My Mom, the Wonderwoman

Mom has found a new lease in life. Thanks to Pakteh, she’s now known as a businesswoman a.k.a datin with too much time on her hands. The product she’s selling is called Optivin, a supplement on which I’ll story more on next time.

The thing is over the last month, I’ve seen some changes in ibu. Being a housewife is not an easy job, no matter what some people may say. Sure, you have the luxury of sleeping in late and watching telenovas all afternoon, but behind it all you’re actually on call 24-7. The kids are hungry; you have to cook them some food. The toilet needs cleaning; you’re the one on hands and knees scrubbing away the grub. The sink overflows; you’re the one frantically calling every plumber in town. And that doesn’t include all the headaches and heartaches your kids and spouse may give you. Even with a maid to help, the workload doesn’t get any easier, just differs.

Anyhow, ibu has been a housewife for as long as I can remember. She used to work as a secretary, thus her typing skills she put to good use when ayah was taking his doctorate. She still has a few good friends from her work era who she calls up once in awhile. Other than that, her life revolves mostly around her kids (yang actually somo dah besar panjang, so cannot call kids anymore), the house (which explains why it now resembles a museum) and most recently her grandkids. Ayah gets her attention when he’s around and when she’s in the mood.

But that was it for ibu. Luckily for her, she can drive so she isn’t confided to the house all the time. Once in awhile she would go to Auntie S’s house in Melawati and they would go get their hair done (inai) and go window shopping. If she gets really bored, she would drive to my aunt’s house in Melaka and come back the same day.

Ibu sometimes demonstrates the pleasures of being a leisure lady but I know sometimes she just wishes for some quiet time with ayah. Going away with ayah on his frequent business trips is a highlight for her, even if she only gets to spend time with him after his meetings.

Sometimes I don’t know how she does it. On an average day, ayah goes to work at around 7.30am and comes home no earlier than 10pm. Usually ibu is asleep by then. Weekend mornings, ayah spends it at the driving range. Ibu jokes, to get ayah to herself she has to make appointments and take a number.

I’m getting kind of personal here. I know some of my friends out there read my blog and think that they know my mom pretty well, seeing how peramah she can be. The thing I’m trying to say is...being a mom myself, I now understand the meaning of sacrifice. I understand why ibu put her life on hold so she could be there for her husband and kids. I understand even though her kids put her through so much, she always forgives and forgets.

Actually tengah merapu ni. Tengah nostalgia for no particular reason.

I need to call my mom. Later.