(774) Irate husband

Many years ago I befriended an American born Chinese lady who married and came to live in my beloved town, Silver City.

She wanted to take her children to visit a fishing island. I was game to accompany her as my children have never been there. In the end, it was decided we took both her kids and two of my younger ones as her car could only comfortably seat the four children at the back. But half an hour before we pushed off, her husband suddenly decided to join us and use his spacious four wheel off terrain vehicle.

We went on a day trip and had a good time. After we returned, her husband gave my friend and I a stiff talking to. As far as he was concerned, we were incompetents because we did not even look at the ferry schedule at the jetty. And he was upset because there was no hotel of note in the fishing island. He said that if he had not taken off from his busy activities, we would be stranded in an island where we could not find fit accommodation for his precious children. Perhaps we two crazy women would bring back children bitten by fleas and we have to delouse the kids.

He was upset and got ticked off when my friend, an independent woman, was unrepentant. Therefore he walked off in a huff to drive to his office. I was sorry that I totally turned off my take charge mode when there is a man to depend on. If he had not accompanied us, I would have taken on the role of tour guide and I was definitely aware that there was no night crossing from that tiny island. The way I look at it, there is not much point arguing with an irate husband. Just let him think whatever he likes, I feel bad that I did not live up to his exacting standards. After all, it would have been an adventure if we had missed the last ferry, it would have been a survival course for the four children. It often does not hurt for the children to be subjected to some hardship and testing to build character.