Adonis Diaries

Supposed to be relieved: From buying emergency items, one at a time

It is an inconsequential event, at least in what it concerns me.

Irrelevant little events have a habit to snowball. They snowball into mythical stories, to be relayed from generation to generation.

Mother used to remember of a missing items while cooking: The item was an emergency happening, and I was dispatched to fetch it from my aunt’s shop, a small distance away…These emergency items, one at a time because mother forgets, forced me to descend several times a day.

I used to believe that a misery item to purchase shouldn’t take that long. Wrong.

My aunt, as she saw me coming, would open up a topic for discussion, and her husband (both over their 80’s) would take the hint, pick up on the thread and rewind a long broken record of customers they despise, they cannot suffer…long time animosities that never healed and couldn’t be forgotten…George would never miss a comma, a well-oiled and memorized broken record…

Stories of angst, anger, displeasure with countless former clients would roll down uninterrupted…

I learned to be patient, calm down and let the inevitable story to fizzle out…And I knew that sooner or later, I will be the next target to add in their long list of people to “wipe the ground with“.

Consequently, I refrained from participating and giving my opinion: Any opinion not to their favor was a basis to list me as the enemy, even temporary…

This time around, my opinion was to turn to a longer-term animosity. What? They are not getting enough customers to buy all their fruits and vegetables on display before they go bad?

I fear this redundant event has all the elements to grow into a tribal animosity: No one from the family or the extended family members came by to visit and ask for clarification and to talk…My aunts visited mother twice and never talked to me or brought up the subject with me: Children (of over 60 in age) are still out to be involved in serious topics…

There were a few established customs, by the force of repetition.

My aunt used to visit mother a few times per week, preferably in the morning to have her blood sugar content checked, have her blood pressure taken…and to spend an hour chit chatting…Sort of venting out their body aches, recalling who died lately, who is in emergency treatment, and reminiscing of old stories…

Mother used to visit on Sunday afternoon, about 3 pm. Sort of getting out and socializing: Not many people visit us…

A community of archaic mentality that enjoy toying with irrelevant events, and weaving great stories of inconsequential little events, adding lies and large handful of spices for better taste to foul tongues and memorable listening evenings…

I am supposed to be relieved: From buying emergency items, one items at a time, going down to the shop several time a day… I am not relieved yet, on two counts:

1. I still have to go up three floors, several times a day, to fetch emergency items from my sister’s apartment

2. I am not that relieved: It is supposed to be a personal matter between George and me. Why the extended family has to feel directly concerned and shun from saluting and having small talks? Particularly the young members…

In any case, everyone know that George should be on tranquilizers to cool down his nerves on edge at all times. George is battling with his shadows when no one is around him…A small medication can go a long way to restoring the peace in these countless mini civil wars…