Joint Responsibility

I’ve been meaning to write about this since last year, and I have no idea why I’ve been procrastinating writing this down. Perhaps, my temper did not flare enough for me to put it into words. Or perhaps, it is because only today I felt the need to express this, as I’ve seen no changes or progress in the matter that I shall soon delve in.

Frankly speaking though, it’s neither. It is actually because, all my life, I’ve always felt that I delivered my thoughts better through writing than merely speaking. People in my life simply DO NOT LISTEN, or PRETENDED not to, and usually, I have no other place to vent my anger besides places where I could write them down.

Talking to people in my life sometimes is as useless as talking to the wall. Believe me, it’s not that I did not try to communicate what’s bothering me, but they are hardheaded and sometimes do not listen to other’s advice for they think they are such smart ass when the fact is they are a true jackass. I always ended up angrier when I spoke about it because it simply do not work with the hardheaded bastards. I’ve always feel that at least, when I blog about certain matters that’s eating me alive I get a more desirable respond than confronting the matter.

So, allow me to talk about this: Joint responsibility.

No, I’m not talking about joint responsibilities between spouses in their respective household, that will have to wait until next time. This time I’d like to talk about joint responsibility between siblings in caring for elder relatives- such as an aging parent, dying relatives, etc.

You see, dear readers, I’ve always hate freeloaders. They work me up to the point that I feel that I would tear my own head apart if I could. They pissed me off to no end, because ever since I was a little girl, I was thought to walk with my chin up and with dignity and pride, and no matter what I do, I must not freeload on others. I was thought not to beg for help, even if I’m starving on the street.

For some this may not be such a good trait, cuz it often tends to make one suffer than having an easy and luxurious life. But it works for me. It makes me what I am today. It makes me stronger.

Yes, my father had taught me well. He not only taught me the ways of the world, but he also thought me to be a responsible person- where I must be responsible for myself and people around me. And as a firstborn, I was also thought to care for the younger and have compassion for the elders. So even if I don’t like it, I will still be responsible for what I am supposed to be responsible with.

Unfortunately for me, and perhaps my little family too, other people’s father and mothers did not have enough conscience to teach their children what my father had instilled into me through his wise words and actions.

They had spoiled their children rotten, and they were not thought to be responsible even for themselves, and in the end, they take the easy way out by literally going around freeloading and behaves like an irresponsible fool, even when they are already married and have children of their own. These people have a mindset that I could not bear; which is people will clear up their problems for them each time they ask for help.

These people too are the kind of people who will without a doubt forsake their aging parents when the time comes for them to take care of their aging parents. They will give many kind of excuses so that they will not need to take responsibility and be a responsible person. They prefer to pass on their responsibility to their siblings who sometimes have no choice but to take sole responsibility on their aging or sick parents just because the other one absolutely refuse to take do their part and share the responsibility of taking care of their elders.

Among lames excuses that I’ve heard countlessly before and I don’t doubt that I’ll be hearing them again are until the day that I breathe my last:

1. Mum/dad prefers you over me. So just let them stay with you.

2. I’m not financially stable yet. I may be sacked soon… or demoted… or you name it.

3. The economy is not good, I need extra cash to feed my family. Why don’t you take responsibility? Your financial seems better than mine.

4. I have more children than you, whom are going to school… bla bla bla… your brat is not going to school yet, you have less burden than me, so why don’t you take responsibility?

5. My wife/ spouse does not get along well with with the in laws. I will get into HUGE trouble if I take care of of mum/dad. You wouldn’t want me to get into a huge fight and ruin my marriage, will you?

They will give countless of excuses so that they will not be burdened with the joint responsibility of taking care of their aging parents. Taking care of their parents, or giving some sort of allowance to them is considered a gruesome task. They care for nothing but themselves and their own happiness. They gave no thoughts that their behaviour gave problems to their siblings who finds it hard to take responsibility on their aging parents all by themselves-morally and financially.

They said the aging parent in question prefers the other sibling them. But the fact is, their attitude displease everyone. Everyone gets sick of them, and even when people express displeasure towards their irresponsible attitude, they turn blind eye towards the issue and they flare their bloody tempers.

They tell people that their financially unstable and therefore, other sibling(s) who earns more should take sole responsibility on caring for their aging parents. But to me, this is just excuse. If they can afford to spoil their spouse and children with luxury and feed their brats til they become a glutton of a pig, and lavish their wives with expensive and unnecessary things or invest in countless insurance so that they could die a rich man, why can’t they contribute a penny or two as well?

They always say they have no money. Frankly speaking, I just think it’s either a lame excuse to escape the responsibility or poor personal financial management. If their other sibling who earns less than them could take on the responsibility, why can’t they? It only comes to one thing: They do not want to be responsible. THEY DO NOT WANT TO BE RESPONSIBLE! That is why!

They say they have more children, and therefore, the cost of their upbringing is higher than the other siblings. I suppose it never crossed their birdbrain that their siblings too have burdens of their own, and their action have cost problems to their sibling’s family as well.

They said, their spouse does not like their aging parents, and if they provide a roof over the  aging parent’s head, World War III will erupt. My word! I can’t believe it never crossed their mind that their siblings too will have problems with their spouse if they take on the responsibility completely on their own.

I’ve always hate these kind of people, and I can never find it in my heart to respect them, especially when they are a older than me. It disgust me to no end, no matter what excuses they give to justify their action. Never ever ask me to respect these kind of people because if you do, all you get will only be my wrath. I don’t have even a morsel of respect or admiration for such people.

My respect is not for these kind of irresponsible, selfish and obnoxious bastards. They are definitely intolerable, and if they are dead the next minute of my life, I will not mourn for them. Instead, I’ll be having a party to celebrate the fact that one more useless person in my life is gone for good. The absence of these kind of people is a relief, for they only burden others. Good riddance to bad rubbish, I must say.

Unfortunately, irresponsible and selfish people do not die easily. They just don’t get it, and they won’t disappear and I can only hope that retribution will come without fail, and in the future, they will be placed in the same predicament that they have put their parents or their siblings through. Children usually learn from example. And being irresponsible is not a good example to growing children. I hope, one day, they will feel how it is like when their children behave as irresponsible as them when they are old and senile.


Cleffairy: It disgust me that sometimes, people who are older than me are incapable of being responsible for themselves and failed to do their part in caring for their elders. Never ever ask me to give face or demand me to respect these kind of people, because they only deserve blasphemy from me. You want respect from me because I am younger than you? Earn it then!

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The Creepy Grolier Monster

I am not sure if any of you out there have had a nasty encounter with the Grolier monster. They are the kind of monsters in businessman’s clothing and frankly speaking, yours truly despise them to death and wish that these monsters could be sent to the guillotine so that their obnoxious head could be seperated forcefully from their neck and consequently, they could stop stop trying to convince unsuspecting human from buying their products in an extremely persistent manner .

If you are young, single, have no children, then you probably haven’t had your unfortunate meeting with the nasty, time-eating monsters who talked non-stop to convince you to buy their products that in their eyes, are the best in the world.

If you are married, have children, or happens to go shopping in a supermarket with a toddler or children who are in primary school, then you probably have had your own share of nightmare of the Grolier monster. But for those who haven’t had the misfortune to meet with any of this monsters, allow me to tell you what is the Grolier monsters, and what they actually do.

Grolier…it is actually a company that sells educational program. Some of you may have heard of it. Their so-called bestselling product is Magic English and some bloody encyclopedia that I could not give a damn about, and every now and then, you can see their booth in major supermarket where unsuspecting parents lurk to buy their groceries… like Carrefour, Giant, Jusco, and many more.

I was approached by these monsters myself awhile ago when I was on my recent shopping trip with my family. I have to applaud their marketing strategy their booth are usually placed at the entrance or the exit inside those supermarket, where people could not possibly escape even if they tried. Their booth are usually decorated with balloons, huge toys, a tv set, a huge book rack to attract toddlers and children. They even played psychology game where they blow some balloons and offer it to little children as a lure to stop both parents and children to stop by their booth.

Now, here’s my story. I was walking to the entrance of the supermarket with my family and some of the children that I was taking care of. And you know that it is quite common for people to place children inside the shopping trolley so that the children will not run about and get lost at the hyper mart, right? Well, these Grolier monsters will stop at nothing until they sell their products, and will do anything to get parent’s attention or to persuade the children to throw tantrums so that the parents will have no choice but to give in and buy their bloody stuff.

What happened was that these Grolier salesmen will not give in when you told them that you are not interested in their products. They don’t take no as an answer. They are persistent bastards that would go as lowly as to stand in front of your shopping trolley, block it so that you could not push them away and continue to persuade you on the spot to buy their products (Magic English and some bloody encyclopedia).

Even when you told them that you are not interested to buy their freaking products or have no use for their products, they would say that it is good for your children’s knowledge. They claimed that their products are good investment for your children’s future, and the way they said it sounded as if that you and your children know nothing about English or the education world. When you wanted to leave, they will beg you for a bloody 5 minutes for them to explain about their products… and this bloody 5 minutes will usually last for more than 1 hour if you do not escape these bloody monsters.

In this so called 5 minutes… the monster that is assigned to steal your time will explain that they were from a famous publisher and distributer of children’s book called Scholastic. (Scholastic products are good, but these creeps are tainting Scholastic name by performing such an aggresive marketing strategy)

From the website, they claim that they are leader in educational technology, which is helping children around the world to ‘Learn and Read’ with their world renown programs. The product that they will try to persuade you to buy is of course, Magic English books and CD set.

But later, they will proceed to explain that this is Scholastic’s partnership publisher – Grolier’s book stall, and this is their booth, and the booth will only be there for only two weeks, which is a complete lie because they are there almost every goddamn day throughout the year. (I know so because I frequent the hypermarket often enough to know what stall and booth is there all the time and what is not.) Be forewarned, that they will usually tell you that they will only be there for a limited time for a reason-which is to persuade you to buy their products on the spot without any second thoughts.

The monster that’s assigned to you will further introduced you to one of the educational book set which is costed a whooping RM2300. Now, ladies and gentleman that’s such an expensive book set. Bloody hell! You can already buy a bloody laptop so that you children could learn from the world wise web under supervision with this disgusting amount of money.

