She came back from some rural places and told him a story about the houses which lack even basic amenities and he thought she had become too comfortable with her life that she wasn’t capable to live a life without the presence of an air conditioner, a washing machine and the cable tv anymore. No! That was not her intention. She was just trying to tell him about the existence of the poor in this developing nation. She was too amazed to encounter that even in this developing country, where social living status is increasing every day, there’re still people who live with just the basic. But unfortunately, he gets her wrong. And so, the situation warrants her a history lesson, the same story that she has been listening for her entire life.
He talks about his life as a kid where his father was just a truck driver but he and his siblings all now has become the successful person. He told her about how he used to sell noodles at school and give tuition to his friend just for some pocket money. He said, she should be grateful because she just has to open her mouth and ask if she wants anything. He said he was the poor kid while she was the rich kid.
But, she doesn’t think so. She may has anything she want but while other children received 1-2 bucks per day for pocket money, she only has 20 cent in her purse. She still remembered asking him why she only get 20 cent? – which is what he got when he was a little kid. Doesn’t he know that the era has changed? But he told her that she already got everything, she didn’t need anything to buy anymore and that 20 cent was not a pocket money. It should go straight to her piggy bank.
She never understood about that idea until she finished her secondary school. She always thought she was the poorest among her friend. She couldn’t figure out why a daughter of a manager only got 20 cent per day while a daughter of just a clerk got 2 bucks? That is not fair at all.
But he was just trying not to pamper her so much so that she would not depend on him too much because he was afraid if something starkly happen, she won’t be able to cope with the living. He wants her to become conscious of the reality as well as the associated responsibility that comes with it as his favorite quote is, “Life is a roller coaster, today we may be on top but who knows what will happen to us tomorrow.”
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