Your turn Daddy! Uncle!
“Huh?”, my left eyebrow rose to its maximum height.
“It’s your turn Uncle!”, a cheeky little voice shouted at me.
For a moment there my mind was millions of light years away.... perhaps lost in a parallel universe....
It was only yesterday when I went to Kak Ina's apartment in Bayswater. I was there to hand over a box of books for my sister back home, to Kak Sham who was going back to KL soon, who was staying over at Kak Ina's place during the weekend (follow me so far? good).
I somehow found myself sitting in Kak Ina’s living room, on a very soft and silky carpet, allegedly hand-woven by the majestic virgin natives of India.
Seated to my right, was Sarah Liyana. She’s six and a half; that’s what she told me. Sarah speaks English ever so eloquently. You can tell when she gets upset or happy; it was very clear in the tone of her voice. My interactions with her prove that she is extremely smart. She reminds me of somebody.
Faris Lokman was seating opposite me. He had just turned four, according to Sarah. He further assisted her by holding up four fingers on each hand. I didn’t have the heart to tell him that they would add up to eight. Although Faris was clearly cheerful and lively in nature, he did not posses the speech competency that was very apparent on his elder sister. Well, I guess Sarah had two and a half years head-start.
Both spoke with a distinctive English accent, London accent to be more precise. It shamed me each time they open their little mouths. No matter how much twang of an accent I put on, it was never as good as theirs. I was slightly envious. Not of their accents, but of their parents. They have lovely kids.
Their mum had gone out to buy a new phone for herself. No, they are not Kak Ina's nor Kak Sham's. If I recall correctly, their mum's name was Bik Na(?) and she had left her children behind for Kak Ina to baby-sit. Their dad had to work that weekend, thus I never had the chance to meet him.
Anyway, we got to playing “The Magic Tooth Fairy Game”. Lesson learned: never hold an object in your hand that has anything remotely to do with a board game, in front of a couple of bored yawning kids. Sarah was more than happy to demonstrate how the game was played to me.
A few minutes earlier, I was in Kak Ina’s kitchen. Her kitchen window faces the rising sun; it was remarkably bright in there. She chose her colour scheme perfectly; pearl white. It made her kitchen appear roomy and spacious than it actually is.
I don’t know about other men my age, but I’m very comfortable in kitchens. Perhaps it was due to the fact that I spend a lot of time keeping my mum company in the kitchen when I was just little. I don't actually remember helping her with the cooking and washing up, but I do remember eating a lot!
However, Kak Ina said that a man’s place is not in the kitchen and hastily chased me out. How unfair was that? She then led me to her living room, turned on her Pioneer 42” plasma screen television on the wall and handed me the remote. She told me that she’d be back shortly with lunch. Sara and Faris was already on the floor, looking up at me and probably thinking “Who on earth is this huge bear?”
Fast forward - Back to the board game.
It was my turn. I spun a three on the dial.
Sarah helped me move my piece.
“Oneeee... twooooo... threeeee! Wobbly tooth!!!”, she shouted excitedly with a big bright smile.
I had landed on a Wobbly Tooth space, which meant I needed to pick up a card....
Both Faris and Sarah were giggling away.
The cheeky little monkeys.
....I don’t like this game.
“It’s your turn Uncle!”, a cheeky little voice shouted at me.
For a moment there my mind was millions of light years away.... perhaps lost in a parallel universe....
It was only yesterday when I went to Kak Ina's apartment in Bayswater. I was there to hand over a box of books for my sister back home, to Kak Sham who was going back to KL soon, who was staying over at Kak Ina's place during the weekend (follow me so far? good).
I somehow found myself sitting in Kak Ina’s living room, on a very soft and silky carpet, allegedly hand-woven by the majestic virgin natives of India.
Seated to my right, was Sarah Liyana. She’s six and a half; that’s what she told me. Sarah speaks English ever so eloquently. You can tell when she gets upset or happy; it was very clear in the tone of her voice. My interactions with her prove that she is extremely smart. She reminds me of somebody.
Faris Lokman was seating opposite me. He had just turned four, according to Sarah. He further assisted her by holding up four fingers on each hand. I didn’t have the heart to tell him that they would add up to eight. Although Faris was clearly cheerful and lively in nature, he did not posses the speech competency that was very apparent on his elder sister. Well, I guess Sarah had two and a half years head-start.
Both spoke with a distinctive English accent, London accent to be more precise. It shamed me each time they open their little mouths. No matter how much twang of an accent I put on, it was never as good as theirs. I was slightly envious. Not of their accents, but of their parents. They have lovely kids.
Their mum had gone out to buy a new phone for herself. No, they are not Kak Ina's nor Kak Sham's. If I recall correctly, their mum's name was Bik Na(?) and she had left her children behind for Kak Ina to baby-sit. Their dad had to work that weekend, thus I never had the chance to meet him.
Anyway, we got to playing “The Magic Tooth Fairy Game”. Lesson learned: never hold an object in your hand that has anything remotely to do with a board game, in front of a couple of bored yawning kids. Sarah was more than happy to demonstrate how the game was played to me.
A few minutes earlier, I was in Kak Ina’s kitchen. Her kitchen window faces the rising sun; it was remarkably bright in there. She chose her colour scheme perfectly; pearl white. It made her kitchen appear roomy and spacious than it actually is.
I don’t know about other men my age, but I’m very comfortable in kitchens. Perhaps it was due to the fact that I spend a lot of time keeping my mum company in the kitchen when I was just little. I don't actually remember helping her with the cooking and washing up, but I do remember eating a lot!
However, Kak Ina said that a man’s place is not in the kitchen and hastily chased me out. How unfair was that? She then led me to her living room, turned on her Pioneer 42” plasma screen television on the wall and handed me the remote. She told me that she’d be back shortly with lunch. Sara and Faris was already on the floor, looking up at me and probably thinking “Who on earth is this huge bear?”
Fast forward - Back to the board game.
It was my turn. I spun a three on the dial.
Sarah helped me move my piece.
“Oneeee... twooooo... threeeee! Wobbly tooth!!!”, she shouted excitedly with a big bright smile.
I had landed on a Wobbly Tooth space, which meant I needed to pick up a card....
Both Faris and Sarah were giggling away.
The cheeky little monkeys.
....I don’t like this game.
posted by iJun at 10:08 pm
