Tuesday, May 23, 2006
Ice-capped volcano
Hello to all,
How an ice-capped volcano erupted
Mrs. Sim was not known to be a woman of temper.
But one day this ice-capped volcano erupted.
She had dismissed her maid, and until her new maid arrived, she undertook all the domestic duties. That was alright, it would be temporary. She managed, doing all the marketing, cooking, laundry and housekeeping, except washing the car and mowing the lawn.
Whenever she was tired the family ate out. Her two teenagers were no problem. She put up a bold front and coped; after all she had done all these types of work before.
But nearly two weeks passed and she could not get a suitable new maid. Somehow, like this, the same routine seem to become a heavier burden and the same regular pressing needs of the children an attrition. "Mummy, where are my socks ?" "Mummy, the fish tastes awful !" "Mummy, what happened to my hand phone, where is it ?" "Mummy, why didn't you baked the chicken instead ?" Mummy this mummy that. Where is this where is that. All these were not a problem when the maid was around; she was the genie who would take care of all these and respond to all that.
"Mummy, I am having breakfast with my classmate." "Sorry, mummy, I am not coming home for dinner." "Mummy, I already had my lunch." Not eating at home was all right with her, but not after she had carefully planned and cooked all the nutritious meals to be left to waste.
She tried to watch TV, but she seemed distracted. Then she saw the news about the farmers having all their poultry culled because of the bird flu, losing their money and their livelihood suspended. And she remembered the tsunami and how the fishermen lost their lives to bring seafood. And how the farmer's sons died during the swine fever breakout, and there were no pork to eat due to the scare. There was also a shortage of duck for a spell.
Somehow, the situation was like putting a spark to a tank of hydrogen gas. She yelled at her two teenagers, "There are people who lost their lives to raise food for us. There are people who lost their savings and cannot work. And here you are complaining about my bad cooking. Fine, go to the fast food outlets, the restaurant, the hotels for your meals. Fine, go and earn your own pocket money and your keep too. Don't come home. Don't expect a nice home to come home to."
This pent-up torrent of harsh words came out like an avalanche. The children were shocked. They stayed mesmerised. Then they realised that it was their mother, and not the maid, they had been demanding from. Sheepishly they inched towards their mother and sat down, slowly and quietly, one on each side of her. They did not apologise. They just remained there, quiet, like deafness.
Does an avalanche give any warning ?
Rightly it does, a sharp loud crack as it breaks free.
Have a nice day
Ronald
How an ice-capped volcano erupted
Mrs. Sim was not known to be a woman of temper.
But one day this ice-capped volcano erupted.
She had dismissed her maid, and until her new maid arrived, she undertook all the domestic duties. That was alright, it would be temporary. She managed, doing all the marketing, cooking, laundry and housekeeping, except washing the car and mowing the lawn.
Whenever she was tired the family ate out. Her two teenagers were no problem. She put up a bold front and coped; after all she had done all these types of work before.
But nearly two weeks passed and she could not get a suitable new maid. Somehow, like this, the same routine seem to become a heavier burden and the same regular pressing needs of the children an attrition. "Mummy, where are my socks ?" "Mummy, the fish tastes awful !" "Mummy, what happened to my hand phone, where is it ?" "Mummy, why didn't you baked the chicken instead ?" Mummy this mummy that. Where is this where is that. All these were not a problem when the maid was around; she was the genie who would take care of all these and respond to all that.
"Mummy, I am having breakfast with my classmate." "Sorry, mummy, I am not coming home for dinner." "Mummy, I already had my lunch." Not eating at home was all right with her, but not after she had carefully planned and cooked all the nutritious meals to be left to waste.
She tried to watch TV, but she seemed distracted. Then she saw the news about the farmers having all their poultry culled because of the bird flu, losing their money and their livelihood suspended. And she remembered the tsunami and how the fishermen lost their lives to bring seafood. And how the farmer's sons died during the swine fever breakout, and there were no pork to eat due to the scare. There was also a shortage of duck for a spell.
Somehow, the situation was like putting a spark to a tank of hydrogen gas. She yelled at her two teenagers, "There are people who lost their lives to raise food for us. There are people who lost their savings and cannot work. And here you are complaining about my bad cooking. Fine, go to the fast food outlets, the restaurant, the hotels for your meals. Fine, go and earn your own pocket money and your keep too. Don't come home. Don't expect a nice home to come home to."
This pent-up torrent of harsh words came out like an avalanche. The children were shocked. They stayed mesmerised. Then they realised that it was their mother, and not the maid, they had been demanding from. Sheepishly they inched towards their mother and sat down, slowly and quietly, one on each side of her. They did not apologise. They just remained there, quiet, like deafness.
Does an avalanche give any warning ?
Rightly it does, a sharp loud crack as it breaks free.
Have a nice day
Ronald
# posted by chunmu @ 7:39 PM 
