My Conversation with Mom

The other day when I talked to my Mom via Skype, as usual we talked about so many things. Among others, she told me about the newlyweds and how life's been going on after the new bride moved into the house.

Apparently after the wedding, my brother and his wife go to their offices together in the morning by motorcycle. So my brother drops her off first, then he goes to his own workplace. Then in the evenings, since my brother's wife gets home earlier, her Dad picks her up and takes her to her grandma's place. Even before they got married, she and her family oftentimes spend the afternoons or evenings in their grandma's place before they go home. Then when it's time for my brother to go home from work (about an hour later), he'll pick her up at her grandma's house. Sometimes when it's raining, her Dad would drop her off at my parents' place by car. That way my brother's wife's parents get to meet her every day, so they won't miss her too much. ;-D

I just found out, as well, that prior to the wedding, my brother's wife was thinking of starting her own business. Well, as some of you know, my Mom sells food in a traditional market, so does my brother's wife's mother. However, my Mom knows how lame the economical situation has been in the market, so she said this to her, "I hope you'll reconsider your decision. I'm not trying to control your life or anything, but think about it this way: considering the economical situation these days, if I were you, I wouldn't stop working full-time. After all, by doing so, you'll get a steady stream of income every month. Plus you've worked for this company for years, so your salary rate is pretty good already. Moreover, if you want to give money to your parents, you'll have more freedom. And by all means, do give them some money."

Mom knows that her younger brother's still studying at the university, so her parents still need to gather lots of money to fund his education.

Then Mom said that right after the newlyweds came back home from their honeymoon in Bali, my brother's wife mopped the floor right away. Then when her parents came to visit her, Mom said in front of them to my brother's wife, "If you're tired and you don't feel like mopping the floor, you don't have to do it. In this house, I don't mop the floor every single day, so you don't have to do it. I don't mind. Do it only when you have time and when you feel like it."

My brother's wife tried to wash her own clothes and my brother's clothes separately a few times, but then a few times my Mom washed all the clothes together and ironed them. Then my brother's wife said, "Oh, Mom, you don't have to do that!"

My Mom replied, "Well, I'll only do it when I have the energy and the mood. If I feel tired and I don't feel like it, I won't do it, so don't worry about it, okay?"

Mom also tells me that these days she sleeps earlier, at around 7.30 pm, along with my Dad. That way she hopes that the newlyweds will get more "privacy" he he he he he...Well, after all, my Mom has to wake up at around 3.30 or 4 am every morning to start preparing the food to sell. :-))) And Dad usually wakes up at around 5 am to help out. Well, I'm glad that it seems they're adjusting to life with their daughter-in-law smoothly. ;-D