198: direct quotes are in "____".

Coming back from quite a productive study session (thanks Rishi) I stepped into My room heavy bagged and sweaty from the late afternoon sun. In comes second aunt (not the Guardian), muttering something in incoherent, faux-english about my brother playing pool and it not being part of our family. I give a half-hearted "really" as I try to decipher where the hell she's coming from, and I realise its her archaic past. After getting annoyed and channeling her frustration (I am still trying to figure out at precisely what) to the phonecall that came and went she brings up how my mom entrusted us to her, and that we're treated as her own. Funny, I thought, since when did parents only care about their children when it came as a matter of convinience to them. Or maybe thats just how some people operate, but I cant say for sure

All of a sudden she explodes into a flurry of frustration, saying how playing pool isn't "good". Still puzzled, I beg her to clarify with a simply "why?". After telling me because its "bad" (?!) and that it is somehow linked to the horrors of gambling (again, ?!) she says how she never got to play it by her father and goes on to cite how it "made [her] the person [she is] today". Is it not peculiar how the decision of scoring spheres into holes (sounds like another game doesnt it, only this other one is highly celebrated by her family, yes, eventho it undeniably has more obvious links to gambling) is able to make or break a person? Screw Douglas Adams and his 42, not-playing pool is the real solution to Life, the Universe and Everything. 

What's more, I dont think being all hyperbolic and making unhappiness known to the whole world will solve anything. I mean if it was like that, then wouldnt every angsty, loud, despondent adolescent (hi) be happy right now? For some reason, my calm, composed manner of expressing myself and responding to her was seen as being rude and defiant, to the point of "tak boleh tahan ah", to which she stormed out of the house.

and another thing. refraining from pool "made her the person she is today"? Oh boy. I forsee many more trips to Chevrons then, a game there is quite cheap, and accessible too. Maybe I could get "hooked" to bowling, another ruthless, soul-sucking sport that puts balls into places. Oh, the horror that would befall on me.

[edit] roughly 3 hours later, a pleasant drive amidst fireworks, teh ping and a huge slab of beefy goodness at Spize @ Bedok, I feel much better, thanks to my aunt and uncle (yea, its the Guardian).


Cheers.