After spending a day out, I was looking forward to spending an evening for myself, to do some reflection, read a book and rest early. Five minutes after I began my relaxing evening, in walks cousin “who has eaten more rice, more salt” than I. The end to my beautiful evening.
“I was in Aunty T’s house last week, she told me that you are back in Penang already and asked me to visit you, so I mah come and see you lor. I want to see if Australia has changed you or not, check whether you have lost or gain weight”
“Yeah right!” I thought.
“ So you still want to bake cakes ah? Before you went you said you want to bake cake and sell. So how now?”
I never told him that I wanted to bake cakes and sell
(eventhough I did consider it before), it was him who forced the idea into me, he insisted that French Confectionary was a sure high profit generator and forced me to agree that I should bake those cakes and sell. Constantly indicating that I’d be a fool if I do not venture into it.
And so, my three hour ordeal with him began, I was questioned for not remaining in Sydney when opportunities were right in front of my nose. I had a one and a half hour quack lecture on how to do business, he fed me with tons and tons of suggestions of which I wondered why he never considered to do those business himself.
“You all (me and my sisters) are lucky, not like me, you know ah, I have gone through moments in life when I had nothing to eat you know, and yet I survived. You all don’t know what I have been through. Some people are lucky, they are born with the silver spoon in their mouth, they don’t understand what suffering is like. I have experienced it all lah, you ask my friends, they can tell you what I’ve been through. You all are lucky and smart, you have a degree, I‘m not smart like you all, I don‘t have a degree, but I‘m not stupid also you know, I also can think very creatively one”
And he went on and on and on about the business ideas and constantly reminded me that us the Vaz sisters are luckier than he is because his parents were hopeless. My mom on the other hand enjoyed the whole ordeal. She found it amusing to see him attacking me, what more to hear him constantly say that she was a better parent compared to his parents. He continued harping about me wasting the opportunity to settle down in Australia when I had the chance and that I am not brave enough to be a risk taker and venture into my business.
I was fed up and tired, I asked him if he was willing to move into our house and look after my parents while I pursue my dreams in Australia in accordance to what he suggested. He stared at me and shut up for at least five minutes. That five minutes was glorious.
Before he left he said, “haiyah, I did not know you have moved back here because you wanted to look after your parents, no wonder, I could not understand why you still chose to come back from Australia.”
=.=!!!
Deep inside I thought, “duh, I tried telling you all these while but you just wouldn’t listen.”