While I was reading at the coffee shop, my mum called me and asked me to go to the nearby mall because she's there.
That moment, I was back to childhood.
When I was in kindergarten / primary/ secondary school, I envy other kids whose parents pick them up after school.
I know how much my parents love me, but they rarely pick me up after school, because of work.
So rare that I can count and remember every time they picked me up from school.
The most memorable one happened in late June 1997, when I was almost 8.
My mum went to Canada to give birth to my brother. I didn't see her for months.
I remember myself crying so hard at the airport in Alaska, while I came back from Canada with my dad.
I cried so hard that the immigration officer and flight attendants asked if I'm alright. I ignored all of them.
On one typical school day, I went home by school bus.
Then on that particular day, when I got off the bus, it was my mum standing there.
I swear at that moment, time stopped. Everything except my mum became completely blank.
I still don't understand how time stopped, or how real it felt.
But it was exactly how I felt, I swear.
Maybe children do see and experience the world in a different way.
My mum said it was one of my facial expressions that she would never forget:
I was jaw-dropped that she could see my two missing front teeth. (Hey! I was 8!)
And I was so surprised and overwhelmed with joy that I froze.
Of course the rest of the story is me jumping off the bus and ran to my mum.
Then the next surprise: seeing my baby brother for the first time.
So tiny, so sweet, so soft and smells so good.
Today my mum and I went shopping, which is also not common.
Unlike most women, mom doesn't like to shop or window-shop.
And I don't like to shop with company, not even my boyfriend.
Having someone to wait for me to find something I like and giving comments while I don't always take them, is a rather impolite thing that I wouldn't want to do to anybody.
Worse, making a bored man stand in the middle of a women's fashion boutique, holding many bags (and the woman's handbag!), just waiting like he's a servant.
Oh no! The worst happens in the lingerie shops.
Those terribly embarrassed men with 'Can I leave? I wanna see it but as a surprise, not buying it with you...' written all over their faces.
Poor men. (Though not all men dislike the experience)
So today, we went shopping.
Exactly the moment when I was fitted in a tight dress and got on my high heels, not being very 'mobile', my mum spotted a banana in my bag.
She knows me too well to know that it is my least-liked fruit and wondered why it was in my bag.
I told her casually, 'it was given'.
Then pretended to focus on checking myself in the mirror.
Turn around, turn again, left side, right side and the back.
Okay, she's not asking further. Good.
Now I know where mynosiness curiosity and stubbornness persistence came from: my dear caring mum.
She asked, I couldn't lie.
And I told her what happened, very briefly, in just three sentence.
I also know where my honesty came from.
By the time I came out of the bathroom after a shower, from that grin on my dad's face, I knew my mum told him.
I could see the question marks in their eyes. (really)
Yet, I did not intend to answer further, simply because the incident is not important.
I really appreciate what my parents did: they know when to stop asking.
That is respect and trust. They live by example.
They have always thought that I settled down too young.
They like my boyfriend very much. They wanted me to be loved and treated right.
Like all parents, they believe that I deserve the best.
They didn't know that I already found who is best for me.
I know, no one can be sure, but hey! Love is not supposed to be so sure and rational.
I know what I want and I'm truly happy to have found him.
After dinner, I took 30 min off from my work and watched TV with them.
A US comedic series ' Modern Family', my favorite.
It never fails to make me laugh, which helps me relax.
I love the sense of humor of it. Note I wrote 'sense of humor' which is different from 'funny'.
Sometimes it's so hilarious that I tear up because I laugh too hard.
I was laughing my head off and my dad asked, 'want fruit?'
Naturally, I said yes, thinking that my wonderful dad would get me blueberries or avocado.
He got back in the living room, with his hand holding:A THE banana.
I was speechless.
If it's a friend, I might have as well said 'screw you'.
I rolled my eyes and screamed, 'Dad! Not again!'
My dad got that grin on his face which says, 'Got ya! I win!'
My mischievous dad just never got tired of making fun of me or playing pranks on me.
And every single time, he gets me. (Deep deep sigh)
Seriously, they should feel lucky that I still trust people, after all the pranks they played on me.
