A Rare Outing

This was about 2 months ago...

Mum and I arranged to go to the NTUC at NEX. She had been wanting to get a new dining table coz the one they have is falling apart. When she asked if dad wanted to join us, he said ok.

He had been very against us making this trip there just the day before. He suggested going with mum on Friday because AN will have no school and will not be going to their place. As usual, he didn't want me to bring baby everywhere.

Surprisingly, he was 'participative' the whole time there, giving comments (which didn't go well with mum. His comments hardly ever did and hardly ever will go well with mum. They can NOT see eye to eye). And he helped to check out groceries. I thought he would be bored and grumpy but he wasn't a least bit.

But he started walking very slowly. His legs ached and walking was a chore. My dad is old :( He could walk really fast when we were kids. We would arrange to meet at Parkway Parade (from our old home at Marine Terrace), him to travel by foot and us by bus, and he would arrive earlier than we would.

He would not have allowed me to hold grocery bags (very stubborn father I have, but silently caring) but yesterday, after I insisted, he let me hold some. The rest were on ER's stroller, pushed by mum. His legs must have hurt bad because he's superb at tolerating pain and would not have allowed me to do anything he thinks he should be doing but he relented after I firmly took those bags from him.

It wasn't a long outing, but a fruitful one. The last time I went out with both of my parents (besides the time when they came to stay with us in Tucson) was before I got into Secondary school, if I didn't recall wrongly.

Now I understand better why he's sitting most of the day and doesn't want to go out much (other than for lunch). And I appreciate him more knowing that he's more than willing to get me much despite his legs aching after too much walking.

Love my parents...