Old Beng went to Hawker Centre

lim peh ka li kong

Last night, me and my cha-bo-lang went to have dinner after me knock-off and only the two of us without all our children dangling around.

We usually have a night out for dinner once a week and just the two of us, sort of having quality time together. Couples, especially those married for many years, must find and spend quality time together, if not, how to be loving in the long run? Even until now, after we have been married for so many years, we still hold hands whenever we go out alone and that is something me always enjoy doing.

Anyway, we went to have our dinner in a hawker centre near our house. As usual la, so very crowded one, since it was after office hour and during dinner time, so we only managed to get to share seats with another young couple. (Think they just came out to work cos they look so fresh even after a day's work.)

Look at Old Beng me, the face after work is really like over-night hum-ching-peng and also whole face very oily like the oil can drip down my face anytime for cooking.

The young couple so loving one, me saw the young man kept feeding his girlfriend and wipe the young girl's mouth after she ate every mouth of food. Somemore, the young man never one second shifted his eyes away from the young girl, only look at his girlfriend and nothing else. It's a miracle that he did not put food into his nose since he was eating without looking at his food at all.

Me looked at the young man and think to myself, I must also be more loving to my cha-bo-lang and so I started to look affectionately at my wife's pretty face and guess what I got in return?

"Oei, lau beng, kwa si mi? (see what?) Faster eat la, later food cold already not nice," my cha-bo-lang gave me a stare.

Ai-ya, this cha-bo-lang ah, me trying to be affectionate and maybe can be a romeo like that, yet she asked me see what? Like that how to be a loving husband?

Then me overheard the couple's conversation that they would go for a movie after their dinner.

Hmmn, good idea hor, maybe I could also go watch movie with my cha-bo-lang since the last movie we watched together in cinema was the Jack Neo's "Money Not Enough".

"Er, shall we go watch a show after we eat our dinner?" me asked my cha-bo-lang.

"You gila ah? Watch movie? You know now watch movie very expensive, better wait for VCD to come out then my friends will buy and then we can borrow from them la, why want to waste money?"

"Ai-ya, not very expensive also la," me trying to convince her to watch movie with me.

"Not expensive? You got a lot of money is it? Come, give me. I keep for you." my cha-bo-lang eyeing at my wallet while she talked to me.

"No no, I no much money," me quickly denied if not later kena chong-kong, then die la.

While we were eating, an old uncle and a blind woman walked towards us and tried to sell us tissue paper. My reaction then was to wave them away cos I do not need tissue paper la, me used handkerchief one, me very environmental mind.

Then I saw my cha-bo-lang took out a ten-dollar-note and gave it to the old uncle and got 3 packets of tissue paper from the blind lady.

Huh? $10 for 3 packets of tissue paper? Didn't my cha-bo-lang read newspaper that sometime, all these tissue paper old uncles/aunties/small children and handicapped people all got some people behind them, like a group of professional con-man?

I told my cha-bo-lang about what I thought and that she might be bluffed by them and some more she gave $10 for just 3 packets of tissue paper. Asked her see show, she said I waste money but like that gave $10 not waste money meh?

"Ai-yo lau beng, never mind whether they are genuine or not la. To me, I saw them really handicapped or maybe old and since I can help them by just a mere $10, why not? Ok, even if they really are con-man and what have I got to lose? To me, I see that they are in need and I give them with a helping heart so what if I am conned, I still wont know. Even if I know that they indeed conned me, so what? As I just said, my heart feels right in helping, the rest are secondary to me. My conscience is clear and that's good enough for me to donate money willingly."

I know I will never be able to argue with my cha-bo-lang so I just kept quiet and continued to indulge myself in my Ice-Kachang.

After dinner, me and my cha-bo-lang did not go for a movie but had a slow stroll back to our home, hand in hand of course.....

lim peh kong wan liao