(no subject)
"One day I was eating my lunch, and a dog came by me, so I shood it away. I was told later that that dog was, in fact, my mother."
I have today off, left for a little bit to get cough drops (cuz my throat is killing me after being a dumb over the weekend), and coffee (cough-eee), and when I came back my grandma told me that the construction workers know they're two old Vietnamese people home alone and will rob them and kidnap her. My grandma was telling me what happened too. I couldn't tell what was going on with both of them talking at me at once. I was just like ":O what?? what????" I gathered enough to conclude that my grandma was just scared of the construction workers because of what she has heard about mistreatment of the elderly. I said not to worry. My grandpa, machismo that he is, is helping the construction workers. 88 and still going strong and I can't say anything, because the other guy is old too, and they seem to be forming a friendship as my grandparents don't get any real human interaction. So, I decided to sit with my grandma and talk to her. "What did he say?" I'd ask her to summarize the buddhist sermon sentence I didn't understand. "Remember when...."
When the Buddhist told the story of the dog, and she told me what he had just said, she burst out crying. I asked her, "nhung ma, tai sao Ba Ngoai khoc?" I was so confused as to why this would make her suddenly cry. I soon realized that she thinks she is close to death, and doesn't know what she'll "come back as" and to go to your child only to have him shoo you away. It is sad if you think about it that way, her as a mother, thinking about her next life. I liked that story.
She said I'm young so I don't understand now, but living life as a "normal" human being is too hard. There are too many struggles. To come back as a high holy one is the easiest. I asked her, but how can this Buddhist know so much, because she said he knows so much, when he spends all his days inside the temple, and doesn't interact with the people? I think the grass looks really green for her, but she's unable to see how easy her life has been.
We talked about Viendi, and my cousin, and whatever else. My Vietnamese, at times, isn't so bad, but at other times I really really can't put together a sentence. Sometimes she helps me fill in the words. Such a relaxing life in her shoes, except with one empty shoe.
<3