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Bridge
By peace | January 25, 2012
The Helix Bridge
The Helix Bridge , previously known as the Double Helix Bridge , is a pedestrian bridge linking Marina Centre with Marina South in the Marina Bay area in Singapore.
Once there were two brothers who lived on adjoining farms. They shared their machinery, traded labour and goods as needed, ate meals and enjoyed jokes together all through the years. The collaboration and their brotherhood was the envy of all the residents in the vicinity.
But one day, a small misunderstanding started a rift between the two brothers. The minor dispute grew into a major argument and finally burst into a furore of bitter word exchange. The conflict had tarnished their relationship. Then a cold war between them developed after that and the two were never seen talking to each other ever again.
One morning there was a knock on the elder brother, Peter’s front door. He opened it to find a man with a carpentry toolbox. “I’m looking for a few days’ work,” he said. “Perhaps you have a small job here for me to help you out with?”
“Yes,” Peter responded,”as a matter of fact, I have just the right job for you to do immediately.” He pointed at the neighboring farm. “Look across the creek at that farm. That’s my neighbor. In fact, he is my younger brother. Last week, there was a meadow between us. He took a bulldozer to remove the earth and now there is a creek between us. I bet he did this on purpose to spite me. Fine, tit for tat. See that pile of lumber by the barn? I want you to build me a fence, three meters high, so I won’t need to see his farm or his face anymore. And oh yes, I have to rush to town and will be back by sunset.”
The carpenter said,”I think I understand the situation. I am just the person you need and I know exactly what to do. Show me the nails and the posthole digger and I will be able to complete the job by the time you return.”
The elder brother left and the carpenter worked hard on his task. He measured, sawed, nailed and trimmed without taking even a short rest. At sunset when Peter returned, the carpenter had finished his job.
When he saw what the carpenter had done, he was awe-stricken. There was no fence there at all. It was a bridge — a bridge that stretched across the creek connecting his farm to his brother’s. It was a fine piece of work, complete with handrails.
As Peter stood on his side of the bridge looking across the creek, he saw a figure running towards the beige on the other side. It was his younger brother coming towards them with his hands outstretched.
“You are indeed magnanimous, my brother. Imagine building this bridge after all I have said and done,” the younger brother shouted as he approached his elder brother. Peter rushed towards him and the two brothers embraced each other.
They turned to see the carpenter hoist his toolbox onto his shoulder. “No, wait. Please stay for a few days more. I have more jobs for you.” requested Peter.
“I’d love to stay on,” the carpenter replied, “but I have many more bridges to build.”
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