Things ain't the same no more...

Having my parents around for the next 5 weeks is actually fun! (Not being satirical here at all!)

Right, they are currently enjoying their bonding time their darling children, namely bratty bro and I. Little horrid me was thinking earlier, "What on earth am I going to do with them hanging around for so long? To tell the truth, I've not stayed any time more than 4 weeks with them for the past 15 years! Indeed, indeed, that's the whole truth, nothing but the truth.

This time round, we've made it to the records as we are quarrel-free after a week of bunking under the same roof. In fact, the week felt like it has flown past me, hmmpf! Everyone knows that I love my parents tons, if not to little bits and pieces. However, their fretting over me like I'm an idiotic 5-year-old at all times just drives me up the wall. I swear at times, I'd find more comfort up in the wall than being back down here on normal ground.

The funny thing is that, it's either that I've grown much older where our age differences have fused closer, or it's my parents who have actually mellowed down to become more peaceful. Their serenity could have stemmed from all the recent events and experiences dealing with our relatives and situations within crazily large and extensive family. Perhaps I've picked up on tolerance, mayhaps perseverance or have simply grown wiser? What d'ya think?

I have to admit that there are many instances where it's only a mere storm in a teacup, but our quarrels are always so bitter and deafening. Perhaps we're all just plain eratic as our quarrels usually drain us to the bones, emotionally. I suppose, blood will always be thicker than water, and hence, forgiveness comes easier in dealing with each other. Maybe we're just very elastic people?

So, I was observing Mom and Dad over the past week, and I swear, some things will never change! Indeed, they are as cantankerous as ever. Their 'snapping at each other' still drives me up the wall. For some reason, most conversations they have agitates me to the ends of the earth. I've always tried stopping them from raising their voices at each other, till a couple of days ago. Yes, this time round, it has truly halted me from ever trying to stop Mom and Dad from their unfriendly exchanges with each other. Here goes, Dad's comments, a couple of days ago after I've shouted on top of their 'shouts' to keep quiet and let me drive in peace... Dad said, "Hey, why are you so easily agitated, Mom and I are just having a normal conversation". I gave Dad an incredulous look, and was flabbergasted (rare occassion, aye?). I went, "What???" in my head, and my eyes probably showed all the 'whats?' as well. Dad let the whole thing drop and went on 'talking' to Mom.

The main thing that strike me right after that is that my both my parents are slowly losing their sense of hearing. Good grief, why didn't I notice that? The way the television is blasting away in the house, and how they turned up the radio in the living room like they're trying to fill up a multi-purpose hall with music... It is loud, VERY loud!

Well, I have come to terms with this, and no longer stop them from raising their voices at each other. So, I've begun to pay more attention to the content of their 'talks', and I listened carefully at what they were saying... and true enough, they were having a conversation of agreeing and disagreeing like us normal young uns do...or mid 30s do. It's all that sparring and thrusting kind of conversations just for the heck of it. Hey, they do it, I do it, face it, we all spar and thrust for the heck of it!

Apart from all these, I have too noticed that Mom tries speeding through housework like she used to during her more robust and younger days. She kept running into little accidents, like burning herself at the stove, or splashing hot water accidentally on her feet, or slipping on wet floors and all sorts! No joke, mom's accident proned! It's almost like watching Larry or Moe or Harry (the 3 stooges) doing their little stunts, just that Mom is alone in all these scenes.

Nevertheless, there's nothing comical about this, especially when I have to dress Mom's oil-burned-burst blisters on the inside of her right arm. Let me tell you, that's an ugly and very painful wound. Of course, as I dress her wound before bedtime, I'd nag her. Indeed, Mom's turning me into a nag. I can't help it as she kept on ripping the wound open with her daily housechores. I have no idea what is there to do, and there seemed to be endless things to do in the house. I've lived there for years, and didn't have to slog around that way! To me, there's more to life than spending every waking moment doing housechores! To mom, nothing could seem to wait for another day. This really got me agitated, because I realised that: 1) Mom has grown older; 2) Mom is trying to be efficient but has her limitations these days due to her age; 3) Mom is trying to please us, but we don't need no pleasing.... Indeed, things ain't the same no more when folks grow older, and children grow older.

It has saddened me greatly that acceptance of old age on my Mom's end has to be in place. Dad has accepted it (I remembered he had trouble accepting it in the past and still insisted on trimming tall mango trees himself, where he'd climb up giant mango trees in the garden and start chopping the branches off so that they won't touch the wires or lean against the roof top). So, Dad has now wisened up and accepted aging is a fact, and his movements are limited. He's more sporty in reminding Mom that she's no longer young, and she needn't prove herself to be by being so overly diligent in clearing up housework like there's no tomorrow. Good on ya, Dad!

Sigh... I suppose, when we grow older, it'll take us a while to realise that things ain't the same no more with ourselves - agewise, skillwise, memorywise, keeping abreast with technology and the way the world is... and all that's linked with anything 'wise', though we may have evidently grown wiser with age. I'm just looking forward to Mom's soonish realisation before she hurts herself badly from trying to prove herself too much. She's gotta know that as we age, things ain't ever goin' to be the same ever.