It’s been a long time since I had some time alone in my own house. I can’t even remember the last time I’m at home, alone, enjoying some peace and quiet. It’s that far back. You might be wondering how come I have not had some serenity in the house for awhile. I’ll explain that to you soon.

Presence of Elders
My husband and I bought this apartment when we got married. My husband brought his mum and grandmother to live with us. It’s no big matter to me. But due to their age and lack of much social life, they are almost constantly at home. Being the elders in the family, many people visit my husband’s grandmother every now and then. So there is often large family gatherings and relatives hanging out at our house.

Daughter
The joy of my life, my dear daughter! She is not in school yet, so she is at home most of the time too. As soon as she wakes up at 7am in the morning, it’s non-stop play and chatter from her. There will never be peace and quiet when you have kids. She’s either playing with her toys, telling stories from books, riding her tricycle around the living room or blowing bubbles in the wind. Being the only child, we buy her lots of toys to keep her entertained. But of course, there were lots of times when she wants us to play with her too. I obliged accordingly.

Work Commitments
When I go to work, my mother-in-law takes care of my daughter. With work commitments, I can’t be home too often to enjoy the peace and quiet on my own. When I come back from work, I need to maintain the household, take care of my daughter, spend time with my husband, etc. Rarely is there time for me to enjoy peace and quiet when I’m at work.

So what’s the difference today?
Today, my mother-in-law left to visit an aunt, together with my hubby’s grandmother and my daughter. They left in the late morning. I decided not to go to work because I’m experiencing some rash. I arranged to go to the clinic in the evening so my hubby could accompany me. So there, I have the entire afternoon to myself. Peace and quiet, at last!