Fatherhood Memory

Grandparents will arrive later today to stay with you for a week. Mom was in the kitchen making bun bo hue and I was cleaning up the house. You chose to hang around me. My guess was that you were intrigued by the vacuum. For whatever reason, thanks for keeping me companied. You sure are a fast learner. You already figured out where the power button after watching me turned it on once. You pressed the button and ran toward me. I guess the sound was not that pleasant.

Spending time cleaning up the house with you reminded me of my father. When I was a kid, my dad was not around often. He would only come home about a couple days a month; therefore, all the time we spent together I could remember clearly. One time he was home before Lunar New Year so he was cleaning up the house and I was also hanging around him. He was sweeping and singing to me a song that I could only remember a few lines, “Co loi khong nhan loi la hen / co loi ma nhan loi la ngoan.” Basically what the song trying to tell you is that if you do something wrong and you don’t admit it then you’re a coward. But if you could admit it than you’re good. He told me to repeat the song. So I did, but I changed the words a bit: “Co loi khong nhan loi la khon / Co loi ma nhan loi la ngu” (If you do something wrong and you don’t admitted then you’re smart / If you do something wrong, but you admitted than you’re a fool.”

Obviously my dad was furious. I could still remember the reaction on his face. He almost whipped my ass, but it was closed to New Year so he let me off the hook. I could see the little naughty in you just like me. Like father like son.