Anyway, the said book set contains the following items:

  • A few story books and CDs
  • 10 sets of play and learn activities about colors, shapes, numbers
  • A few books on common words and objects which can help your children to pick up more than 3600 vocabularies in each book. They cover a lot of different categories such as zoo, school, adjectives, actions and many more.
  • Almost 30 “I wonder why, encyclopedia books”

However, ladies and gentlemen, if you listen closely enough to the Grolier monsters in the form of sales reps, you’ll learn that they don’t actually sell you books, but put you on a subscription program. It is noticeable because of the monsters’ condescending approach in trying to get sales. The way the behave is as if they are on a mission. No matter what they do, they will try their best to get you to subscribe to their ‘program’.

The monsters in question tried to point out the benefits of their books (especially the encyclopedias) by trying to ask questions for which they don’t think you know the answers. They too will treat you like a complete idiot who does not know English language and any common knowledge at all. This one pissed me off like hell. As far as I’m concern the Grolier monsters does not speak the Queen’s English, and therefore I blasted with some into their face when they tried to imply that I do not speak proper English and not fit to teach the children under my charge the bloody language. The Grolier monster was flabbergasted for a few moment, but quickly recovered by asking me some questions to divert my attention.

Obviously these monsters are the ones who do not understand English, for they do not comprehend the word ‘No’ or “I am not interested’. My encounters with these suckers is completely a waste of time, because I was not interested in their products and by the time they are through with their bla bla bla, the god forsaken hyper mart is already closed and I could not even buy what I intend to buy in the first place by going there. If I could sue them for wasting my precious time, I really would have done that.

Though yours truly have always believe that books are source of knowledge, but then again, this is the modern era. Books are not only the source of knowledge that you could feed to your young children. There are many more ways for you to teach your children knowledge.

While the products are good in quality, but could you honestly expect children who are as young as 3 years old to sit down and pay attention to read every single books and every single CDs that they sold to us? Children usually have short span of attention, and to most, reading are boring. I do not like the notion that the Grolier monsters are trying to send across, which is to leave your children unattended in front of the TV and absorb whatever the CDs displayed. The best way for children to learn is through playing, and that is not what they are doing. Children too need guidance from parents or caregivers when it comes to learning language…not just books and machines. They need human to teach them and books and CDs are best used as reference, that’s what I always believe.

Books, CDs and whatnot are just tools, not teachers. It is also no use if you buy the books and yet the children are not even interested to look at them. Parents who wants to cultivate their children reading habits should realize that it have to be slowly done… by showing them interesting books that they like, or the excellent show of reading habits by parents themselves. And the books that’s bought, does not necessarily have to come in set or bloody expensive. While the Grolier monsters thinks that children should not be exposed to the world of internet so early, I think getting the children IT-savvy at a young age by letting them use the computer often is crucial in this modern era.

Web sites such as Playhouse Disney Channel, Noggin, Sesame Street and the BBC’s Cbeebies have interesting educational web games and content for children so pray tell, Grolier monsters, why do I have to burn a huge hole in my pocket just so that I could educate the children while I can get high quality education program elsewhere for free?


Cleffairy: Some people have been wondering how I look like because I’ve never plastered any of my pictures online. Well,if one day, you happened to browse around in Carrefour or Jusco and whatnot and heard a skinny woman in her early 20s screaming her head off, swearing and hurling creative insults nonstop at a Grolier booth, that would be me.

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It started when I stole my uncle's specs…

May is by far my most hectic month. Workload wise, and family wise. There’s mother’s day, parents& teacher’s day, countless family occasion and dinners, my husband’s birthday as well as my anniversary with my husband. 24 hours a day is not enough for me to use. And I feel almost dead from all of these, but it’s a comfort to know that if my husband is rich, he will goddamn spend money on me and spoil me from the root of my hair to toe willingly and let me have my whims and fancy.

😀

This morning was an amazing morning. I finally had some quiet time for myself though work is piling and bitches and bastards alike are stepping on my tail. I had a quiet time to reflect over my usual cuppa coffee in the usual kopitiam that is usually my source of inspiration. For those who have been hanging around Over A Cuppa Tea long enough would know by now that I’m usually inspired when I had my cuppa tea. It’s been a habit of mine since ages ago that I write over either a glass of ice tea or peach tea. It’s been my personal stimulant since I’ve been in writing industry, and this morning’s tea session triggered a flashback from my past.

I did many things in my life that can be considered foolish and rash and the consequences are really dire. I made countless mistakes in the past. There’s many kind of mistakes in my life. I’m glad I made some of the mistake as some of it makes me a better person. And there are some of the mistake that I truly comes to regret making them. Today, I reflected on a mistake that I made as a child.

When I was 8 years old, I did something terrible that caused me to be the black sheep of the family and my family still converse about it now. I have no single doubt that they have forgotten about it. You guys must be wondering what I did to make people still converse about it after 16 years.

Well, here goes… I stole my uncle’s pair of spectacles during my family’s weekly visit to my grandparents house, brought it home and if I remembered correctly, I hid it somewhere in the rack of the toilet. My father discovered about it after two weeks and as the result I get an earful, and of course, it was returned to my uncle as soon as he made the discovery.

Some of them shunned me secretly til this very day just because I did it. Some of my uncle and auntie would tell their children not to be like me and steal people’s things. And they would also tell their brats not to be like me, because I am bad, and they don’t want their children to be like me. Yes, they still talk about it, no doubt.

My extended family sucks to boot. My grandparents loves to compare each of their grandchildren with each other. Even in the family there’s politics and rivalry. My sister and I hate our cousins because honestly, we don’t think that our extended family loves us unconditionally. It is highly doubtful. Because there’s strong sense of favouritism in the family. It’s clear who is our grandparents pets, and who gets more attention and so on. In that family, if we want to be loved, then we will have to excel, there’s no question about it.

My uncle and aunties loves to compare our achievements and loves to boasts about their brats to the very core. And they will do the best that they can to hide the dirt about their children while I doubt my parents did the same thing with me and my little sister. My father have the tendency to report to his parents and siblings about the dirty little secrets me and my sister had. Things does not change til this very day. Same goes to my mother whose mouth is as big as those sexually unsatisfied housewives in regards of the dirty little things and me and my sister did. She too will let her family know about it, much to my chagrin.

And so, til this very day, each time I make other mistakes, or I don’t live up to the family’s expectation, the suckers would mention that I am not trustworthy since I was 8 years old. My late grandmother used to tell the entire family that I cannot be trusted because I did horrible things even when I was 8 years old.

I remembered what she said. She told my father not to trust me because I stole my uncle’s spectacle when I was 8 years old, and soon I will do many more shameful things in the future. Yes, a grandmother talks that way to her son about her granddaughter. She also told my father not to trust my mother, because my mother will always be in cahoot with me regardless of what I did. And because of her damn fucking bitchy mouth, I think that is why my father never did trust my mother about anything-because he listened to his mother on whether he should trust his own wife or not.

My grandmother is long dead and rotting underground, and yet, til this very day, when me, my sister or even my mother did something that displease my father, he will keep repeating “No wonder my mother told me not to trust you… and bla bla bla”. I hated it when I hear that, because my mother was never in cahoot with me or my sister when we make our bloody mistakes. I hate to hear it to the point that I would be grateful if I could dig her dead body out from the grave and tell it to her skull that she should not have told my father not to trust my mother, because in a marriage, mother in laws should butt out in regards of husband and wife matters.

What’s up with mother in laws? I think typical mother in laws in general hated to see their son have a good relationship with their wife. Nobody is good enough for their precious son, I suppose, but to me, there should not be a second woman in a marriage, and that include the man or the wife’s mother or sisters. If there is a bit of mistrust in one’s marriage, there will always be dissatisfaction between the spouse. I have come to learn about this when I grow older.

As far as I’m concern, at least I know that the mistakes that I did, has nothing to do with with my mother, or other people. It’s completely my own doing. I stole my uncle’s specs when I was 8 years old, that was completely my own doing. I did not inform my parents about report card day and told them to pick it up from school when I was 12 was also my own doing, and it got nothing to do with my mother as well. And yeah, I skipped school for 3 days consecutively and hid in the state library until schooling hour is over when I was 13 too, had nothing to do with my mother. Not to mention when I was caught chatting with a guy in my hostel room when I was in college (that guy is my hubby now). She knows nothing about it as I had my own issues back then.

And, it is not my mother’s fault too that I am not a religious person and definitely not her doing that I was a rebellious and outspoken teenager. It was my nature. I am stubborn. I have nasty temper, and I did not take after my mother though my disposition says otherwise. I have my mother’s beauty. Those traits comes from my father. He’s the one with strong will and short temper. And I’m proud to say that I’m thankful that I took after my father in this aspect. Because of it, I am who I am today. If I were to take after my mother, I would be a timid and introverted person, and definitely would not share all of these with you today.

If my grandmother is still alive today, I would have told her, that this is life. If one is not allowed to make mistake, how do they grow up and learn that things that they did was wrong? People grow up through experience, and if people do not make mistakes, they would never know what is right and what is wrong and learn not to repeat the same mistakes. I would also tell her off, that even if my mother was not the daughter in law of her choice, who gives her the right to condemn my mother and talk bad things about her all the time to influence my father to find someone better when my mother is a dutiful wife? She should have respect my father’s decision regarding to his choice not try to ruin his marriage.

I love my grandmother, but I do have resentment towards her. My mother was not her daughter in law of choice. She doesn’t like my mother though she tried to be civil and polite with my mother. I can tell, because when she was alive, she constantly said and hint that she doesn’t like my father’s wife to be a housewife. She wanted my father to have a wife who is a career woman and of my father’s academic station. And she did mention in front of me before that she would like my father’s ex-girlfriend to be my father’s wife when she was chit-chatting with my aunt. She did not even considered my feelings back then and gossiped about my mother in my presence. But unfortunately for her, my father chose my mother instead. So my grandmother probably resent my mother until her last breath.

