MING LAN

Chapter Sixteen: Family Vacation

Our promise to go to China is fulfilled when I take my family there. Ming Lan and I took turns carrying our son all the way. He is a year old. There was our luggage too. We took a cab here and there for convenience before we found the right place.

    My father traced back his uncles’ and aunt’s family. They are my grandpa’s younger siblings, I call them grand uncles and grand aunts. My father is my grandpa’s only son who has never gone back to China. With the help from the police station in that region, he managed to arrive at the place and meet them safely.

    With the pictures and letters from China he brought, they welcomed him as their nephew.

    We stayed around in their houses for two days. Showing us what we should see. My father had a good time rebonding with his uncles and aunts whom he had never met. Two of his uncles had passed away around the time my grandparents died. My father vividly remembers and recalls his father’s story to him about them in China.

    China has changed a lot according to my granduncles. He showed us old and new pictures of their houses and neighbours. The place is much cleaner and organised with improved neighbourhoods.

    My chubby son exchanged hands from the young to old relatives carrying him. I help to look after my son as Ming Lan and my father are busy talking to the relatives. I am a listener, and talk when I need to as usual. I get to taste the local China home cook dishes too.

    We parted after my father gave an envelope with the same amount of money to each of his uncles and aunts. They are old men and women now living with their children. Appa shed tears leaving them saying not knowing when he will see them again. It seems my father is really going to miss his uncles and aunts, after meeting them for the first time.

    Dad is already sixty this year. I hope to bring him to see them again when we have enough budget for the ‘gifts’ but not every year. I cannot let my father see them bare handed even though most of their children are well off. I want to keep my father happy at this age. I will try my best to keep him happy.

    We went touring China on our own, following our original plan. With the help and guidance from the public. Seeing places of our interest and getting to taste the dishes from place to place. Making our holiday a memorable one for us. We plan to see the great wall on our next trip.

    During our ten days in China, my son was fine until the day we arrived home safely.

    Back home, my baby is happy to be able to crawl and practice his baby steps, walking along the sofa, smiling and showing his teeth. Making us tired following him to and fro. My father can only call him to his sofa and pick him up, gargling and teasing him, making him laugh.

    A year later we went on holiday by car, locally, with Ming Lan carrying our five months second child in her belly. My son Teck Huat is almost two, with his baby talk we can understand him. It is easier travelling in our own car. Having almost everything with us, said my wife. I could not have agreed more with her, having an elderly and a baby to care for.

    My father can recognise some of the places he was familiar with as we passed the places. Relating us the stories behind every place he knew. It is interesting actually. Like reading a travel book, with my father.

    Sometimes I think back and ask myself. “Why didn’t I bring my father to visit places when he was younger.” Then remembering that he had many bad issues and was an unhappy man. Confined himself to keeping low and doing business only. It is not totally my fault actually.

    I had been following his orders after I graduated and working under him until now. My mind had been orientated by his old ways of thinking and doing business that I find it hard to change this way of thinking of mine.

    I never had any girlfriend before, hardly have time for that. Until I met Ming Lan. An interesting girl, for me. She sort of brightened up my life in her own way. I too do not understand why I am attracted to such a character other than running away twice.

    Marrying Ming Lan, opens up my eyes to see things in a different perspective, influenced by her thinking. My wife is a wise woman. She is used to reading in her spare time and knows a lot, especially after she is married to me. I hope we can bring up our children to be better than us in future.

    My father is back to his good health. According to our family doctor, he is a healthy old man. He breathes better with no problem. Maybe he is a happy man now. He insists I carry on with the business. His mind is out of date for the business. He is happy enough to have a grandson to accompany him at home. Not feeling lonely anymore.

    “The nanny will help me,” he always said to me, not to worry about him staying at home.

    Listening to the doctor advicing my Dad, I started taking care of myself at a young age. I am thirty one. Eating the right kind of diet and doing the necessary exercise. I have to keep my wife Ming Lan happy in bed too. She has a strong desire.

    “I don’t want you to tire yourself too much. Once a day is good enough for me, where I can go for the third round.” she told me one night.

    Out of ego, I really gave her three rounds that night. Enjoying myself. Making me very tired the next day. She looks at me teasing me when she looks at me. “I told you.” she says as she sits beside me having our breakfast. I have to do something about it. There is still a long way to go for both of us as we are still young.

    Anyhow, Ming Lan is understanding, concerning that. Telling me there are other things that are more important in life other than that bedroom issue. 

    “Keong, you have to read all these magazines and web pages on the computer. This is knowledge for businessmen like you.” I take her advice and make it a habit to read at the office computer, taking notes of important guide notes. It keeps me occupied and not that boring anymore sitting behind the table in my office room.