The cool evening breeze caressed her fair cheeks and fluffed her already fluffy hair as she left the house. Beatrice felt pretty happy that she remembered to put on a warmer T-shirt this time.
Her keys jingled in her pocket as Dot the Intrepid Explorer tugged at his leash, zig-zagging his way along the road to sniff at every possible thing around. Overexcited at the prospect of actually reaching the park, Dot began to dance in circles while barking and wagging his tail non-stop.
She laughed at his silliness and bent down to pat him on his head. "Siao Kao!(3)"
"Handsome-looking dog you have there" a gentle and decidedly manly voice said.
Beatrice looked up and saw the elderly figure standing before her, wispy white hair neatly combed in a right parting on his balding egg-shaped pate, and showing no signs of intending to start a comb-over. Wearing nothing but a white Cap Pagoda cotton singlet over a pair of navy blue trousers, the man’s thin form towered over Beatrice’s round five-footer frame. His wrinkly, fair and liver-spotted face smoothed itself into a grin as he motioned with his antiquated black umbrella to Dot, who by now had made acquaintance with his right trouser leg and was about to start a fine tug-of-war game with it.
“Aiya(4)… Dot! Very sorry about that, Ah Pek(5)” Beatrice apologised sheepishly while tugging Dot’s leash for him to return to her side.
“Don’t worry about it, girl” he replied, smiling broadly at her while exposing two straight rows of yellowing dentures.
“He is just like my dog, Ah Kao(6). My wife will be walking him over shortly…would you like to meet them? Ah...here they come now.”
A lady not much older than Beatrice bounced happily over with an equally enthusiastic Golden Retriever. The lady giggled as her curly fringe tumbled past her eyebrows and made little shakes with her head, causing her waist-length mane to shimmer in the light of dusk. She was a picture of youth in her figure-hugging yellow T-shirt and sea blue shorts. Ah Kao and Dot immediately sniffed each other before yelping and running in circles together. Beatrice felt slightly shocked over the age of the man's wife, but quickly chided herself mentally to not kaypoh(7) about other people's business.
"Dear, meet..." he paused before glancing back at Beatrice. "I must have forgotten my manners, young lady. My name is Kong(8). How am I to address you?"
"Umm... my name is Beatrice, but you can call me Bea. Nice to meet you both!" she said while shaking both Mr and Mrs Kong's hands, trying her best not to look like a goggle-eyed nitwit.
"Nice to meet you too, Bea!" chirped Mrs Kong, before turning her full attention to her husband. "Darlinggg....you make friends so fast, I don't think I can catch up with your sea of friends!"
"Don't catch up then - just wait for the tide to turn" came the quick reply.
The couple grinned appreciatively at each other over their private joke, momentarily forgetting their surroundings.
Beatrice coughed.
"Umm...I'll just be going to the park right now" she motioned.
"Do wait for us Bea" Mr Kong said.
"Yes... do wait for us, Bea" chorused Mrs Kong, before cheerfully announcing "We can walk there together!"
"Okay lah.. let's go then" Beatrice said.
Dot and Ah Kao barked in unison before happily dashing off to the park by themselves, stopping occasionally to turn back and ensure that their owners were in plain view.
The five of them were quite a sight in the neighbourhood that evening. Those not in the know would have easily mistaken the group for a grandfather having a wonderful evening stroll with his two grand-daughters and dogs.
Her keys jingled in her pocket as Dot the Intrepid Explorer tugged at his leash, zig-zagging his way along the road to sniff at every possible thing around. Overexcited at the prospect of actually reaching the park, Dot began to dance in circles while barking and wagging his tail non-stop.
She laughed at his silliness and bent down to pat him on his head. "Siao Kao!(3)"
"Handsome-looking dog you have there" a gentle and decidedly manly voice said.
Beatrice looked up and saw the elderly figure standing before her, wispy white hair neatly combed in a right parting on his balding egg-shaped pate, and showing no signs of intending to start a comb-over. Wearing nothing but a white Cap Pagoda cotton singlet over a pair of navy blue trousers, the man’s thin form towered over Beatrice’s round five-footer frame. His wrinkly, fair and liver-spotted face smoothed itself into a grin as he motioned with his antiquated black umbrella to Dot, who by now had made acquaintance with his right trouser leg and was about to start a fine tug-of-war game with it.
“Aiya(4)… Dot! Very sorry about that, Ah Pek(5)” Beatrice apologised sheepishly while tugging Dot’s leash for him to return to her side.
“Don’t worry about it, girl” he replied, smiling broadly at her while exposing two straight rows of yellowing dentures.
“He is just like my dog, Ah Kao(6). My wife will be walking him over shortly…would you like to meet them? Ah...here they come now.”
A lady not much older than Beatrice bounced happily over with an equally enthusiastic Golden Retriever. The lady giggled as her curly fringe tumbled past her eyebrows and made little shakes with her head, causing her waist-length mane to shimmer in the light of dusk. She was a picture of youth in her figure-hugging yellow T-shirt and sea blue shorts. Ah Kao and Dot immediately sniffed each other before yelping and running in circles together. Beatrice felt slightly shocked over the age of the man's wife, but quickly chided herself mentally to not kaypoh(7) about other people's business.
"Dear, meet..." he paused before glancing back at Beatrice. "I must have forgotten my manners, young lady. My name is Kong(8). How am I to address you?"
"Umm... my name is Beatrice, but you can call me Bea. Nice to meet you both!" she said while shaking both Mr and Mrs Kong's hands, trying her best not to look like a goggle-eyed nitwit.
"Nice to meet you too, Bea!" chirped Mrs Kong, before turning her full attention to her husband. "Darlinggg....you make friends so fast, I don't think I can catch up with your sea of friends!"
"Don't catch up then - just wait for the tide to turn" came the quick reply.
The couple grinned appreciatively at each other over their private joke, momentarily forgetting their surroundings.
Beatrice coughed.
"Umm...I'll just be going to the park right now" she motioned.
"Do wait for us Bea" Mr Kong said.
"Yes... do wait for us, Bea" chorused Mrs Kong, before cheerfully announcing "We can walk there together!"
"Okay lah.. let's go then" Beatrice said.
Dot and Ah Kao barked in unison before happily dashing off to the park by themselves, stopping occasionally to turn back and ensure that their owners were in plain view.
The five of them were quite a sight in the neighbourhood that evening. Those not in the know would have easily mistaken the group for a grandfather having a wonderful evening stroll with his two grand-daughters and dogs.
(c) Maggie Chong, 2008
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(3) Crazy dog!
(4) Oh no!
(5) Usually used for any (i.e. not related to the family) elderly man as a form of respect. Variation of this being Ah Kung or Kung Kung.
(6) Lazy form of name for dog.
(7) Poke her nose into.
(8) As in surname i.e. family name, not King-Kong. ;)
(3) Crazy dog!
(4) Oh no!
(5) Usually used for any (i.e. not related to the family) elderly man as a form of respect. Variation of this being Ah Kung or Kung Kung.
(6) Lazy form of name for dog.
(7) Poke her nose into.
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