My mother takes care of us very well. She cooks every damn day, and we’re all spoil for choice in regards of food. None of us in my little family loves to eat out, because my mother is an execellent cook. She cleans up the house every day, and yet my late grandmother still call my mother useless and doesn’t know how to do housework. No matter what my mother did, was wrong in her eyes, and I used to catch her badmouthing my mother in the kitchen in front of other family members when I was younger. But life is ironic. My mother was the only one who took care of my late grandmother when she was on her deathbed.

Thank heaven my grandmother is dead now, or else, she would be eating my two pence, as I am now much bolder person. Frankly speaking, if my husband did not appreciate what I did for him and listen to his mother on how to run his marriage, I would divorce him without any second thoughts. Men and women may not realize it, but sometimes, their parents CAN undermine their marriage. And it’s not a marriage if there’s three people in it. It doesn’t matter how others view it, but as long as there’s another person in a marriage, then to me, it’s an orgy, because nasty, disgusting and incomprehensible things will happen.

My father once asked me while I was having lunch on why I stole my uncle’s pair of spectacle and hid it. Obviously, my father knows nothing about children’s psychology and I don’t blame him for that. Most parents are psychologically illiterate. Back then I was 12, and in need of my own pair of spectacle. He brought the matter up. I had no answer for him back then, because I too did not understand why I did it. If he was to ask me now why I did it, my answer would have been different. Thinking back, as an adult, I knew exactly why I stole my uncle’s specs and consequently, ‘shame my entire family’.

I was 8. Hardly know how to differentiate between right and wrong. I just came back from oversea one year before. I had hard time in school as nobody could understand my language. I was friendly, but I had no real friends. Then, after 7 years being an only child whose parents dote on her, my mother gave birth to my baby sister.

My sister was 1 year old when I stole my uncle’s specs. My parents were paying more attention to her, and hardly gives me the same attention before she was born. What’s worst, I had no one to go to. I had no one to complain to because my uncles and my aunties thought that since I’m a friendly child, I would have no trouble fitting in. I cannot complain to my grandparents, because I am the first grandchild, in both paternal and maternal side. I was the eldest grandchild.

I am expected to excel and lives up to their expectation, and they too, always compare me with my cousins in terms of academic achievements. I was expected to be a good role model to my cousins who are younger than me. And so, I stole my uncle’s spectacles. I wanted attention. Foolish thing to do, but what can a child do to get someone to pay attention to her again when everyone around her seems to be oblivious to her feelings and needs?

Children do not usually express themselves well. They won’t go around telling their parents that they want and need attention, because they do not even realize that they need it. Their minds are not mature enough yet to have such wisdom. Children do things to get notice, and I am sure, whoever took psychology study, would understand the predicament that I was put into when I was a child.

Not to say this to justify my act. Stealing is wrong, but I am writing this so that my readers who are parents themselves would understand and forgive their children if they ever did something  that similar to mine and love them unconditionally regardless of the little mistakes that they did. Parents should protect their children, and protecting too, means protect their children’s reputation in the eyes of the family.

What good does it do to you when you gives all your children’s dirt to your other family members? Tell me, what good it does to you and your children? The family would continue to talk about it, because people loves to gossip about bad stuff that befalls other people’s family. And your kids will have low self-esteem if the talking goes on continuously to shun their mistakes.

I meant to share my childhood stories with my readers. For those who do not get me…there’s moral in the story of my childhood. They are:

1. Reminder to all parents to not neglect their elder children when they had another child and play the favouritism card. Children are usually very sensitive in regards of parents love and attention. Especially young children. Toddlers too. If they do not get enough attention or they think their sibling(s) is replacing them, they will do anything that they think would make their parents pay more attention to them. Same goes vice versa. Don’t compare one child with another. Each of them is special and unique in their own way.

2. Talk to your children and be their friends instead of judging them and condemning them on the things that they did to displease you.

3. Protect your children’s reputation from being tarnish by extended family members. People can gossip non-stop about your children’s mistakes and wrongdoings. As a result, children grow up being pushed into a small corner and not notice, even though they achieve well in life afterwards. People have no absolute respect for your children, and once a black sheep of the family, will always be the black sheep of the family. People usually remember the bad, and not the good, even when you grow up and have children of your own.

4. Never ever listen to your mother if your mother tries to get you have her ways in regards of your marriage with your spouse. Same things goes with your fathers and whatnot. Marriage is meant for two people, and not three. There should only be a husband and a wife in marriage, not outsiders. Some marriage are destroyed not because of infidelities, but because of the ‘talks’ that certain family members do to cause tension in a marriage. Being a dutiful and filial child does not mean you have to listen to their ‘venting of dissatisfaction’ on your spouse. If you are happy with your own choice, kindly disregard ” I don’t like your wife because she…. ” or ” You know, I don’t like your husband because….” conversation.

5. Trust is a crucial element. If you don’t have the heart to trust your spouse 100%, you should at least trust him or her 90%. Trust is a must.

6. And between families, love must be unconditional. Unconditional love is hard to come by, but you could at least try to love unconditionally.

Cleffairy: Not making mistakes is the biggest crime a human can do, because without mistakes, human learn nothing to improve themselves.

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It started when I stole my uncle’s specs…

May is by far my most hectic month. Workload wise, and family wise. There’s mother’s day, parents& teacher’s day, countless family occasion and dinners, my husband’s birthday as well as my anniversary with my husband. 24 hours a day is not enough for me to use. And I feel almost dead from all of these, but it’s a comfort to know that if my husband is rich, he will goddamn spend money on me and spoil me from the root of my hair to toe willingly and let me have my whims and fancy.

😀

This morning was an amazing morning. I finally had some quiet time for myself though work is piling and bitches and bastards alike are stepping on my tail. I had a quiet time to reflect over my usual cuppa coffee in the usual kopitiam that is usually my source of inspiration. For those who have been hanging around Over A Cuppa Tea long enough would know by now that I’m usually inspired when I had my cuppa tea. It’s been a habit of mine since ages ago that I write over either a glass of ice tea or peach tea. It’s been my personal stimulant since I’ve been in writing industry, and this morning’s tea session triggered a flashback from my past.

I did many things in my life that can be considered foolish and rash and the consequences are really dire. I made countless mistakes in the past. There’s many kind of mistakes in my life. I’m glad I made some of the mistake as some of it makes me a better person. And there are some of the mistake that I truly comes to regret making them. Today, I reflected on a mistake that I made as a child.

When I was 8 years old, I did something terrible that caused me to be the black sheep of the family and my family still converse about it now. I have no single doubt that they have forgotten about it. You guys must be wondering what I did to make people still converse about it after 16 years.

Well, here goes… I stole my uncle’s pair of spectacles during my family’s weekly visit to my grandparents house, brought it home and if I remembered correctly, I hid it somewhere in the rack of the toilet. My father discovered about it after two weeks and as the result I get an earful, and of course, it was returned to my uncle as soon as he made the discovery.

Some of them shunned me secretly til this very day just because I did it. Some of my uncle and auntie would tell their children not to be like me and steal people’s things. And they would also tell their brats not to be like me, because I am bad, and they don’t want their children to be like me. Yes, they still talk about it, no doubt.

My extended family sucks to boot. My grandparents loves to compare each of their grandchildren with each other. Even in the family there’s politics and rivalry. My sister and I hate our cousins because honestly, we don’t think that our extended family loves us unconditionally. It is highly doubtful. Because there’s strong sense of favouritism in the family. It’s clear who is our grandparents pets, and who gets more attention and so on. In that family, if we want to be loved, then we will have to excel, there’s no question about it.

My uncle and aunties loves to compare our achievements and loves to boasts about their brats to the very core. And they will do the best that they can to hide the dirt about their children while I doubt my parents did the same thing with me and my little sister. My father have the tendency to report to his parents and siblings about the dirty little secrets me and my sister had. Things does not change til this very day. Same goes to my mother whose mouth is as big as those sexually unsatisfied housewives in regards of the dirty little things and me and my sister did. She too will let her family know about it, much to my chagrin.

And so, til this very day, each time I make other mistakes, or I don’t live up to the family’s expectation, the suckers would mention that I am not trustworthy since I was 8 years old. My late grandmother used to tell the entire family that I cannot be trusted because I did horrible things even when I was 8 years old.

I remembered what she said. She told my father not to trust me because I stole my uncle’s spectacle when I was 8 years old, and soon I will do many more shameful things in the future. Yes, a grandmother talks that way to her son about her granddaughter. She also told my father not to trust my mother, because my mother will always be in cahoot with me regardless of what I did. And because of her damn fucking bitchy mouth, I think that is why my father never did trust my mother about anything-because he listened to his mother on whether he should trust his own wife or not.

My grandmother is long dead and rotting underground, and yet, til this very day, when me, my sister or even my mother did something that displease my father, he will keep repeating “No wonder my mother told me not to trust you… and bla bla bla”. I hated it when I hear that, because my mother was never in cahoot with me or my sister when we make our bloody mistakes. I hate to hear it to the point that I would be grateful if I could dig her dead body out from the grave and tell it to her skull that she should not have told my father not to trust my mother, because in a marriage, mother in laws should butt out in regards of husband and wife matters.

What’s up with mother in laws? I think typical mother in laws in general hated to see their son have a good relationship with their wife. Nobody is good enough for their precious son, I suppose, but to me, there should not be a second woman in a marriage, and that include the man or the wife’s mother or sisters. If there is a bit of mistrust in one’s marriage, there will always be dissatisfaction between the spouse. I have come to learn about this when I grow older.

As far as I’m concern, at least I know that the mistakes that I did, has nothing to do with with my mother, or other people. It’s completely my own doing. I stole my uncle’s specs when I was 8 years old, that was completely my own doing. I did not inform my parents about report card day and told them to pick it up from school when I was 12 was also my own doing, and it got nothing to do with my mother as well. And yeah, I skipped school for 3 days consecutively and hid in the state library until schooling hour is over when I was 13 too, had nothing to do with my mother. Not to mention when I was caught chatting with a guy in my hostel room when I was in college (that guy is my hubby now). She knows nothing about it as I had my own issues back then.

