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my grandpaarents
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Today , something happened. It might not interest you much , but i am sure this is something i will never forget , though so unremarkable.
My grandma , or 'Ah ma' as i address her , has always been one feisty granny who never fails to let anyone know anything because 1) she enjoys speaking her mind , 2) she talks with a loud voice. So today i was at my grandparent's place as usual but before i left , my Ah ma stopped me.
Ah ma : Xinyi ( thats my chinese name ) !
Me : Ya ?
Ah ma : That ring on my dressing table.. you gave it to me ?
Me : Huh what ring ? I don't know of.....
Ah ma *cuts in impatiently* : Aiya , you ah ! Buy me ring for what ? I got so many rings already , but you still want to waste money buying this for me ! ANd besides , all my rings are made of genuine precious stones and metals , i don't want your fake ring lah. Take it back !
Me : What ring ? I really have no idea what you're talking about !
Ah ma : Cannot be , not you then who ? You're the only one who has such funny ideas
Than at this point of time my grandpa ( or Kong kong as i address him ) said
Kong kong : Aiya , i was the one who brought you that ring lah
Ah ma : Take it back lah , i don't want it. Aiyo.
**end of conversation** ( yah , its mostly in singlish. do drop me a comment should you need any explaination ! )
Without saying anything , my grandpa stood up and my grandma passed the box containing the ring to him . He quietly walked into his room and placed it into his drawer and i don't know why but all of a sudden i felt really touched. All my life , i've never seen the both of them express any affection for each other before , not even one subtle hint. My grandma's like that , loud and speaks her mind but i know that despite putting my grandpa down like that she's secretly pleased and although my grandpa was impassive throughout i kind of feel something for him , but i just couldnt find the right words to describe how i felt at that time. And i can't believe it myself , i actually cried on the bus while thinking about it. haha ! And its not even a sad incident to begin with :P
My grandpa likes to complain to me about my grandma whenever i accompany him for his daily walks , speaking bad about my grandma. He would say things like
"Your grandmother , getting crazier as she ages"
"Your grandmother , never fails to nag at me"
"Your grandmother , she's mad , lets ignore her"
Altough he was straight-faced whenever he poured out his troubles to me i would always hide a chuckle for i find it so comical , the way he describes my grandmother so imaginatively. I guess thats the way they were brought to be because in asian cultures , being openly affectionate was a source of embarrasement and was quite taboo in their times. Theirs was an arranged marriage , and they absolutely did not know each other prior to their wedding. But yet , their marriage lasted through the years just like most marriages in their time. Now , times are different.
Divorces are common because women now know their rights and they simply do not have the tolerance our grandmothers had. I know , some feminists would say that in those days , we were being constantly bullied by the men , blah blah blah. But come to think of it , although i like to see myself as a liberated woman , i like the feeling of being taken care of by my husband , to do his bidding and urm , being dominated ( literally ! what were you thinking of ? ) . I guess the traditionalist in me is making herself heard ! i want to get married !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! But i don't lust for a life behind the kitchen door , cooking dinner , tending to the kids.. Maybe juggle a freelance career as a writer ? Oh my god. Please ignore me. I'm thinking waaaaaaaaay too far ahead. *smacks forehead*
Okay , i know this is a dreadfully boring post. But you see ,i was feeling rather urm , serious. Thus the tone of this entry. But ! I will be back later .
