SILENCE AND PATIENCE

I accidentally happen to go shopping with a couple of Balikbayans who requested my wife to accompany them. It was a very tiresome affair that took up all of one day.

First we went to the condominium unit of a Chinese importer where there were files and files of imported clothing. The lady Balikbayan was so meticulous and choosy, as she was also very talkative. She communicates and says something about every item that touches her hands. She kept on counting and exchanging every piece of cloth before deciding which one to buy.

Then we moved to the residential house of another importer where we were shown many women's dresses. The same Balikbayan was not satisfied in just scrutinizing every style but she decided to fit each piece to herself. After many hours of picking, fitting, throwing and exchanging she finally decided on several items. I thought that was the end but it took her more time to compute and re-compute the total then compute and re-compute again the peso-dollar exchange rate.

When her husband and I were finally about to give out a sigh of relief she started pondering on some baby dresses that attracted her fancy but couldn't decide as she didn't know whom to give those dresses. So she began thinking of everybody's daughter to whom such dress would fit. She even requested her husband to help her think. The husband who was visibly irritated just patiently kept very quiet.

The husband taught me a lesson on patience and silence as secret tools to keep a long marital relationship.