And, it is not my mother’s fault too that I am not a religious person and definitely not her doing that I was a rebellious and outspoken teenager. It was my nature. I am stubborn. I have nasty temper, and I did not take after my mother though my disposition says otherwise. I have my mother’s beauty. Those traits comes from my father. He’s the one with strong will and short temper. And I’m proud to say that I’m thankful that I took after my father in this aspect. Because of it, I am who I am today. If I were to take after my mother, I would be a timid and introverted person, and definitely would not share all of these with you today.

If my grandmother is still alive today, I would have told her, that this is life. If one is not allowed to make mistake, how do they grow up and learn that things that they did was wrong? People grow up through experience, and if people do not make mistakes, they would never know what is right and what is wrong and learn not to repeat the same mistakes. I would also tell her off, that even if my mother was not the daughter in law of her choice, who gives her the right to condemn my mother and talk bad things about her all the time to influence my father to find someone better when my mother is a dutiful wife? She should have respect my father’s decision regarding to his choice not try to ruin his marriage.

I love my grandmother, but I do have resentment towards her. My mother was not her daughter in law of choice. She doesn’t like my mother though she tried to be civil and polite with my mother. I can tell, because when she was alive, she constantly said and hint that she doesn’t like my father’s wife to be a housewife. She wanted my father to have a wife who is a career woman and of my father’s academic station. And she did mention in front of me before that she would like my father’s ex-girlfriend to be my father’s wife when she was chit-chatting with my aunt. She did not even considered my feelings back then and gossiped about my mother in my presence. But unfortunately for her, my father chose my mother instead. So my grandmother probably resent my mother until her last breath.

My mother takes care of us very well. She cooks every damn day, and we’re all spoil for choice in regards of food. None of us in my little family loves to eat out, because my mother is an execellent cook. She cleans up the house every day, and yet my late grandmother still call my mother useless and doesn’t know how to do housework. No matter what my mother did, was wrong in her eyes, and I used to catch her badmouthing my mother in the kitchen in front of other family members when I was younger. But life is ironic. My mother was the only one who took care of my late grandmother when she was on her deathbed.

Thank heaven my grandmother is dead now, or else, she would be eating my two pence, as I am now much bolder person. Frankly speaking, if my husband did not appreciate what I did for him and listen to his mother on how to run his marriage, I would divorce him without any second thoughts. Men and women may not realize it, but sometimes, their parents CAN undermine their marriage. And it’s not a marriage if there’s three people in it. It doesn’t matter how others view it, but as long as there’s another person in a marriage, then to me, it’s an orgy, because nasty, disgusting and incomprehensible things will happen.

My father once asked me while I was having lunch on why I stole my uncle’s pair of spectacle and hid it. Obviously, my father knows nothing about children’s psychology and I don’t blame him for that. Most parents are psychologically illiterate. Back then I was 12, and in need of my own pair of spectacle. He brought the matter up. I had no answer for him back then, because I too did not understand why I did it. If he was to ask me now why I did it, my answer would have been different. Thinking back, as an adult, I knew exactly why I stole my uncle’s specs and consequently, ‘shame my entire family’.

I was 8. Hardly know how to differentiate between right and wrong. I just came back from oversea one year before. I had hard time in school as nobody could understand my language. I was friendly, but I had no real friends. Then, after 7 years being an only child whose parents dote on her, my mother gave birth to my baby sister.

My sister was 1 year old when I stole my uncle’s specs. My parents were paying more attention to her, and hardly gives me the same attention before she was born. What’s worst, I had no one to go to. I had no one to complain to because my uncles and my aunties thought that since I’m a friendly child, I would have no trouble fitting in. I cannot complain to my grandparents, because I am the first grandchild, in both paternal and maternal side. I was the eldest grandchild.

I am expected to excel and lives up to their expectation, and they too, always compare me with my cousins in terms of academic achievements. I was expected to be a good role model to my cousins who are younger than me. And so, I stole my uncle’s spectacles. I wanted attention. Foolish thing to do, but what can a child do to get someone to pay attention to her again when everyone around her seems to be oblivious to her feelings and needs?

Children do not usually express themselves well. They won’t go around telling their parents that they want and need attention, because they do not even realize that they need it. Their minds are not mature enough yet to have such wisdom. Children do things to get notice, and I am sure, whoever took psychology study, would understand the predicament that I was put into when I was a child.

Not to say this to justify my act. Stealing is wrong, but I am writing this so that my readers who are parents themselves would understand and forgive their children if they ever did something  that similar to mine and love them unconditionally regardless of the little mistakes that they did. Parents should protect their children, and protecting too, means protect their children’s reputation in the eyes of the family.

What good does it do to you when you gives all your children’s dirt to your other family members? Tell me, what good it does to you and your children? The family would continue to talk about it, because people loves to gossip about bad stuff that befalls other people’s family. And your kids will have low self-esteem if the talking goes on continuously to shun their mistakes.

I meant to share my childhood stories with my readers. For those who do not get me…there’s moral in the story of my childhood. They are:

1. Reminder to all parents to not neglect their elder children when they had another child and play the favouritism card. Children are usually very sensitive in regards of parents love and attention. Especially young children. Toddlers too. If they do not get enough attention or they think their sibling(s) is replacing them, they will do anything that they think would make their parents pay more attention to them. Same goes vice versa. Don’t compare one child with another. Each of them is special and unique in their own way.

2. Talk to your children and be their friends instead of judging them and condemning them on the things that they did to displease you.

3. Protect your children’s reputation from being tarnish by extended family members. People can gossip non-stop about your children’s mistakes and wrongdoings. As a result, children grow up being pushed into a small corner and not notice, even though they achieve well in life afterwards. People have no absolute respect for your children, and once a black sheep of the family, will always be the black sheep of the family. People usually remember the bad, and not the good, even when you grow up and have children of your own.

4. Never ever listen to your mother if your mother tries to get you have her ways in regards of your marriage with your spouse. Same things goes with your fathers and whatnot. Marriage is meant for two people, and not three. There should only be a husband and a wife in marriage, not outsiders. Some marriage are destroyed not because of infidelities, but because of the ‘talks’ that certain family members do to cause tension in a marriage. Being a dutiful and filial child does not mean you have to listen to their ‘venting of dissatisfaction’ on your spouse. If you are happy with your own choice, kindly disregard ” I don’t like your wife because she…. ” or ” You know, I don’t like your husband because….” conversation.

5. Trust is a crucial element. If you don’t have the heart to trust your spouse 100%, you should at least trust him or her 90%. Trust is a must.

6. And between families, love must be unconditional. Unconditional love is hard to come by, but you could at least try to love unconditionally.

Cleffairy: Not making mistakes is the biggest crime a human can do, because without mistakes, human learn nothing to improve themselves.

Continue Reading

It started when I stole my uncle’s specs…

May is by far my most hectic month. Workload wise, and family wise. There’s mother’s day, parents& teacher’s day, countless family occasion and dinners, my husband’s birthday as well as my anniversary with my husband. 24 hours a day is not enough for me to use. And I feel almost dead from all of these, but it’s a comfort to know that if my husband is rich, he will goddamn spend money on me and spoil me from the root of my hair to toe willingly and let me have my whims and fancy.

😀

This morning was an amazing morning. I finally had some quiet time for myself though work is piling and bitches and bastards alike are stepping on my tail. I had a quiet time to reflect over my usual cuppa coffee in the usual kopitiam that is usually my source of inspiration. For those who have been hanging around Over A Cuppa Tea long enough would know by now that I’m usually inspired when I had my cuppa tea. It’s been a habit of mine since ages ago that I write over either a glass of ice tea or peach tea. It’s been my personal stimulant since I’ve been in writing industry, and this morning’s tea session triggered a flashback from my past.

I did many things in my life that can be considered foolish and rash and the consequences are really dire. I made countless mistakes in the past. There’s many kind of mistakes in my life. I’m glad I made some of the mistake as some of it makes me a better person. And there are some of the mistake that I truly comes to regret making them. Today, I reflected on a mistake that I made as a child.

When I was 8 years old, I did something terrible that caused me to be the black sheep of the family and my family still converse about it now. I have no single doubt that they have forgotten about it. You guys must be wondering what I did to make people still converse about it after 16 years.

Well, here goes… I stole my uncle’s pair of spectacles during my family’s weekly visit to my grandparents house, brought it home and if I remembered correctly, I hid it somewhere in the rack of the toilet. My father discovered about it after two weeks and as the result I get an earful, and of course, it was returned to my uncle as soon as he made the discovery.

Some of them shunned me secretly til this very day just because I did it. Some of my uncle and auntie would tell their children not to be like me and steal people’s things. And they would also tell their brats not to be like me, because I am bad, and they don’t want their children to be like me. Yes, they still talk about it, no doubt.

My extended family sucks to boot. My grandparents loves to compare each of their grandchildren with each other. Even in the family there’s politics and rivalry. My sister and I hate our cousins because honestly, we don’t think that our extended family loves us unconditionally. It is highly doubtful. Because there’s strong sense of favouritism in the family. It’s clear who is our grandparents pets, and who gets more attention and so on. In that family, if we want to be loved, then we will have to excel, there’s no question about it.

My uncle and aunties loves to compare our achievements and loves to boasts about their brats to the very core. And they will do the best that they can to hide the dirt about their children while I doubt my parents did the same thing with me and my little sister. My father have the tendency to report to his parents and siblings about the dirty little secrets me and my sister had. Things does not change til this very day. Same goes to my mother whose mouth is as big as those sexually unsatisfied housewives in regards of the dirty little things and me and my sister did. She too will let her family know about it, much to my chagrin.

And so, til this very day, each time I make other mistakes, or I don’t live up to the family’s expectation, the suckers would mention that I am not trustworthy since I was 8 years old. My late grandmother used to tell the entire family that I cannot be trusted because I did horrible things even when I was 8 years old.

I remembered what she said. She told my father not to trust me because I stole my uncle’s spectacle when I was 8 years old, and soon I will do many more shameful things in the future. Yes, a grandmother talks that way to her son about her granddaughter. She also told my father not to trust my mother, because my mother will always be in cahoot with me regardless of what I did. And because of her damn fucking bitchy mouth, I think that is why my father never did trust my mother about anything-because he listened to his mother on whether he should trust his own wife or not.

