The poolside plan did not materialize as soon as we stepped into the room. The sofa was so inviting and the lull of the aircon just did us in.
Deciding to just rest in the room, maybe it was for the better.
Tonight’s function is a wedding dinner, so gotta look fresh and ready for it!
The term ‘ABC’ has several meanings to us Asians. Typically, it means ‘American Born Chinese’ or ‘Australian Born Chinese’ if the person came from Australia. Depending on who you meet, the usage and situation, ‘ABC’ can also mean ‘Air Batu Campur’ as in our local dessert with shaved ice and toppings.
Many years ago, my brother had some friends visiting from Australia. They are a lovely couple and I think it was the first time my girls met them.
“This is Aunty Connie, say hello,” I introduced a shy M2 to the guest.
“She talks funny,” whispered M1, standing next to me.
Without a thought, I whispered back, “She’s an ABC, that’s why.”
Overhearing what I mentioned, M2 asked,“Aunty Connie’s an alphabet?”
Err… Not quite but in a child’s world, it means just that.
Thursday kicked off a long four day weekend and I had a lunch appointment with a girlfriend who came back from Singapore. The hubby decided to chauffeur me to the mall, along with M1 and M2 in tow, so that they could go have lunch at the mall too on their own while I have my catch-up girl-talk luncheon. The plan was to also go to the bookstore to buy some books so that M1 has something else to keep her occupied during the holidays other than the many seasons of ‘Friends’ that she has been watching. She’s at Season 6 now. As for M2, it is an excuse from her revision regiment.
Two hours went by quickly and all things accomplished, we came home. Then routine kicked in: M1 in front of the computer watching more ‘Friends’, M2 at the dining table back at her revision, the hubby doing forty winks and me, well, crushing candies.
That night, M1 proudly showcased her book purchases again. “Oh my God! You bought Pride and Pre-Juice?” M2 asked incredulously.
“Pre-Juice? Duh! it’s Pride and —‘Prej-uh-dis’—… Prejudice,” M1 pronouncing the word clearly for the giggling M2. Well, it is a big word for M2. There were other titles too that M1 acquired, A Tale of Two Cities and Peter Pan, to add to her collection of other classics.
I was in their room then and it made me curious why would M1, at her age, has chosen such classics to read for I did not read these until I was much older and in college. I remember we had to read and dissect ‘The Great Gatsby’ (which M1 has also read) with in-depth character analysis, storyline analysis and a whole bunch of other analysis in the Literature class. So boring!
Well, she revealed that in ‘Friends’, they talked about some of these classics and she wanted to read them. I guess being addicted to ‘Friends’ is not so bad after all! Looking at the bigger picture, it’s a good headstart to tackling Literature classes when she is college-bound. And way much better than her, occasionally mimicking Janice spouting out the trademark “Oh.. Mah… Gawd!” or breaking out the neigh “Chandler BING-G-G-G!!!” to no one in particular.
The girls love a prank every now and then. It was a typical night when I walked into their room, ready for the nightly ritual before bedtime; M1 was just coming out of the bathroom as I looked at the beds and asked, “Where’s your sister?”
“She’s not there?” said M1. “Maybe she went outside.” I opened the door and called out to the TV room. No reply. Hmm.
I came back into the bedroom and scanned the place again. My first automatic reaction would have my hands reaching out to slide the slightly ajar closet door closed but before it could slide close, M2 popped out from the closet. Thank goodness she didn’t scare the daylights out of me! Phew.
Whatever prank involving the closet both were conspiring pales in comparison to what I did when I was a kid.
I was a mischievous little one. My brother and I were sharing a room then and there were many a night when we would create a ruckus in the room. From pillow fights to heated arguments, this one—done over several nights—tops it all.
Thud… Thud… Muffled giggles… Thud… Thud…
My mother would come and check on us but somehow, we always managed to fool her, pretending to be asleep by the time the room door creaked open. After a quick scan, she’d leave and we would continue. It was so fun!
We were both taking turns repeatedly, climbing onto the top of my closet and jumping off it to land onto my bed, padded with extra pillows to camouflage the thudding sound.
“Geronimo!!!” I would whisper fiercely and leap off horizontally, to land flat on my face (not feet first, mind you!) and then break out in fits of giggles. My brother was equally having a ball. We continued this three feet high Acapulco stunt for several nights until one night, it had to happen.
The landing was not too smooth and there was an unusually loud crack! Oh no. We scrambled for our lives but I think we were not caught.
Weeks passed and we stopped doing this. One day, I was in the room and wanted to open the drawers beneath my bed to take out some things. The drawer just wouldn’t budge. It turned out, a cross bar plank of the bed had snapped right in the middle and had angled into the drawer, preventing it (the drawer) from opening!
I had to feign a very innocent face when my mother wondered how on Earth this could have happened! Heheh…
Subliminally, what I did then could be the reason why the girls have a closet that is built from floor to ceiling and their beds, Tatami-style, so there is no room whatsoever for them to attempt any Acapulco act on me!
This is about me and my only elder sibling dinosaur years ago and I still remember it until today.
I think I was ten or thereabouts and he, three years older than me. We were both having lunch at home and fighting over the last piece of chicken.
“Mine!” I said.
“No. Mine,” he countered. The little squabble went on, it was quite childish.
Then brilliantly, I said, “Can’t be yours. Doesn’t have your name on it!” and stuck my tongue out at him.
With a glint in his eyes, he smirked back at me and said, “Yes it does. C-h-i-c-K-E-N!” and triumphantly pierced the drumstick to savour in my face. I am pretty sure I was willing him to choke on some chicken skin or something.
When M1 was a little toddler (if memory serves me well, she was three) and M2 has yet to be created, I thought I could take a break from being a mom and have some social life. So hubby approves to me having dinner with my girlfriends. I would tell M1 that mummy is just going out for dinner with Aunty Yew Ling and Aunty Geraldine. It will not be long as Jake’s is quite close to home and as soon as we are done eating, I will be home. I said Goodbye several times and reminded the hubby of the do’s and don’ts before I could finally walk through the door.
Upon arriving at the restaurant, the first of the many calls came. “Mummy! Are you there yet?” “Who is with you?” A short little explanation and I hung up. My friends were very patient and understanding; after all, we grew up together and understand each other very well.
In the midst of our girly chatter, another call came through. “Hi Mummy! What are you doing?” “Are you eating now?” “What did you order?” “Is it nice?” “What is Aunty Yew Ling eating?” “What about Aunty Geraldine?” More explanations took place before I hung up again.
But before I could heave a sigh of relief, another call. “Mummy. What time are you coming home?” “Why are you still with Aunty Yew Ling and Aunty Geraldine?” Sigh.
By the time M2 came around, you can be sure girly dinners never happened until much much later in our lives. Amazingly when daddy goes out while the girls are playing, they would not have an inkling of his disappearance. No dramatic acts of clinging onto your legs to prevent an escape. It will be two hours later before they realized, “Where’s Daddy?”
Angieneering 
Remarks