Qualities of a friend

For each problem my teenage daughter tells me, mine are only 2 folds of what she has. She never knows that whenever I answer, “Its ok life goes on. There’s always tomorrow.” It is because I’m tired from a hard days work. Come to think of it, that’s what my father said when I pounded him with my teenage woes back then.

   All I hear from my daughter is her infatuation problems, girl power, the latest fad and of course, a raise in her allowance. Recently, she had a crush on Adam Brody, some teen movie stars sensation. Whenever I call him Adam. Nobody I get a whack on the arm. I’m thankful though, that she was in a girls’ school. No worries of any boy problems for now until I ship her off to a nunnery. But that’s probably wishful thinking seeing my daughter has a mind of her own.

   She continues to lecture me on women rising in power. In other words, she daily rents on battling the so-called popular girls in school. Yesterday, some girls named Brittanny called her a fashion retard when she wore her favourite earring, a plastic panda face. Anyway the girl was caught red-handed while applying eyeliner in the toilets. Serves her right, my daughter and I agreed.

   In the middle of our conservation, I noticed that her neckline were a little too low, and showing a little too much! She retaliates it by saying that it’s the latest fashion flare.” How would you like your own mother dress like that?” I pointed to my wife in the kitchen. Dramatically, she squealed and ever so much like a damsel in the distress, ‘fainted’. Within seconds, she woke up and upstairs to change into some proper clothes, the bunny pyjamas which I brought her last year.

   In not more then fifteen minutes, she came down and flopped herself at my side just like she used to when she was 5.She put on an innocent, look and even reminded me that she scored an A plus in last month’s science test. “Do you want something?” I interrupted her. With pleading puppy dog eyes, she begged me to increase her allowance. I heaved a sight of resignation and took out my wallet. The gleam in her eyes was difficult to miss. When she saw the hundred ringgit note, her mouth widened. I could have sworn there was a drop of drool on the seat rest. Hundred fifty-five and two ringgit. I gave her the green not with a grin. “Here, it’s more indestructible than the others”. I said handling it to her.

   She squinted her eyes in dissatisfaction yet kissed me good night before running off. The missus comes in with a warm smile. “How is it that she’s closer to you than she is to me? I am the other woman in the house aren’t I?”
I gave her a hearty laugh and replied:

“We can relate to each other. Ever heard of the saying, like father like daughter”?

**Grows-ups never understand anything for themselves, and it’s tiresome for children to be always and forever explaining things to them-Antoine de Saint-Exupery.