My grandmother is long dead and rotting underground, and yet, til this very day, when me, my sister or even my mother did something that displease my father, he will keep repeating “No wonder my mother told me not to trust you… and bla bla bla”. I hated it when I hear that, because my mother was never in cahoot with me or my sister when we make our bloody mistakes. I hate to hear it to the point that I would be grateful if I could dig her dead body out from the grave and tell it to her skull that she should not have told my father not to trust my mother, because in a marriage, mother in laws should butt out in regards of husband and wife matters.

What’s up with mother in laws? I think typical mother in laws in general hated to see their son have a good relationship with their wife. Nobody is good enough for their precious son, I suppose, but to me, there should not be a second woman in a marriage, and that include the man or the wife’s mother or sisters. If there is a bit of mistrust in one’s marriage, there will always be dissatisfaction between the spouse. I have come to learn about this when I grow older.

As far as I’m concern, at least I know that the mistakes that I did, has nothing to do with with my mother, or other people. It’s completely my own doing. I stole my uncle’s specs when I was 8 years old, that was completely my own doing. I did not inform my parents about report card day and told them to pick it up from school when I was 12 was also my own doing, and it got nothing to do with my mother as well. And yeah, I skipped school for 3 days consecutively and hid in the state library until schooling hour is over when I was 13 too, had nothing to do with my mother. Not to mention when I was caught chatting with a guy in my hostel room when I was in college (that guy is my hubby now). She knows nothing about it as I had my own issues back then.

And, it is not my mother’s fault too that I am not a religious person and definitely not her doing that I was a rebellious and outspoken teenager. It was my nature. I am stubborn. I have nasty temper, and I did not take after my mother though my disposition says otherwise. I have my mother’s beauty. Those traits comes from my father. He’s the one with strong will and short temper. And I’m proud to say that I’m thankful that I took after my father in this aspect. Because of it, I am who I am today. If I were to take after my mother, I would be a timid and introverted person, and definitely would not share all of these with you today.

If my grandmother is still alive today, I would have told her, that this is life. If one is not allowed to make mistake, how do they grow up and learn that things that they did was wrong? People grow up through experience, and if people do not make mistakes, they would never know what is right and what is wrong and learn not to repeat the same mistakes. I would also tell her off, that even if my mother was not the daughter in law of her choice, who gives her the right to condemn my mother and talk bad things about her all the time to influence my father to find someone better when my mother is a dutiful wife? She should have respect my father’s decision regarding to his choice not try to ruin his marriage.

I love my grandmother, but I do have resentment towards her. My mother was not her daughter in law of choice. She doesn’t like my mother though she tried to be civil and polite with my mother. I can tell, because when she was alive, she constantly said and hint that she doesn’t like my father’s wife to be a housewife. She wanted my father to have a wife who is a career woman and of my father’s academic station. And she did mention in front of me before that she would like my father’s ex-girlfriend to be my father’s wife when she was chit-chatting with my aunt. She did not even considered my feelings back then and gossiped about my mother in my presence. But unfortunately for her, my father chose my mother instead. So my grandmother probably resent my mother until her last breath.

My mother takes care of us very well. She cooks every damn day, and we’re all spoil for choice in regards of food. None of us in my little family loves to eat out, because my mother is an execellent cook. She cleans up the house every day, and yet my late grandmother still call my mother useless and doesn’t know how to do housework. No matter what my mother did, was wrong in her eyes, and I used to catch her badmouthing my mother in the kitchen in front of other family members when I was younger. But life is ironic. My mother was the only one who took care of my late grandmother when she was on her deathbed.

Thank heaven my grandmother is dead now, or else, she would be eating my two pence, as I am now much bolder person. Frankly speaking, if my husband did not appreciate what I did for him and listen to his mother on how to run his marriage, I would divorce him without any second thoughts. Men and women may not realize it, but sometimes, their parents CAN undermine their marriage. And it’s not a marriage if there’s three people in it. It doesn’t matter how others view it, but as long as there’s another person in a marriage, then to me, it’s an orgy, because nasty, disgusting and incomprehensible things will happen.

My father once asked me while I was having lunch on why I stole my uncle’s pair of spectacle and hid it. Obviously, my father knows nothing about children’s psychology and I don’t blame him for that. Most parents are psychologically illiterate. Back then I was 12, and in need of my own pair of spectacle. He brought the matter up. I had no answer for him back then, because I too did not understand why I did it. If he was to ask me now why I did it, my answer would have been different. Thinking back, as an adult, I knew exactly why I stole my uncle’s specs and consequently, ‘shame my entire family’.

I was 8. Hardly know how to differentiate between right and wrong. I just came back from oversea one year before. I had hard time in school as nobody could understand my language. I was friendly, but I had no real friends. Then, after 7 years being an only child whose parents dote on her, my mother gave birth to my baby sister.

My sister was 1 year old when I stole my uncle’s specs. My parents were paying more attention to her, and hardly gives me the same attention before she was born. What’s worst, I had no one to go to. I had no one to complain to because my uncles and my aunties thought that since I’m a friendly child, I would have no trouble fitting in. I cannot complain to my grandparents, because I am the first grandchild, in both paternal and maternal side. I was the eldest grandchild.

I am expected to excel and lives up to their expectation, and they too, always compare me with my cousins in terms of academic achievements. I was expected to be a good role model to my cousins who are younger than me. And so, I stole my uncle’s spectacles. I wanted attention. Foolish thing to do, but what can a child do to get someone to pay attention to her again when everyone around her seems to be oblivious to her feelings and needs?

Children do not usually express themselves well. They won’t go around telling their parents that they want and need attention, because they do not even realize that they need it. Their minds are not mature enough yet to have such wisdom. Children do things to get notice, and I am sure, whoever took psychology study, would understand the predicament that I was put into when I was a child.

Not to say this to justify my act. Stealing is wrong, but I am writing this so that my readers who are parents themselves would understand and forgive their children if they ever did something  that similar to mine and love them unconditionally regardless of the little mistakes that they did. Parents should protect their children, and protecting too, means protect their children’s reputation in the eyes of the family.

What good does it do to you when you gives all your children’s dirt to your other family members? Tell me, what good it does to you and your children? The family would continue to talk about it, because people loves to gossip about bad stuff that befalls other people’s family. And your kids will have low self-esteem if the talking goes on continuously to shun their mistakes.

I meant to share my childhood stories with my readers. For those who do not get me…there’s moral in the story of my childhood. They are:

1. Reminder to all parents to not neglect their elder children when they had another child and play the favouritism card. Children are usually very sensitive in regards of parents love and attention. Especially young children. Toddlers too. If they do not get enough attention or they think their sibling(s) is replacing them, they will do anything that they think would make their parents pay more attention to them. Same goes vice versa. Don’t compare one child with another. Each of them is special and unique in their own way.

2. Talk to your children and be their friends instead of judging them and condemning them on the things that they did to displease you.

3. Protect your children’s reputation from being tarnish by extended family members. People can gossip non-stop about your children’s mistakes and wrongdoings. As a result, children grow up being pushed into a small corner and not notice, even though they achieve well in life afterwards. People have no absolute respect for your children, and once a black sheep of the family, will always be the black sheep of the family. People usually remember the bad, and not the good, even when you grow up and have children of your own.

4. Never ever listen to your mother if your mother tries to get you have her ways in regards of your marriage with your spouse. Same things goes with your fathers and whatnot. Marriage is meant for two people, and not three. There should only be a husband and a wife in marriage, not outsiders. Some marriage are destroyed not because of infidelities, but because of the ‘talks’ that certain family members do to cause tension in a marriage. Being a dutiful and filial child does not mean you have to listen to their ‘venting of dissatisfaction’ on your spouse. If you are happy with your own choice, kindly disregard ” I don’t like your wife because she…. ” or ” You know, I don’t like your husband because….” conversation.

5. Trust is a crucial element. If you don’t have the heart to trust your spouse 100%, you should at least trust him or her 90%. Trust is a must.

6. And between families, love must be unconditional. Unconditional love is hard to come by, but you could at least try to love unconditionally.

Cleffairy: Not making mistakes is the biggest crime a human can do, because without mistakes, human learn nothing to improve themselves.

Continue Reading

It started when I stole my uncle’s specs…

May is by far my most hectic month. Workload wise, and family wise. There’s mother’s day, parents& teacher’s day, countless family occasion and dinners, my husband’s birthday as well as my anniversary with my husband. 24 hours a day is not enough for me to use. And I feel almost dead from all of these, but it’s a comfort to know that if my husband is rich, he will goddamn spend money on me and spoil me from the root of my hair to toe willingly and let me have my whims and fancy.

😀

This morning was an amazing morning. I finally had some quiet time for myself though work is piling and bitches and bastards alike are stepping on my tail. I had a quiet time to reflect over my usual cuppa coffee in the usual kopitiam that is usually my source of inspiration. For those who have been hanging around Over A Cuppa Tea long enough would know by now that I’m usually inspired when I had my cuppa tea. It’s been a habit of mine since ages ago that I write over either a glass of ice tea or peach tea. It’s been my personal stimulant since I’ve been in writing industry, and this morning’s tea session triggered a flashback from my past.

I did many things in my life that can be considered foolish and rash and the consequences are really dire. I made countless mistakes in the past. There’s many kind of mistakes in my life. I’m glad I made some of the mistake as some of it makes me a better person. And there are some of the mistake that I truly comes to regret making them. Today, I reflected on a mistake that I made as a child.

When I was 8 years old, I did something terrible that caused me to be the black sheep of the family and my family still converse about it now. I have no single doubt that they have forgotten about it. You guys must be wondering what I did to make people still converse about it after 16 years.

Well, here goes… I stole my uncle’s pair of spectacles during my family’s weekly visit to my grandparents house, brought it home and if I remembered correctly, I hid it somewhere in the rack of the toilet. My father discovered about it after two weeks and as the result I get an earful, and of course, it was returned to my uncle as soon as he made the discovery.

Some of them shunned me secretly til this very day just because I did it. Some of my uncle and auntie would tell their children not to be like me and steal people’s things. And they would also tell their brats not to be like me, because I am bad, and they don’t want their children to be like me. Yes, they still talk about it, no doubt.

