My mother's anecdotes
“Your dad and I were reminiscing and laughing over this the other day!” my mum said to me when I was home in Ipoh over the long May 1st weekend. It was over breakfast and this was her story: “When we were still dating back in Jerantut... I was doing teacher’s training and your dad was working in the plantations. I used to have an issue over your dad’s height and felt that I was taller than him when I wore my 3 inch high heels.” [Note: That’s not really true as my mum is 5 feet 4 and my dad is 5 feet 7 and a HALF] “So, guess what I asked him to do?” my mum asked me grinning cheekily.I couldn’t, for the world, guess. “I asked him to go to the cobbler (which was still common back then) to have one inch platforms added to all his shoes! Which he willingly did!” (OMG hahaha)“Ask him to do it now, he’d probably say ‘Are you chi sin?’” [Note: My dad said he didn’t know what come over him to make him concede to something so “silly” back then!] “Oh and that’s not all, I used to have a thing for guys with bell bottom pants which was all in vogue in the early 70s and pestered your dad to have some tailored. “Hmmph, ask him to wear anything in fashion now, he’d probably just snort and pretend like he didn’t hear it.” (Which I’d have to agree, knowing my less than fashion-savvy-a-T-shirt-can-last-forever dad) Oh, I laughed till I cried. But the mirth didn’t end here. There was another story, one of my mother’s college roommate. “Back when Aunty M was dating Uncle R, there was this time when she asked him to write a poem about the moon and his love for her before agreeing to go steady with him. “Uncle R was a serious science student without the tinniest drop of artistic talent in his veins. So the poor fellow must have cracked his head but couldn't produce anything for weeks. “After a month of waiting, Aunty M couldn’t stand it any more and issued an ultimatum for the poem- ‘Cough up or forever hold your peace!’ she said.” “And amazingly, the poor guy managed to come up with something to deliver to Aunty M, who in turn, sheepishly showed the poem to me. "The moon represents my heart, my love!"
“And oh, how we laughed and laughed at his expense and poked fun at his ‘poem’ which wasn’t even really a poem, rather random words just thrown together.
“Sigh, the things guys can actually do when they’re courting girls...”
In comparison, I'd say guys these days have it very easy from us girls don't you think? I mean, how many of you macho males would actually wear heels and write a mushy poem for a girl without brutal force?
Sadly, too few, I think.
[Note: Uncle R’s efforts really did pay off as he's happily married to Aunty M and they have two daughters]