My parents laughed, shared the banana, and then said with a smile,
'Sweetie, my dearest daughter, problem solved.'
How can I be mad at them?
I am so blessed to be their daughter.
: )
Love,
N
So rare that I can count and remember every time they picked me up from school.
The most memorable one happened in late June 1997, when I was almost 8.
My mum went to Canada to give birth to my brother. I didn't see her for months.
I remember myself crying so hard at the airport in Alaska, while I came back from Canada with my dad.
I cried so hard that the immigration officer and flight attendants asked if I'm alright. I ignored all of them.
On one typical school day, I went home by school bus.
Then on that particular day, when I got off the bus, it was my mum standing there.
I swear at that moment, time stopped. Everything except my mum became completely blank.
I still don't understand how time stopped, or how real it felt.
But it was exactly how I felt, I swear.
Maybe children do see and experience the world in a different way.
My mum said it was one of my facial expressions that she would never forget:
I was jaw-dropped that she could see my two missing front teeth. (Hey! I was 8!)
And I was so surprised and overwhelmed with joy that I froze.
Of course the rest of the story is me jumping off the bus and ran to my mum.
Then the next surprise: seeing my baby brother for the first time.
So tiny, so sweet, so soft and smells so good.
Today my mum and I went shopping, which is also not common.
Unlike most women, mom doesn't like to shop or window-shop.
And I don't like to shop with company, not even my boyfriend.
Having someone to wait for me to find something I like and giving comments while I don't always take them, is a rather impolite thing that I wouldn't want to do to anybody.
Worse, making a bored man stand in the middle of a women's fashion boutique, holding many bags (and the woman's handbag!), just waiting like he's a servant.
Oh no! The worst happens in the lingerie shops.
Those terribly embarrassed men with 'Can I leave? I wanna see it but as a surprise, not buying it with you...' written all over their faces.
Poor men. (Though not all men dislike the experience)
So today, we went shopping.
Exactly the moment when I was fitted in a tight dress and got on my high heels, not being very 'mobile', my mum spotted a banana in my bag.
She knows me too well to know that it is my least-liked fruit and wondered why it was in my bag.
I told her casually, 'it was given'.
Then pretended to focus on checking myself in the mirror.
Turn around, turn again, left side, right side and the back.
Okay, she's not asking further. Good.
Now I know where my
She asked, I couldn't lie.
And I told her what happened, very briefly, in just three sentence.
I also know where my honesty came from.
By the time I came out of the bathroom after a shower, from that grin on my dad's face, I knew my mum told him.
I could see the question marks in their eyes. (really)
Yet, I did not intend to answer further, simply because the incident is not important.
I really appreciate what my parents did: they know when to stop asking.
That is respect and trust. They live by example.
They have always thought that I settled down too young.
They like my boyfriend very much. They wanted me to be loved and treated right.
Like all parents, they believe that I deserve the best.
They didn't know that I already found who is best for me.
I know, no one can be sure, but hey! Love is not supposed to be so sure and rational.
I know what I want and I'm truly happy to have found him.
After dinner, I took 30 min off from my work and watched TV with them.
A US comedic series ' Modern Family', my favorite.
It never fails to make me laugh, which helps me relax.
I love the sense of humor of it. Note I wrote 'sense of humor' which is different from 'funny'.
Sometimes it's so hilarious that I tear up because I laugh too hard.
I was laughing my head off and my dad asked, 'want fruit?'
Naturally, I said yes, thinking that my wonderful dad would get me blueberries or avocado.
He got back in the living room, with his hand holding:
I was speechless.
If it's a friend, I might have as well said 'screw you'.
I rolled my eyes and screamed, 'Dad! Not again!'
My dad got that grin on his face which says, 'Got ya! I win!'
My mischievous dad just never got tired of making fun of me or playing pranks on me.
And every single time, he gets me. (Deep deep sigh)
Seriously, they should feel lucky that I still trust people, after all the pranks they played on me.
My parents laughed, shared the banana, and then said with a smile,
'Sweetie, my dearest daughter, problem solved.'
How can I be mad at them?
I am so blessed to be their daughter.
: )
Love,
N
No comments:
Post a Comment