You know we work odd hours, RJ and me.
And so yesterday, in the middle of a rainy afternoon, the 2 of us had
laksa in a little Community Club cafe out at
ulu Sengkang. Afterwards we popped upstairs to pick his boy EJ who was having extra-curricular classes. OK so we looked liked a Gay Couple (haha), but that's another story =))
Anyway while RJ had a chat with the teacher, EJ and me watched a group of teenagers play basketball. A good ten minutes or so I reckon. I had to squat so the boy could talk to my face, not my pelvic bone =))
He mumbled absent-mindedly, eyes transfixed on the sweaty boys in singlets dancing under the hoop, "Daddy do you play basketball?"
I said yes, Uncle did a long time ago after school, and I used to elbow people in the face =))
Then I felt bad telling the young'un about such unsportsman-like behaviour. The next time RJ gets summoned after EJ gives someone a black eye on court, he will know who to blame.
Well the little conversation got me thinking, if ever I become a real Daddy, what kind of Daddy will I be? I was tempted to borrow one of a few extra basketballs that were lying around and let the boy shoot a few hoops, perhaps with him on my shoulders. And tell him all about the players of 'my era', Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul Jabbar,
et al.
This month, all the Fathers in my work unit get a day off to accompany their Primary-school-going children to
sekolah. A new government initiative it seems to promote Father-Child bonding. And because I have about 30 such daddies, I had to roster them about 1-2 to go per work day. Although my deputy (who is unmarried by the way) was swearing at the shortage of manpower, I had to tell her frankly that
moi thought it was a great idea.
RJ said again yesterday before we left, "Don't have kids!".
But I know deep down inside he doesn't mean it...=)