My extended family sucks to boot. My grandparents loves to compare each of their grandchildren with each other. Even in the family there’s politics and rivalry. My sister and I hate our cousins because honestly, we don’t think that our extended family loves us unconditionally. It is highly doubtful. Because there’s strong sense of favouritism in the family. It’s clear who is our grandparents pets, and who gets more attention and so on. In that family, if we want to be loved, then we will have to excel, there’s no question about it.

My uncle and aunties loves to compare our achievements and loves to boasts about their brats to the very core. And they will do the best that they can to hide the dirt about their children while I doubt my parents did the same thing with me and my little sister. My father have the tendency to report to his parents and siblings about the dirty little secrets me and my sister had. Things does not change til this very day. Same goes to my mother whose mouth is as big as those sexually unsatisfied housewives in regards of the dirty little things and me and my sister did. She too will let her family know about it, much to my chagrin.

And so, til this very day, each time I make other mistakes, or I don’t live up to the family’s expectation, the suckers would mention that I am not trustworthy since I was 8 years old. My late grandmother used to tell the entire family that I cannot be trusted because I did horrible things even when I was 8 years old.

I remembered what she said. She told my father not to trust me because I stole my uncle’s spectacle when I was 8 years old, and soon I will do many more shameful things in the future. Yes, a grandmother talks that way to her son about her granddaughter. She also told my father not to trust my mother, because my mother will always be in cahoot with me regardless of what I did. And because of her damn fucking bitchy mouth, I think that is why my father never did trust my mother about anything-because he listened to his mother on whether he should trust his own wife or not.

My grandmother is long dead and rotting underground, and yet, til this very day, when me, my sister or even my mother did something that displease my father, he will keep repeating “No wonder my mother told me not to trust you… and bla bla bla”. I hated it when I hear that, because my mother was never in cahoot with me or my sister when we make our bloody mistakes. I hate to hear it to the point that I would be grateful if I could dig her dead body out from the grave and tell it to her skull that she should not have told my father not to trust my mother, because in a marriage, mother in laws should butt out in regards of husband and wife matters.

What’s up with mother in laws? I think typical mother in laws in general hated to see their son have a good relationship with their wife. Nobody is good enough for their precious son, I suppose, but to me, there should not be a second woman in a marriage, and that include the man or the wife’s mother or sisters. If there is a bit of mistrust in one’s marriage, there will always be dissatisfaction between the spouse. I have come to learn about this when I grow older.

As far as I’m concern, at least I know that the mistakes that I did, has nothing to do with with my mother, or other people. It’s completely my own doing. I stole my uncle’s specs when I was 8 years old, that was completely my own doing. I did not inform my parents about report card day and told them to pick it up from school when I was 12 was also my own doing, and it got nothing to do with my mother as well. And yeah, I skipped school for 3 days consecutively and hid in the state library until schooling hour is over when I was 13 too, had nothing to do with my mother. Not to mention when I was caught chatting with a guy in my hostel room when I was in college (that guy is my hubby now). She knows nothing about it as I had my own issues back then.

And, it is not my mother’s fault too that I am not a religious person and definitely not her doing that I was a rebellious and outspoken teenager. It was my nature. I am stubborn. I have nasty temper, and I did not take after my mother though my disposition says otherwise. I have my mother’s beauty. Those traits comes from my father. He’s the one with strong will and short temper. And I’m proud to say that I’m thankful that I took after my father in this aspect. Because of it, I am who I am today. If I were to take after my mother, I would be a timid and introverted person, and definitely would not share all of these with you today.

If my grandmother is still alive today, I would have told her, that this is life. If one is not allowed to make mistake, how do they grow up and learn that things that they did was wrong? People grow up through experience, and if people do not make mistakes, they would never know what is right and what is wrong and learn not to repeat the same mistakes. I would also tell her off, that even if my mother was not the daughter in law of her choice, who gives her the right to condemn my mother and talk bad things about her all the time to influence my father to find someone better when my mother is a dutiful wife? She should have respect my father’s decision regarding to his choice not try to ruin his marriage.

I love my grandmother, but I do have resentment towards her. My mother was not her daughter in law of choice. She doesn’t like my mother though she tried to be civil and polite with my mother. I can tell, because when she was alive, she constantly said and hint that she doesn’t like my father’s wife to be a housewife. She wanted my father to have a wife who is a career woman and of my father’s academic station. And she did mention in front of me before that she would like my father’s ex-girlfriend to be my father’s wife when she was chit-chatting with my aunt. She did not even considered my feelings back then and gossiped about my mother in my presence. But unfortunately for her, my father chose my mother instead. So my grandmother probably resent my mother until her last breath.

My mother takes care of us very well. She cooks every damn day, and we’re all spoil for choice in regards of food. None of us in my little family loves to eat out, because my mother is an execellent cook. She cleans up the house every day, and yet my late grandmother still call my mother useless and doesn’t know how to do housework. No matter what my mother did, was wrong in her eyes, and I used to catch her badmouthing my mother in the kitchen in front of other family members when I was younger. But life is ironic. My mother was the only one who took care of my late grandmother when she was on her deathbed.

Thank heaven my grandmother is dead now, or else, she would be eating my two pence, as I am now much bolder person. Frankly speaking, if my husband did not appreciate what I did for him and listen to his mother on how to run his marriage, I would divorce him without any second thoughts. Men and women may not realize it, but sometimes, their parents CAN undermine their marriage. And it’s not a marriage if there’s three people in it. It doesn’t matter how others view it, but as long as there’s another person in a marriage, then to me, it’s an orgy, because nasty, disgusting and incomprehensible things will happen.

My father once asked me while I was having lunch on why I stole my uncle’s pair of spectacle and hid it. Obviously, my father knows nothing about children’s psychology and I don’t blame him for that. Most parents are psychologically illiterate. Back then I was 12, and in need of my own pair of spectacle. He brought the matter up. I had no answer for him back then, because I too did not understand why I did it. If he was to ask me now why I did it, my answer would have been different. Thinking back, as an adult, I knew exactly why I stole my uncle’s specs and consequently, ‘shame my entire family’.

I was 8. Hardly know how to differentiate between right and wrong. I just came back from oversea one year before. I had hard time in school as nobody could understand my language. I was friendly, but I had no real friends. Then, after 7 years being an only child whose parents dote on her, my mother gave birth to my baby sister.

My sister was 1 year old when I stole my uncle’s specs. My parents were paying more attention to her, and hardly gives me the same attention before she was born. What’s worst, I had no one to go to. I had no one to complain to because my uncles and my aunties thought that since I’m a friendly child, I would have no trouble fitting in. I cannot complain to my grandparents, because I am the first grandchild, in both paternal and maternal side. I was the eldest grandchild.

I am expected to excel and lives up to their expectation, and they too, always compare me with my cousins in terms of academic achievements. I was expected to be a good role model to my cousins who are younger than me. And so, I stole my uncle’s spectacles. I wanted attention. Foolish thing to do, but what can a child do to get someone to pay attention to her again when everyone around her seems to be oblivious to her feelings and needs?

Children do not usually express themselves well. They won’t go around telling their parents that they want and need attention, because they do not even realize that they need it. Their minds are not mature enough yet to have such wisdom. Children do things to get notice, and I am sure, whoever took psychology study, would understand the predicament that I was put into when I was a child.

Not to say this to justify my act. Stealing is wrong, but I am writing this so that my readers who are parents themselves would understand and forgive their children if they ever did something  that similar to mine and love them unconditionally regardless of the little mistakes that they did. Parents should protect their children, and protecting too, means protect their children’s reputation in the eyes of the family.

What good does it do to you when you gives all your children’s dirt to your other family members? Tell me, what good it does to you and your children? The family would continue to talk about it, because people loves to gossip about bad stuff that befalls other people’s family. And your kids will have low self-esteem if the talking goes on continuously to shun their mistakes.

I meant to share my childhood stories with my readers. For those who do not get me…there’s moral in the story of my childhood. They are:

1. Reminder to all parents to not neglect their elder children when they had another child and play the favouritism card. Children are usually very sensitive in regards of parents love and attention. Especially young children. Toddlers too. If they do not get enough attention or they think their sibling(s) is replacing them, they will do anything that they think would make their parents pay more attention to them. Same goes vice versa. Don’t compare one child with another. Each of them is special and unique in their own way.

2. Talk to your children and be their friends instead of judging them and condemning them on the things that they did to displease you.

3. Protect your children’s reputation from being tarnish by extended family members. People can gossip non-stop about your children’s mistakes and wrongdoings. As a result, children grow up being pushed into a small corner and not notice, even though they achieve well in life afterwards. People have no absolute respect for your children, and once a black sheep of the family, will always be the black sheep of the family. People usually remember the bad, and not the good, even when you grow up and have children of your own.

4. Never ever listen to your mother if your mother tries to get you have her ways in regards of your marriage with your spouse. Same things goes with your fathers and whatnot. Marriage is meant for two people, and not three. There should only be a husband and a wife in marriage, not outsiders. Some marriage are destroyed not because of infidelities, but because of the ‘talks’ that certain family members do to cause tension in a marriage. Being a dutiful and filial child does not mean you have to listen to their ‘venting of dissatisfaction’ on your spouse. If you are happy with your own choice, kindly disregard ” I don’t like your wife because she…. ” or ” You know, I don’t like your husband because….” conversation.

5. Trust is a crucial element. If you don’t have the heart to trust your spouse 100%, you should at least trust him or her 90%. Trust is a must.

6. And between families, love must be unconditional. Unconditional love is hard to come by, but you could at least try to love unconditionally.

Cleffairy: Not making mistakes is the biggest crime a human can do, because without mistakes, human learn nothing to improve themselves.

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Of single mothers…

While others are busy paying tribute to their mothers and buying gifts for the maternal figure who nurtured and raised them, I’d like to pay tribute not to my own mother, or even my mother in law, but those superheroes who are brave enough to be single mothers.

Yes, people. I am wishing single mothers a Happy Mother’s Day. I think, in some ways, they deserve to be celebrated more than mothers who acquired help from their husband or relatives throughout their entire motherhood. Well, you see…I may be wrong in saying this, but frankly speaking, I think it’s more challenging to be a single mother than just to be a mother. Anyway, single mothers are mothers just the same. They should be given the honour and celebrated just like any other mothers all around the world.

