The way to get her mother out was by taking her shopping, for the groceries regularly, translated…
As We'd Shopped Around, I'd Heard Mom, Ranted on How the Produces in the Air-Conditioned Shops are More Expensive, Other than Being in Awe at How She'd Known the Prices of Things, I'm Also Quite Glad, that Mom Was, More than, Aware………….
As my mother entered into her eighties, her knees deteriorated, her spine atrophied, which caused her to become, less, mobile, being tough as she, she'd hated to be labeled, continually insisted on using the four-wheeled shopping cart instead of a walker to help her get around, to try and maintain the dignity of her, old, age. And, this equipment, looked, quite out-of-place when she'd gone to the parks or to the hospitals, only in the marketplaces, it'd become, natural.
like this...photo from online
With the weather heating up, I'd often contemplated where I can take her out to, then, one day, the modernized marketplace in the city came to mind, my mother, who'd cooked the meals for the families, would love it, I suppose! And so, the convenience of the location of the Nanmen Makeshift Market became a pitstop for us. Because of the parking, how close it is to the exit, with the more spacious restrooms that are very clean, with the food shops upstairs to choose form, it'd, added more to the good moods that we both shared. As we'd strolled to the stands, I'd heard my mother ranted on how the groceries with the air-conditioning are more expensive, other than being in awe at how she still knew the prices of the groceries, I'm also glad, that she wasn't, a bit, slow.
From the south, we'd set out, then, we'd, gone up north, to the famous Shihdong Market, located in Tienmu, naturally, the costs of the groceries and foods, aren't, cheap, and my mother started nickeling and diming even, harder, refusing to let me pay, as she'd thought that she'd troubled me enough, as I was the one, driving her around, she'd fought to pay for the beef noodles we'd sat down to eat, fearing that the costs of things will, put that damper on my wallet.
On the way back, we'd, followed the Zhongshan N. Road in traffic, to get a different view of the east side of the city, she'd started telling me of a friend who lived in Tienmu who'd passed, and I'd, recalled how that year, mom took me who'd, tested into a far off high school, to transfer on the buses, and finally, arrived to school on time, and I'd felt, the emotions. At that very moment, I'd wanted to let go of my steering wheel, and hug her hard, and thanking her for caring for me without fail.
And, the grocery shopping that came after, she'd still returned back to her usual shopping grounds, and, the couple who'd sold the seafood would always welcome her, even brought a chair for my mother, for her to select the goods. And, in front of the farmer's stand, she'd chatted with the owner on how the climate had impacted the harvests, my mother who grew up in the countryside, was an, agile planter. Seeing the red centered guava available, my mother, who didn't have strong enough teeth would always, grin ear to ear.
illustration from UDN.com
Once, the client next to us suddenly asked, how many times I'd come to the marketplace? Turned out, she'd mistaken me as the hourly hire nurse's aide, looking after my mother, other than being envious of my mother, she'd, commended me on being a wonderful daughter; and that, was when I'd started noting, how a lot of the elderly who were shopping in the marketplace, were accompanied by the nurse's aides, and, there were more elders who'd come to purchase their groceries, on their, own.
Since I'd started, taking my mother shopping at the marketplaces, I'd always, prayed for the shopping days to be, sunny, so my mother can push the cart and walk. I want to let my mother know, that taking her out is no trouble at all, and, paying for what she buys, it's my responsibility. I just want to, help her fulfill her wishes, acting as her arms and legs, so she can, continue, enjoying her own, mobility.
Dearest mom, let's, head to the marketplace tomorrow, to see if there's something you want to eat.
And so, this is the heart of the daughter, in her accompanying, taking her mother shopping, and, on these trips, the mother-daughter pair became, more connected than ever before, because they're not sharing the shopping trips together, but also, the love they have for each other too.
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