting our final project early. We are given a story, everyone have a different story. My story is called 'Maybe Tomorrow'.

Maybe Tomorrow

The sound of a car coming to a screeching halt forced me to put down the Sin Chew Daily
that I had re-read a couple of times by now. I squinted my weary eyes as I tried to make
out the shadows this aged-eyes would allow. All I got was a blurred vision of nothing. I
could hear car doors slamming closed accompanied by faint voices and the rustling of
plastic bags. “Maybe today, eh, Jin?” muttered Ying under her breath as she seized the
week old Sin Chew from my grasp like a ravenous wild animal. The sarcasm in her tone
was like daggers to the heart; each time the wounds grew wider and deeper. Ying had
become the enemy.
“Pa, try this D24, it’s so creamy and rich!”
“Wait, let me get all this flesh out from this fruit first. Ah- girl, ah- boy, you both eat
first. Durian must be eaten fresh.”
“Pa, next week...Musang King!”
“You kids are going to give me diabetes at this rate!”
A loud thud jolted me out of my reverie; oranges spewed unto the floor like wildfire while
some bounced off walls like squash balls that had been slammed against the wall by a
racket. I clumsily wiped off my tears at the corner of my torn and tattered singlet. My boy
gave me this Pagoda singlet. It is very comfortable.
“Uncle, Gong Xi Fa Cai!”
“Hmm...” I rolled my eyes. These Taylor’s kids have been coming around year in,
year out. I forget their names. They come in their fanciest outfits and trendiest gadgets.

Noisy lot. They ask a lot of questions, but bring a lot of supplies. Their instant noodles is
special; their brand of mineral water has more minerals, I think. I must asked them where
they get it from.
“ Uncle, how are you, long time no see...no coffee shop today?” queried the
specky-chap all in one breath. “I’m Sam, remember?”
“No coffee shop today. I think my b...” Before I could finish, I was interrupted with
a game of rapid fire!
“Uncle, your daughter came to visit, ah? You said she was coming. Do you want
to go for a slow walk in the garden? Come, let’s go!” Sam enthusiastically offered.
Sam and his friends were vested in making my day. Ah, yes. Sam, Alvin, Stephen and
Ken. I remember now. These young lads would not take no for an answer, but my mind
was fixated on only one thing. That one thing only. Hence, what was supposed to be a
short slow walk, turned into a long journey of nostalgic recollections; a memoir of sorts, I
would like to call it; at least in my head. One statement triggered it all.
“ Uncle Jin, I brought some old DVD’s of those Hong Kong Movies you like”
exclaimed Ken excitedly with his hair bouncing up and down like some model on the
catwalk. I always wondered how he fitted into those skinny pants.
“Jacky Chan, Andy Lau, Chow Yun-Fat...you name it, Papa has it!”
“Pa, Jet-Li’s ‘Fearless’...did you rent that?”
“Of course, boy. I know what you like”.
“Can we watch it now? I heard it’s fantastic.”

“Wait for your sister. We will watch it together after dinner”.
“ Ah-Pa...please! Let’s watch it now. She doesn’t even like HK movies. No Brad
Pitt...no Angelina Jolie”.
“Okay, okay...don’t tell your sister. Now give me the DVD, let’s watch.
“I will get the char kuay teow, Pa. Green tea or Pu-Err?”
The piercing smell of the orange peel invaded my thoughts. Alvin handed me a couple of
segments. Each time I popped it in my mouth, there was a huge explosion of myriads of
orange pulp coming together springing life back into me. Or so I thought. The bitterness
of the pith lingered like the remnants of a Panadol at the back of my tongue. I gulped
down copious amounts of that extra-added mineral water to drown out the memories.
“Have you?” quizzed Sam.
“Huh, what? Have I what?”. I was confused, for that moment felt like I was
aggressively snatched and thrown back into a dimension that I was not happy to be a part
of.
“Have you seen your grandchild? You told us the other time that your daughter
had just given birth” Stephen reiterated.
“Hmm...yes. Last week. My girl is now teaching. School holidays just ended.” I
tried to muster strength to hold a conversation I was not interested in. If I bore them
enough, perhaps they will take me back inside. The 12pm sun was eating into my pale
skin making it dry and itchy. I had recently developed pigmentation around the face area.

Well, I was not 21 anymore. What was I expecting at 63? Diabetes. All that Durian finally
caught up with me.
“Shall we go back in?” Ken suggested.
“Yes. I want to be there in case my b...”.
“Let’s go” Sam intercepted before I could finish my sentence.
I feebly gathered paced dragging myself to the lounge area where the other kids had
started singing some familiar songs from the Beatles. They try. They really do. Once in a
while I would steal glances at the main entrance of Yi Xing in anticipation. Three years in
Yi Xing is like eternity. Much has changed. We have a new government. Sin Chew
reported so. I could barely hear myself think with the blaring of ‘Footloose’ in the
background. Quite a cheerful bunch of kids these were. With their cacophonous voices,
they did in fact bring fizz and colour to our mundane existence; an existence that was
slowly turning into a predicament; a damnation, if you asked me.
“Eh Jin...still waiting, ah?” Ying nudged me mockingly. It had become routine for
Ying to poke fun at me for waiting and waiting. Somewhat the cynic, Ying had grown to
accept that she was not wanted nor needed by her family having become the oldest
resident here at, Yi Xing. She had grown a thick skin, was bossy and took comfort is
others’ plights.
“Give it up, Jin...such is life. Your s...”
“Hold your tongue, Ying! Just hold your tongue!”. I cut her off mid-sentence, got up
from the rickety chair and stormed out into the yard. At least I imagined storming out. I

saw Stephen and Alvin come after me from the corner of my eye. I felt my blood boil. I
felt my muscles tensing up. I felt a sharp pain to my chest. The daggers, they found my
heart. There it was, the widening gape from before. I let it bleed.
“Uncle, uncle...are you alright? Do you need anything? “
“Uncle is just getting old, boys. I miss my family sometimes.”
“But I thought your daughter...”
“Yes, my daughter.” At this point I had my head slung in a way that I knew this was
the end”.
“Who are you waiting for then? You’re always searching for something, looking for
someone. Your eyes, they are always on the front gate” said Stephen in an investigative
tone.
With a heavy heart and tears welling up in both eyes, I murmured, “I have two

children. Maybe tomorrow”.

All my progress, mood board, and concept board:
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1a77OXlULfNxCrWj83UEzmC1yr6kflKv_GPrJ0fPjzCk/edit?usp=sharing

Fig 1.1 my final work in pdf

Fig 1.2 animated final