In Malaysian society single mothers are generally viewed as helpless or incapable of raising her children, but I give them all my respect to them. It’s not easy to be a single mother, especially when the society with damn fucking stupid mindset are looking down on them wherever they go. In certain society in Malaysia, single mothers are shunned instead of being supported. Malaysia is still a caveman country… well, maybe caveman is not a correct word, but what else could you describe chauvinistic in a mild way? This is the land where what men says becomes rules and law. I just don’t get it sometimes. Just because a women choose not to have a dangling stick between her legs to pleasure her every now and then throughout her motherhood, doesn’t mean she’s not capable of raising her offspring.

Women are still oppressed and looked down on, and egoistic men are claiming that women could not raise a child without properly without a male figure . That sort of mindset have been planted in people’s mind, regardless of age and gender since heavens knows when. And this kind of chauvinistic poison has spread like a venom in the society, and there’s no absolute anti venom to cure the mind of the society from it.

Some are single mother by nature. While plenty others are single mothers by choice, and to me, both deserve the same kind of respect. They are mothers too.

When I was a young brat, I could not understand why some women are foolish enough to choose to be a single mother. Women who are made single mother by nature is something I could understand. Women could not stop death from claiming her husband. That, I understand. And women too could not stop a man from leaving her if the man wants to leave the family. Those kind of women are single mothers too, but not by choice. I was immature and naive then. I could not understand the reason why some women rather be a single mother than be together with her husband and raise their children together. I always thought that to raise a child, a set of parents is essential. Father, mother and children are the people that’s suppose to make up a unit of a happy family.

But as I grew up, I realized why some women choose to divorce her husband or be separated from him and took the pain to raise her children on her own. I mean, come on, why the hell do you need a bloody stupid husband to help you to take care of the brats when all he do is treat the home like a hotel? Women chooses divorce over marriage for a lot of valid reason. Infidelities, betrayal, lies, lack of financial support and many other blah blahs.

Who needs that kind of men anyway? They are not only a pain in the ass, but in many places too. Some men are violent and abuse their wife and children physically and mentally. They are no help in parenting at all. Sometimes, with or without the presence of the man in question, the wife’s life is just like a single mother…not having any help or support from her husband when it comes to parenting and nurturing children. So…why bother being with them at all when you can raise the kids and provide for them very well without those assholes with hanging stick between their legs? It’s better to kick them out of the house than tolerating them as all they can give is goddamn stress.

What I’m saying here is…while I am all for fathers playing their role in their children’s upbringing, I will not condemn those women who chooses to get out of a bad marriage and raise her children on her own. It takes more than courage to do so. And I respect that. So, for those single mothers out there, no matter you’re a single mother by nature or by choice, I salute and respect you. You deserve the recognition more than those who are just normal mothers. Happy Mothers Day to you who are brave enough to raise your children on your own. You are indeed a superhero.

Cleffairy: Men says women are crazy. But it’s men who drives women crazy in the first place. Some men are simply impossible! Getting some of them to be responsible for their action or involve in parenting could be as impossible as turning a charcoal into gold, and they’ll make excuse and countless escape route just to avoid from being responsible and do the right thing.Who could tolerate constant nonsense from these kind of men, anyway?

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Cleffairy's Story Part 1: School politics

When I was a little girl, I was pampered to the very core by my parents and my grandparents alike. Being the first grandchild for both side, maternal and paternal, I was treated no less than a princess, and my every whim and fancy were obliged.

I was a child with small body size, big eyes, fair skin, long hair and a mouth that never seems to stop talking. I was a chatterbox, and stopping me from talking would be like forcing a reluctant horse to drink water. I was told that I was an adorable child. Very likable and agreeable  child. Pleasant to the eyes, and pleasant to the heart, as I was also an affectionate child who showers her affection easily to family members. I suspect, I was not so pleasant to the ears, though, because I’m known to have quite a mouth, even as a child.

I have rebellious streak and have a mind of my own, even as young as five years old. I have inquisitive mind, a trait that I inherited from my father, and would do anything to achieve perfection in whatever I do.

I did not grew up in Malaysia. And so, when I came back to Malaysia to pursue my primary education as my parents saw fit, I couldn’t fit in. I was boycotted by classmates and teachers alike because I was different, and not timid in class.  I could not communicate well for first 2 years of my primary education in Malaysia because I could not communicate in any other language except for English. I felt that nobody could understand me. Back then, I felt as if I was abandoned in a strange place where people have no idea what I was talking about. Even though what I expressed  verbally was coherent in the language that spoke I understood, it was nothing but alien to people who are around me. My classmates would laugh at me, jeer me and I was shunned because I was ‘different’.

I was called names. Ranging from idiot to retarded, you name it. And every time during recess, I would sit in a corner alone eating things from my lunch box while other kids sit together and happily eat food that they bought from the canteen. I wanted to buy food like them, but couldn’t, because I do not know how to use Malaysian Ringgit, what’s more the value of it. I was cheated by friends a couple of times, and my parents had enough of it. Therefore, they gave me lunchbox, and only Rm0.30-Rm0.50 as my pocket money, which was usually left at home, inside the piggy bank.

I would go home crying everyday because I felt alone and so different, but my parents merely thought that this is just a phase, and I’ll get over it. Nobody helped me, and this is where I started to develop mistrust towards people around me, including my parents as they were not supportive when I need them to be.

Hurt and wounded psychologically, I learned Bahasa Malaysia on my own, without the help of teachers whatsoever, and being a perfectionist, I excelled by working extra hard at understanding the language. I scored and mastered the language in no time, and attempt to get myself into the social circle of my classmates. Unfortunately for me, once a freak, will always be a freak, and I soon learn my very first lesson in politics from the bullies in school. The bullies in school would report to my mother who constantly make trip to school to ‘follow up’ with my progress. And she will be told that I’m a lazy child who do not listen to the teacher, constantly forgetting to do homework, and stupid. And, my mother would believe those brats that I would classified as young bitches and bastards easily without question. She would not ask me if their statements were true or not. Those child- bitches would snicker and blow raspberry at me when my mother was not looking. My mother then would punish me by hitting my hand or pulling my ears when we got home. I was told to shut up when I tried to protest, and I will be given more mathematics and language exercises as punishment.

Once, the bullies cut my long hair, and lied to my parents that I cut it myself. I got into trouble with my parents again because of their lies as they made my parents think that I was mentally disturbed. Again, my mother told me to shut up and stop lying when I told her that it’s not true. Neither of my parents knew that I cried myself to sleep because my long hair have been cropped short by those child-bitches.

I became a very angry and vengeful child, because I felt that even my mother was giving me a hard time.  Shutting my parents out because they did listened to the bullies instead of me, I became pretentious. I kept the cheerful, cute girl facade and started to lie. I started to lie in most situation because my parents seems to take lies easier than truth. I lied to survived. I admitted to them that I didn’t listen to the teachers, forget to do or bring my homework when the fact was my books was hidden by the bullies until school was over, and admit to my parents that I cut my hair because I hated my long hair as my classmates did not keep long hair. My parents believed it easily.

As young as  8, I was a  strategist’s in the making. I fully took advantage of my ability to learn fast and took revenge on the school bullies in English classes and made them look stupid in front of the teachers. And when their parents came to take the report book every semester, I made sure I returned their ‘favour’ of fibbing to my mother. My mission was easily accomplished because my academical achievements are better than them. I was satisfied when one of the bitches were slapped because of my words before my very eyes. When her parents were not looking, I walked up to her, and told her ‘Padan muka'(Serve you right). And when she tried to harm me, I pretended to fall onto the floor and wailed. She then got into trouble again for bullying someone who is smaller in size than her.

I did not feel sorry for her. In fact, I was very happy that she too, will suffer the same fate as me at home. Thinking back, I wonder if I would be a different person if I was not bullied at such a young and tender age? I wonder, if my parents were more attentive of me and spend time to listen to me, I would became a more forgiving and gullible person?

I have no answer to that. I will never have an answer to that, because I could never alter my past. However, I seriously think that my childhood would be less painful and easier if my parents spent time to listen to me instead of merely judging and punishing me.

Being parents are not easy. Now that I’m all grown up, I understood that it is rather difficult to bring yourself to your child’s level and communicate with them effectively. Parents are usually busy with work and came home too tired to do anything but hit the sack. But then again, it is important to remember that we, as parents are not always right and the children are not always wrong. It would do no harm to listen to them and give a chance to them to defend themselves before delivering your judgment upon them. It would also do no harm if you could be more attentive of their psychological needs instead of just their monetary needs all the time. I believe, by doing so, your child would trust you more and be more open to you instead of keeping things to themselves. And by doing so, you will also be your children’s best friend instead of just being their parents.

Cleffairy: It is all right to be your children’s friends every now and then. Not many parents could do that, but you’d be an excellent parents if you can.

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Cleffairy’s Story Part 1: School politics

When I was a little girl, I was pampered to the very core by my parents and my grandparents alike. Being the first grandchild for both side, maternal and paternal, I was treated no less than a princess, and my every whim and fancy were obliged.

I was a child with small body size, big eyes, fair skin, long hair and a mouth that never seems to stop talking. I was a chatterbox, and stopping me from talking would be like forcing a reluctant horse to drink water. I was told that I was an adorable child. Very likable and agreeable  child. Pleasant to the eyes, and pleasant to the heart, as I was also an affectionate child who showers her affection easily to family members. I suspect, I was not so pleasant to the ears, though, because I’m known to have quite a mouth, even as a child.

I have rebellious streak and have a mind of my own, even as young as five years old. I have inquisitive mind, a trait that I inherited from my father, and would do anything to achieve perfection in whatever I do.

I did not grew up in Malaysia. And so, when I came back to Malaysia to pursue my primary education as my parents saw fit, I couldn’t fit in. I was boycotted by classmates and teachers alike because I was different, and not timid in class.  I could not communicate well for first 2 years of my primary education in Malaysia because I could not communicate in any other language except for English. I felt that nobody could understand me. Back then, I felt as if I was abandoned in a strange place where people have no idea what I was talking about. Even though what I expressed  verbally was coherent in the language that spoke I understood, it was nothing but alien to people who are around me. My classmates would laugh at me, jeer me and I was shunned because I was ‘different’.

