How shall i begin to write this? My father once told me off for half an hour straight because i was late for ten minutes. When i was young, he used to make me wait more than an hour at my aunt the baby sitter's place. It does not take a genius to figure out my destiny with time. Normally i consider myself early if i'm five minutes late. Of course, i'm not here to point fingers- i take full responsibility for my state of punctuality but facts remain cold, stagnant and unchangeable.

Once daddy's phone rang and he started speaking, in hokkein if you must imagine, rather loudly in front of me when i was watching telly. I told him to soften up for i had trouble trying to decipher the dialogues. He made some sort of a wave with his hand and resume, talking louder than ever. My ears gave up trying to listen to the sad come philosophical exchange between characters in a soap opera to focus on the real life drama at hand. "KNN, NNH, KNS, CCB, KPKB..." (initials for hokkein vulgarities) he screamed into his nokia (insert four numbers). I listened hard. Somebody owed him money. For the first time in my life i was hit with twenty minutes of non-stop vulgarities (the f word pretty much an outcast in this situation)- by none other than my father, the unpaid teacher of my life who taught me what i call mother tongue. How can i not curse at all?
I suggest rag-and-bone men stay away from my vicinity from 4pm-6pm daily unless you are a silent one. My dad hates to be disturbed when he naps. Staying at the fifth story does not stop him from screaming. What reputation?

Now i am getting to my point. Apparently he had gotten into a verbal fight with some people from a ____ company yesterday. For three hours until he was sent home by the police who told him they would sort the problem out. Undaunted, he came home fuming telling my mother that he was going to write them letters until they pay up. After that, he would purchase a loud haler. I'd leave it to one's own discretion to figure out why. As a daughter i'd show him some support. The next time he visits that place, i'm coming along with him. The people who do not understand this dialect can approach me. I can provide them with english translation and chinese if i attempt.

This man is not all that angry and i am not here to speak ill of him. In fact if you look at the bigger picture, why does he try so hard to get his money back? Times are hard, mum is sick, i'm not exactly the greatest scrooge around. Don't even ask me about my brother. He's having an operation next week. Pray for him will ya?

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