Happy Mother’s Day
To all the Mothers out there, today is for you. ;)
Mom : gui diam tng lai?
Me : mm zai lei, beh kong jin wa la.
Mom : ka za tng lai, zai bo?
Me : han nar, ey la.
Mom : mai di ark kao ruan ruan lai ah.
Me : dia dio beh la, mian kan jiong.- A usual Hokkien conversation between my Mom and me. (Please pardon bad spellings.)
And if you don’t do Hokkien, read the translated version below, please.
Mom : What time are you coming home?
Me : Don’t know, but won’t be home too late.
Mom : Be home early, okay?
Me : All right, I will.
Mom : Don’t try anything funny and get into trouble!
Me : Of course I won’t, don’t worry.- and then translated to English.
That’s what she questioned me a few hours ago before I left for my friend’s house for some games of Magic the Gathering. Actually, that’s what she always says whenever I’m leaving the house. The same old repetitive sentences that sounded more like nagging than anything.
When I was younger, I got extremely irritated whenever she said that. I used to wonder why would she want me to be home early when I would be doing my very own thing and she doing hers — and that thought continued to plague me till not too long ago.
One fateful night, I was at home, playing my games. That night, she was supposed to be home by latest 7PM and the clock was ticking past 10PM already. Although she had previously informed us that she would be home later that day, I couldn’t help worrying. Worrying is like sitting on a rocking chair — it keeps you busy, but gets you no where? Nowhere near that — I couldn’t help worrying.
But eventually she returned, of course. And I managed to tell her that I was worried for her and that she should have at least informed me if she was going to be that late, practically sounding naggy (I know it). And there I was, saying what I disliked hearing most, to someone whom I disliked hearing from. What irony.
Boy, had I learnt my lesson.
So nowadays whenever she asks me what time I will be home, and some other concerns, I will answer with all the information I can provide her with and the usual re-assurance that I won’t get into trouble. Nagging evolved from being irritating to being concerned. And saying is nothing — I had kept my promise these 19 years and counting, and I’m proud of it.
Call me a Mummy-boy, or [insert synonyms here], and I won’t even budge. Because I had worried for her and I know exactly how it feels like to worry for someone. And then I promised myself never to let another soul worry about me unneccessarily, ever.
But most importantly, as we know it, both my Mom and me worry for each other because of the same reason — we love and care for each other, though we don’t say it.
Mom, I love you.
I still do not have the courage to say that 4 words out loud.