It had been the same thing ever since I was a child. Every morning, without fail, my grandfather would buy me ba chor mee for breakfast. It was his own way of showing his love and care for me, I guess.
But honestly, I was getting tired of it. I mean, what kind of breakfast is that?
Told him off for buying ba chor mee every day
Whenever I asked him to buy me something else, his response was always the same; “Ba chor mee is good for you. They give you energy and strength.”
I would roll my eyes and reluctantly take the noodles, but inside I was seething with anger. My friends were all eating cereal or toast for breakfast, and here I was stuck with ba chor mee day after day. It was embarrassing.
Things finally reached a boiling point one morning. I was already late for school and the last thing I wanted was to have to wait for my grandfather to get me ba chor mee. I had had enough and I decided to tell him how I felt.
“Grandfather, why do you always buy me ba chor mee for breakfast?” I asked angrily. “It’s so boring and it makes me look like a child. Can’t you buy me something else?”
My grandfather stared at me, his face expressionless. “I’m sorry,” he said finally. “I thought I was doing something nice for you.” And then he turned away and walked out of the room, leaving me feeling guilty and ashamed.
I never said anything else to my grandfather about the ba chor mee after that day. Instead, I just accepted the ba chor mee every morning and silently ate them, never complaining or showing my displeasure.
But inside, I was becoming more and more resentful. I felt like my grandfather was treating me like a child, not understanding that I was growing up and wanted something more than ba chor mee for breakfast.
I wanted to be treated like an adult, not like a child who could never have any say in what he ate.
Realised my grandfather meant well but it was too late
It was a while before I finally realized that my grandfather was merely trying to show his love and care for me. He was trying to do something nice for me, something that he thought would make me happy.
But instead of appreciating his gesture, I had been ungrateful and complained about it.
I felt horrible. I had treated my grandfather so unfairly, when all he had wanted to do was show me how much he cared. I wanted to make it up to him, but there was nothing I could do as he passed on shortly after the confrontation.
I had already said all the hurtful things and there was no way to take them back, now that he’s gone.