I am supposedly to work through lunch but somehow something got me to writing. And very much like some people, I can be a random with my task, one minute this, the other minute that, but all would be done in an hour. I just have this funny way of working at times. So if someone is to ask me how much of a discipline I actually have to just focus at one thing at a time, not much.
Unless of course, it is about uncompromised delivery of something at work which I can't get away, then it's 101% mental focus. Not easy. Haha…
My weekend has been great.
Yesterday, my WHOLE family came from Malacca for a day trip and this is the very first time my grandma came to visit me. I miss those family gathering thingy especially with my own family.
I mean, all these while if I don't get to Malacca, the so-called family gathering is with those SOL's family and the billy hilly gang. If you get my drift. Argh! If you cut my heart and sincerely ask me for my most honest answer, I detest being with them and I find them a huge bore because all they talk is about people, the things they have, how much they earn and everything else ALL along the SAME line. Yucks.
Don't ask me where they came from, KL is all I can conclude. Ini la pattern orang KL.
Anyway, back to my family. It is nice to have family together. It is even nice to have 3 generation sitted together, eat, talk and laugh. It's a great feeling. While I was making my cards (rushing for that 20 birthday invitation for Nila), Poh Poh sat nearby the bench I had and chatted.
We talked about a lot of things. Funny, heartwarming, sweet and heartfelt. I realized how much of such conversation I miss with my grandma. I really do. These are the things I used to do with my Grandpa when he was alive. I used to squat by his side when he hand washes his clothes and yak about my life and fill him with whatever he wants to know. It's one of those really priceless things in life.
We spoke a lot. We spoke about my other aunty who married a Malay back in the 70s and got teased by her many, cousins. The funny things they say and they even had the cheek to ask my Grandma teasingly, how is the Malay family to send over the roasted pig? LOL. No pun intended really. Customary in a Chinese marriage, the groom's family is to send over a roasted pig as a gesture. LOL, that got me rolling floor to floor. LOL. Plus they teased my aunty for being a rolling tar barrel!!! LOLOLOL. Because like tar barrel, when they roll on the road, they pick anything and everything up. So it just means, anything for my aunty will do.
Anyway, no pun intended for anything here, no racial nuance, just joking. Plus after 30++ years of marriage, everyone in the entire family accepts Uncle Tapa as a Malay and is part of the family.
Then Poh Poh spoke about my daddy. How much she misses him and how much of a son he is to her. That got me tearing though he is gone for a long 19 years. God, 19 damn long years but honestly, I felt that it was just several ago that he has left us. Time flies. She was reminiscencing how he used to tell people how wonderful my granny is because she always cooks more than enough for us all and ensures we are all well fed. And how good her dishes are. How it is that my dad never complains about her cooking. She also was telling how thoughtful my dad is that at any juncture or time of the day, when she runs out of her cigarettes, he would immediately drive out to get her a pack, without any need to coax or ask. Granny was saying my dad treats her even better than her own sons. And such is life that he has to be taken away at such a young age.
Yeah, I miss my dad too. I miss having a dad to grow up with so that I could share what I have arrive. Looking back, I have come so far. That little girl from Gajah Berang who got bullied and teased by kampung Indian boys who knew nothing about using fork and knife, about chicken chop and salad nor about the nice cars and dining and wining. I do wish he is here so I can bring him to places he never knew existed. Though of course, I had everything in life that money couldn't buy since I was born, I wish I could now shower my dad with what money can buy, just so that we would be able to enjoy what people consider as 'luxury' at least, once in a lifetime. Other than that, I still don't think I did miss out anything in my childhood years, because I had everything I needed to be a good person.
And then, we spoke about my Kong Kong. How Poh Poh met him, how he proposed after 1 year of dating and how sweet Kong Kong was (a man of few words) walking my Granny back to her mum after her few days of marriage. She was not allowed to returned until 8 days of marriage but since she was miserable and home sick, Kong Kong was sweet enough to illegally walk her back to her home to see her mum. How sweet that was. Poh Poh was describing the places they walked through including the infamous papan bridge behind the old market in Bunga Raya.
I could imagine. It was truly heartfelt listening to her tale. And BTW, before my grandma was married, she was a singer of her own right. She used to sing in the clubs and used to get invited by people from other states to sing for their function and etc. Yes, who would have thought this tiny little lady no more than 5 feet, was a songstress, wears tight fitting cheongsam and stilettos heels everywhere she goes. It is only that my great grandmother (grandpa's mum) that does not allow her to continue with her passion after the marriage. Her love for fashion still lives on. As a little girl, I used to wear her heels and walked around, playing pretend. Hehe… nice black heels!
Ahhh, and us, the entire family of children and grandchildren unfortunately can't sing for nuts nor are we as stylo as her! LOLOL. Where did the talent and fashionista vibes go? Hehe...
Of course, we later spoke about my other cousin who is at my age and is not attached to anyone at all. Poh Poh has it said that she's pretty much a confirmed case of spinster. Hahah… spoken with truth, nothing cynical or hard feeling.
You know, in moments like this, I wish to be capturing the moments. Freeze it. Keep them instill in my memory chest, every word and every feeling attached to it. I really wish.
Of course, we later on made Poh Poh to give a thought about coming to celebrate CNY with us all in KL and we also try convincing her to come to KL to live with us when my brother comes to KL one day. Well, I know she'll have to leave her friends behind and her beloved hobby hobby but instead, I am planning to open a community old folks centre for her so at least she has her time spent with people of her same age during the day if she decides to come up. Pray if she needs to come to KL, this place is ready for her after all. It would be great.
Well, it was great. Great having Poh Poh over and the family to yak over with…it was great.
