That time I Loved you

That time I Loved you

 When I was six, my family moved out of the small house in Main Street of the town to a mansion in a brand new subdivision. The location was so new that there was mud in place of grass. Thus, with the help of my siblings, we planted several vegetable and flower patches in an attempt to brighten the area. After a month, landscapers came to lay the sod whereby they plunked it on top of our pansies, and in no time, pea pods, supported by popsicle sticks, grew during the summer.

Afterward, I understood something about subdivision life that I could never wrap my mind around until I read That Time I Loved You by Carrianne Leung. The setting of the book is during Scarborough’s suburban development in 1970. For instance, the comparable houses that were described as ‘three Two storeys and a bungalow, repeated as a pattern and arranged carefully on the streets’ (AUTHOR). Thus, the place specified in the book had to define great things and terrible things. However, there had to, since there were so many people living together.

Leung describes the place that June, the Canadian-Chinese, moves in with her family as being new and located at a serene surrounding. She states, ‘Between the road tar and the pine boards and the wall-to-wall carpeting, the whole place smelled like a new toy, just unwrapped’ (AUTHOR). Most children would often try to imagine what the location looked like before the houses were put up. For instance, they guessed the place had been another neighborhood for other estates, a cemetery, or perhaps farmland. Regardless, the area had been used as a sports ground. The new location was so fresh; it made everyone feel like nothing was impossible.

The dichotomy between what the subdivisions ought to explain is society’s togetherness, good homes, and some of the bad things that could be lurking in the shadows. For instance, racism, failure, and monotony could not thrive in such a place. This is because people would rather be happy. Thus, this picture is laid out by Leung in the short stories that remain interconnected. June is the hub as her friends and neighbors ax the spokes.

Leung is among the Canadian authors who employ fiction to reflect on the past Scarborough versions by meditating on her encounters. Her story helped to reveal common truths concerning the truths and the desires of society, the sense of belonging, and the pain of the experience being out of reach. That Time I Loved You is unique since its focus revolves around the subdivision, which is compared with the poverty levels in east-end Toronto and the dilapidated cluster houses in Chariandys. Such aspects of sub-division are seen within the upper echelons in the community. Regardless, the characters manage to fit in, and encounter roadblocks due to their ethnic perceptions. That is why they are from Canada and live in the same houses as the rest of the people. Therefore, it usually is what people see on the surface that tops their course.

For a long time now, Toronto has enclaved towns such as Koreatown, Little Italy, Greek city, and Chinatown. Scarborough has also had a blend of all those. Therefore, the hope of cultural diversity flourished there and where it crashed into reality. Thus, knowing the harshness of such reality comes from stories such as That Time I Loved You. This is because there is a form of hope that is found here too.

The childish honesty portrayed by June together with images of the person she will become. The woman she will become is undoubtedly shaped by the promising yet unchanging place she lives in, and the landscape consisted of several multitudes is interesting. Thus, one of the truths Leung reveals is that every heart consists of multitudes. However, Leung uses June’s engaging character and the setting to familiarize the reader with her story. Some people could relate to Scarborough, while some could relate to having somewhere been before. Therefore, the characters make the story more engaging and memorable. The story also brings a new way of understanding the world.

That Time I Loved You also depicts a tragic darkness thread in the suicides that are witnessed in the neighborhood. However, June and everyone else do not understand the possible suicide challenge. For instance, their parents could be next. Deaths are witnessed across all social backgrounds, showing the children that being adults is dangerous as no one is ever prepared. Thus, the children start finding clues in their homes through their parents’ guidance. They hope suicide is a plague they can overcome if they see it coming.

In conclusion, Leung understands people of all kinds, as depicted in That Time I Loved You. Therefore, she knows what moment things ought to be perfect when it is least likely to be. Beauty comes from here, such that one has to be ready; otherwise, they will miss it.