Kuih Bahulu

I was buying kuih bahulu from a Malay stall at the interchange when the stall keeper asked me if Calder can talk. How did she know he has special needs? He wasn't bouncing around. Then it occurred to me: No mother would speak to a typical teenage boy the way I talked to Calder. Our bus had arrived and I had wrapped my hand around his upper arm and was gently assuring him, "Calder, it's ok. We are not in a hurry. We can take the next bus." Indeed sometimes persons with special needs stand out not because of their demeanor or behavior but because of the tenderness their caregivers display.