I was called names. Ranging from idiot to retarded, you name it. And every time during recess, I would sit in a corner alone eating things from my lunch box while other kids sit together and happily eat food that they bought from the canteen. I wanted to buy food like them, but couldn’t, because I do not know how to use Malaysian Ringgit, what’s more the value of it. I was cheated by friends a couple of times, and my parents had enough of it. Therefore, they gave me lunchbox, and only Rm0.30-Rm0.50 as my pocket money, which was usually left at home, inside the piggy bank.

I would go home crying everyday because I felt alone and so different, but my parents merely thought that this is just a phase, and I’ll get over it. Nobody helped me, and this is where I started to develop mistrust towards people around me, including my parents as they were not supportive when I need them to be.

Hurt and wounded psychologically, I learned Bahasa Malaysia on my own, without the help of teachers whatsoever, and being a perfectionist, I excelled by working extra hard at understanding the language. I scored and mastered the language in no time, and attempt to get myself into the social circle of my classmates. Unfortunately for me, once a freak, will always be a freak, and I soon learn my very first lesson in politics from the bullies in school. The bullies in school would report to my mother who constantly make trip to school to ‘follow up’ with my progress. And she will be told that I’m a lazy child who do not listen to the teacher, constantly forgetting to do homework, and stupid. And, my mother would believe those brats that I would classified as young bitches and bastards easily without question. She would not ask me if their statements were true or not. Those child- bitches would snicker and blow raspberry at me when my mother was not looking. My mother then would punish me by hitting my hand or pulling my ears when we got home. I was told to shut up when I tried to protest, and I will be given more mathematics and language exercises as punishment.

Once, the bullies cut my long hair, and lied to my parents that I cut it myself. I got into trouble with my parents again because of their lies as they made my parents think that I was mentally disturbed. Again, my mother told me to shut up and stop lying when I told her that it’s not true. Neither of my parents knew that I cried myself to sleep because my long hair have been cropped short by those child-bitches.

I became a very angry and vengeful child, because I felt that even my mother was giving me a hard time.  Shutting my parents out because they did listened to the bullies instead of me, I became pretentious. I kept the cheerful, cute girl facade and started to lie. I started to lie in most situation because my parents seems to take lies easier than truth. I lied to survived. I admitted to them that I didn’t listen to the teachers, forget to do or bring my homework when the fact was my books was hidden by the bullies until school was over, and admit to my parents that I cut my hair because I hated my long hair as my classmates did not keep long hair. My parents believed it easily.

As young as  8, I was a  strategist’s in the making. I fully took advantage of my ability to learn fast and took revenge on the school bullies in English classes and made them look stupid in front of the teachers. And when their parents came to take the report book every semester, I made sure I returned their ‘favour’ of fibbing to my mother. My mission was easily accomplished because my academical achievements are better than them. I was satisfied when one of the bitches were slapped because of my words before my very eyes. When her parents were not looking, I walked up to her, and told her ‘Padan muka'(Serve you right). And when she tried to harm me, I pretended to fall onto the floor and wailed. She then got into trouble again for bullying someone who is smaller in size than her.

I did not feel sorry for her. In fact, I was very happy that she too, will suffer the same fate as me at home. Thinking back, I wonder if I would be a different person if I was not bullied at such a young and tender age? I wonder, if my parents were more attentive of me and spend time to listen to me, I would became a more forgiving and gullible person?

I have no answer to that. I will never have an answer to that, because I could never alter my past. However, I seriously think that my childhood would be less painful and easier if my parents spent time to listen to me instead of merely judging and punishing me.

Being parents are not easy. Now that I’m all grown up, I understood that it is rather difficult to bring yourself to your child’s level and communicate with them effectively. Parents are usually busy with work and came home too tired to do anything but hit the sack. But then again, it is important to remember that we, as parents are not always right and the children are not always wrong. It would do no harm to listen to them and give a chance to them to defend themselves before delivering your judgment upon them. It would also do no harm if you could be more attentive of their psychological needs instead of just their monetary needs all the time. I believe, by doing so, your child would trust you more and be more open to you instead of keeping things to themselves. And by doing so, you will also be your children’s best friend instead of just being their parents.

Cleffairy: It is all right to be your children’s friends every now and then. Not many parents could do that, but you’d be an excellent parents if you can.

Continue Reading

Cleffairy’s Story Part 1: School politics

When I was a little girl, I was pampered to the very core by my parents and my grandparents alike. Being the first grandchild for both side, maternal and paternal, I was treated no less than a princess, and my every whim and fancy were obliged.

I was a child with small body size, big eyes, fair skin, long hair and a mouth that never seems to stop talking. I was a chatterbox, and stopping me from talking would be like forcing a reluctant horse to drink water. I was told that I was an adorable child. Very likable and agreeable  child. Pleasant to the eyes, and pleasant to the heart, as I was also an affectionate child who showers her affection easily to family members. I suspect, I was not so pleasant to the ears, though, because I’m known to have quite a mouth, even as a child.

I have rebellious streak and have a mind of my own, even as young as five years old. I have inquisitive mind, a trait that I inherited from my father, and would do anything to achieve perfection in whatever I do.

I did not grew up in Malaysia. And so, when I came back to Malaysia to pursue my primary education as my parents saw fit, I couldn’t fit in. I was boycotted by classmates and teachers alike because I was different, and not timid in class.  I could not communicate well for first 2 years of my primary education in Malaysia because I could not communicate in any other language except for English. I felt that nobody could understand me. Back then, I felt as if I was abandoned in a strange place where people have no idea what I was talking about. Even though what I expressed  verbally was coherent in the language that spoke I understood, it was nothing but alien to people who are around me. My classmates would laugh at me, jeer me and I was shunned because I was ‘different’.

I was called names. Ranging from idiot to retarded, you name it. And every time during recess, I would sit in a corner alone eating things from my lunch box while other kids sit together and happily eat food that they bought from the canteen. I wanted to buy food like them, but couldn’t, because I do not know how to use Malaysian Ringgit, what’s more the value of it. I was cheated by friends a couple of times, and my parents had enough of it. Therefore, they gave me lunchbox, and only Rm0.30-Rm0.50 as my pocket money, which was usually left at home, inside the piggy bank.

I would go home crying everyday because I felt alone and so different, but my parents merely thought that this is just a phase, and I’ll get over it. Nobody helped me, and this is where I started to develop mistrust towards people around me, including my parents as they were not supportive when I need them to be.

Hurt and wounded psychologically, I learned Bahasa Malaysia on my own, without the help of teachers whatsoever, and being a perfectionist, I excelled by working extra hard at understanding the language. I scored and mastered the language in no time, and attempt to get myself into the social circle of my classmates. Unfortunately for me, once a freak, will always be a freak, and I soon learn my very first lesson in politics from the bullies in school. The bullies in school would report to my mother who constantly make trip to school to ‘follow up’ with my progress. And she will be told that I’m a lazy child who do not listen to the teacher, constantly forgetting to do homework, and stupid. And, my mother would believe those brats that I would classified as young bitches and bastards easily without question. She would not ask me if their statements were true or not. Those child- bitches would snicker and blow raspberry at me when my mother was not looking. My mother then would punish me by hitting my hand or pulling my ears when we got home. I was told to shut up when I tried to protest, and I will be given more mathematics and language exercises as punishment.

Once, the bullies cut my long hair, and lied to my parents that I cut it myself. I got into trouble with my parents again because of their lies as they made my parents think that I was mentally disturbed. Again, my mother told me to shut up and stop lying when I told her that it’s not true. Neither of my parents knew that I cried myself to sleep because my long hair have been cropped short by those child-bitches.

I became a very angry and vengeful child, because I felt that even my mother was giving me a hard time.  Shutting my parents out because they did listened to the bullies instead of me, I became pretentious. I kept the cheerful, cute girl facade and started to lie. I started to lie in most situation because my parents seems to take lies easier than truth. I lied to survived. I admitted to them that I didn’t listen to the teachers, forget to do or bring my homework when the fact was my books was hidden by the bullies until school was over, and admit to my parents that I cut my hair because I hated my long hair as my classmates did not keep long hair. My parents believed it easily.

As young as  8, I was a  strategist’s in the making. I fully took advantage of my ability to learn fast and took revenge on the school bullies in English classes and made them look stupid in front of the teachers. And when their parents came to take the report book every semester, I made sure I returned their ‘favour’ of fibbing to my mother. My mission was easily accomplished because my academical achievements are better than them. I was satisfied when one of the bitches were slapped because of my words before my very eyes. When her parents were not looking, I walked up to her, and told her ‘Padan muka'(Serve you right). And when she tried to harm me, I pretended to fall onto the floor and wailed. She then got into trouble again for bullying someone who is smaller in size than her.

I did not feel sorry for her. In fact, I was very happy that she too, will suffer the same fate as me at home. Thinking back, I wonder if I would be a different person if I was not bullied at such a young and tender age? I wonder, if my parents were more attentive of me and spend time to listen to me, I would became a more forgiving and gullible person?

I have no answer to that. I will never have an answer to that, because I could never alter my past. However, I seriously think that my childhood would be less painful and easier if my parents spent time to listen to me instead of merely judging and punishing me.

Being parents are not easy. Now that I’m all grown up, I understood that it is rather difficult to bring yourself to your child’s level and communicate with them effectively. Parents are usually busy with work and came home too tired to do anything but hit the sack. But then again, it is important to remember that we, as parents are not always right and the children are not always wrong. It would do no harm to listen to them and give a chance to them to defend themselves before delivering your judgment upon them. It would also do no harm if you could be more attentive of their psychological needs instead of just their monetary needs all the time. I believe, by doing so, your child would trust you more and be more open to you instead of keeping things to themselves. And by doing so, you will also be your children’s best friend instead of just being their parents.

Cleffairy: It is all right to be your children’s friends every now and then. Not many parents could do that, but you’d be an excellent parents if you can.

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