Greed & Stupidity

Sitting in my living hall enjoying the cold breeze gently blowing into the house, something happened sometime ago also breezed into my mind. Something that felt disheartening when I first heard of it, furious after I processed the information, absurd when I re-think about it in the end and it makes me feel like laughing out loud now.

After PP passing in January this year, all hell broke loose at home. I felt embarrassed even to be typing out this family drama. It was all merely because of the couple of tens of thousands that was left in PP’s account which was thought to have more by some. I wonder where they got the notion from. It was hilarious because PP was just a hawker when she retired more than 10 years ago and during those 10 years, she dug into her savings for some of her own medical expenses, buying gifts for her grandchildren’s weddings, great grandchildren birthdays and even bailing out one who constantly faced with financial issues rooted from his own laziness. How they can still think that PP left hundreds of thousands in her account for them never fail to amaze me. Greed does blind people. How they can suddenly lost the ability to even compute simple mathematic formulas. Strange.

After the drama of the assumed hundreds of thousands, there comes another sequel. And this time, it was even more interesting. They somehow assumed PP had left behind ‘bucketful’ of jewelleries. The assumed ‘buckets’ are in actual fact, just half a cigarette tin. I do agree that she used to have more than that. However, over the years, she sold off some to build their house which now stood, melted some old ones for newer design, and traded in some in exchange for others for her grandchildren and great grandchildren. So her collections will surely be depleted. No? In actual fact, the remaining half a cigarette tin of jewellery was meant only for my mom cause as you all know, mom has been the only one that has been taking care of PP since 1991. 17 years. But they insisted that it MUST be evenly distributed among them and she did just that. Greed does blind people. How they can honourably take what that is not theirs and never contributed anything in the first place is nothing but a laugh.

Those are just the gist of the many dramas that have taken place ever since PP’s departure. Yeah, I know, it’s disheartening. That’s life what….it happens in all families and I won’t blame them. Because they are merely humans and majority of the humans are like that. They would never claim the responsibilities that are rightfully theirs, but when it comes to credits/advantages/wealth, they would never hesitate to claim it cause, to them, it was rightfully theirs. Even it means to severe family ties. That’s greed. Their 50cents coin is bigger than a bullock cart wheel. That’s just how they perceived materials. I just pity them and glad that I am not one of the majority of those mere humans that are greedy.

What breezes into my mind this morning was none of the above. Those are just an intro to what I was to share. What breezes into my mind was another sequel which took place right after PP’s 100 days. I was not there when it took place. It is strange how it was always the case. But I guess they don’t have the guts to tell it to my face, that’s why. Anyway, it was just a story that was conveyed to me and the story was, they said that I should return a bracelet that PP gave me over tea ceremony on our wedding a year ago. Honestly, if there is a joke-of-the-year-award, this would surely be it. Greed not only would blind some, it makes them stupid too.

I am not trying to take credits of the things that we had done for PP but, where were they when we were short handed in the stall? Who is the one helping at home and at the stall till way past midnights, at the same time, rushing her homework and revisions and goes to school again at 6am the next morning? Where were them when PP needed cataract surgeries? Where were them when PP had tuberculosis? Who sent her phlegm samples to the hospital every morning to be tested for a whole blardy month? I was only 17 then. Hardly anyone of ‘them’ visited. I even overheard one of them saying this to her children… “Eee…TB is a highly contagious disease, better don’t visit…”. Didn’t they know all of us had TB vaccination??? Oh yeah, they are stupid. I forgot. Pardon me.

Who wake up in the middle of the night to pat her back and bring her hot water when she was coughing none stop and spitting out blood? Who took a week off from work to take care of her when she survived her first stroke years ago half paralyzed? Who carry her to the toilet when she needed to go? Who went back to spend a week with her when mom was away in Canada for 3 weeks? Oh, that would be me also cause some of them said they can’t because they need to go Genting Highlands with their children and to that, I just spitted out… “Up to you, she is your mom. Not mine.” (The initial plan was that we each take turn so PP won’t feel too bored).

Where were them when PP was depressed and demotivated and her only source of cheer were her grandchildren and children? Please, spared me the 'we have our own family now' crap... If they really think that it is a reasonable reason, then, they should pass it down to their own children too.. "girl../boy... when you grow up and have your own family, don't bother about us ok... can write us off cause you have your own family to take care of"... lame.

And now, they want my bracelet. Lols. Hilarious isn’t it? Honestly, to me, a bracelet is just a bracelet. A momento from PP to me. Its’ value is greater than what it actually worth. But still, I would gladly give it to them with one condition and that is, for them to tell it to my face, an acceptable reason as to WHY THEY THINK THEY DESERVE IT. By time they are finish, I might be able to publish a book on ‘Greed & Stupidity’.