(1172)The cutting of ties.

Chinese New Year gatherings are usually held in the Low family home. As in most middle-income families, the Lows have two children. Victor is the older and Mauve is the younger one. Victor grew up with his paternal granddad and grandma. Mauve was in her maternal grandparents' house until she was six.

They have three cousins: Joshua, Denise and Elise. Joshua and Elise grew up with their stay-at-home mom. Denise was the odd one out, she lived under the care of her father's parents. During most school holidays, Joshua and Elise would spend many weeks with Victor and Mauve. The latter's parents were most hospitable.

One Chinese New Year, the two older children: the two boys elected to play their preferred card games. It is usually the dominant who leads the pack, not just among children but true for dogs and chickens as well. In this case, Denise chose to take offence. She sulked and snuck upstairs to read books. The house downstairs were filled with loads of adults, walking in and out of the kitchen, busy talking and eating Chinese New Year delicacies. By the time some guests moved off and the adults noticed, the down-stairs group was uproariously enjoying their game of Bluff. The lonely one upstairs was hurt and upset. Anyway, it was time to take her back to her grandparents.

Since the three children's parents (j, d and e) actually live in a town two hours by car away from the Lows, it was not often that Denise had the chance to visit the Lows. It is interesting that was the very last time Denise appeared in the Low's house. Strong opinions dictated that after both grandparents passed on, she finally broke the pattern and appeared once again twenty years later. As a result of her choice to take offence and talked her elders into letting her off the visit for consecutive years, she wilfully cut off her ties to 50% of her relatives. It is amazing or rather horrifying that such a small incident ( the grandma called it smelly cat poo) - children's disagreement could lead to the end result.
*.......