My life - Part 18

Growing up, I never had a good relationship with my mother. She had a temper and so did I. But I could never win against my mother. She was always right. And what always hurt me the most was that my father, who I was extremely close to, would always take her side. When I asked him about this years later, he would tell me it's because he wanted to keep the peace, and it's easier for everyone if he let my mother win. This was disappointing because surely it's about right and wrong, justice and equality and not about 'keeping the peace'! Later on when I practiced as a lawyer, I would think that here I am, fighting for my client's rights, but at home, I would never be equal and I was too tired by then to fight anymore. I fought for others but not for myself. This made me sad.

I tried to run away from home twice in my life. Once when I was 5 and I got into a fight with my mother, she told me to get out so I did - all the way to the end of the street outside my house in Raub and I sat on the swing there until my father came and got me. I remember him laughing and telling me this is not running away from home, my house was just there, and I told him that he said I was not allowed to cross the street on my own, so this was the extent of my running away. When I was 13 I tried to run away from home again, I packed some clothes and some food and I went off on my bicycle. Unfortunately I was born with no sense of directions so I got horribly lost at the outskirts of Kuantan, and then I had to abandon my plans, ask for directions and cycle back home. When I got home my parents asked me where I was, and I said I was at a friend's house and they were none the wiser.