Care to sing along with me this familiar tune from the Nursery Rhymes collection entitled Rain rain go away?


Argghh! I can't stand it any longer. It has been going on for 2 whole weeks! It rains for a while then the Sun comes out, then it rains again and the Sun comes out again. This cycle of the rain and the Sun playing hide and seek has not been kind to the laundry and cars. My car has been covered with a thick layer of dirt for 2 whole weeks! Two whole weeks! Ewwww! I am even digusted by the thought of it myself. Today, I have decided to get my car washed, be it rain or shine. The dirt has to go, no matter what!

When I arrived at my regular car wash shop, there were already a few cars being washed, vacuum and polished. I left my car in the washing area and walked into the waiting area. There was a lady (Lady A) seated at the counter doing some paperwork and punching numbers on the calculator. Another lady (Lady B), a customer like myself was seated opposite Lady A, reading newspapers that was placed on the little round table next to her. I was standing looking around at the surroundings when I overheard their little conversation. I did not eavesdrop on purpose but they were talking so loud that it had became a piece publicly available conversation. Both ladies looked like they were in their mid 30s. I heard them introducing themselves to each other and got acquainted very quickly. From their conversation, I gathered that Lady A is the shop's administration clerk whilst Lady B is the taukeh neo (lady boss) of a local hardware shop. Lady B conversed with such aggresiveness, frankness and arrogance - the usual trait of a rich man's wife.

Their conversation started off with casual talks; asking each other's doing, marital status, family, children and plans for the day since it's New Year's eve. What striked me most here was the boldness of revealing such detailed information to a stranger that one had just met. They were engaging in a conversation that any daughter-in-law would be at least once in their lifetime: my mother-in-law.

Lady B was actually complaining about her mother-in-law to Lady A. Her mother-in-law, coming from a conservative chinese background has the mindset that a woman should know how to cook, clean and sew; the basics of becoming a perfect wife. Lady B, a modern wife however felt that these should not be the primary concerns.

"She's always asking me if I sew clothes for her son", Lady B complaint to Lady A.

"Just because her daughter knows how to sew, she expects me to know and sew clothes for her son!", added Lady B.

"Perhaps, she's just looking into her son's best interest", Lady A replied.

"Everytime she said that, I'd very much like to tell her if it is more important for me to help her son make more money or sew clothes for him. With the money that I helped him to make, I can afford buy all the clothes he wants and there's not even the need to sew. Don't you agree?", Lady A continued to lament.

She would keep on and on about how unfair her mother-in-law is, always comparing her to her own daughter. "Oh well, luckily we have a place of our own otherwise it would be difficult and the situation may get ugly". Lady A, who has been listening attentively at Lady B just smiled at that last comment.

I would say that Lady B was indeed very bold, talking and complaining about her in-law to a stranger she had only just met. It would be a disaster if the someone who knew the family (especially her in-laws), overheard their conversation and then words got out! I would still think that it is best not to wash our own dirty linen in public - Prevention is Better than War.

Then I heard the man said "Your car's done, Miss". Oh, my car's done! All clean and shiny. Eeks! But, what do you know? As I was getting into the car, it started to rain again! Darn! *Arrggh!*

I can almost hear my car sing Rhythm of the Falling Rain.