How Old Can You Grow?

On my last birthday, papa asked me what's in my wishlist. I've long forgone my desire for BIG diamond rings (the clamour for rocks fades with age, I suppose!). So, my wish was for me to live happy and healthy and I will be most grateful if God grants me another 20 years on planet earth. By then, all the kids will be having their own families and probably would not need my guidance anymore.

papa: You must be joking!!
mama: What?? Why?? (I was near tears thinking that papa did not have the confidence that I will be celebrating my next birtday).....

papa: You will live till at least 98 years old, just like your grandmother!!
mama: (.....sigh....relief!!!)

My grandmother lives thru all the past episodes of the Japanese occupation (all the gory stories), The British governing Persekutuan Tanah Melayu, Malayan Union and the Proclamation of Merdeka. (Please pardon my historical illustrations, hey, I'm supposed to be a zoologist, you know!).
My grandfather passed away in 1965 when she was..(let me calculate...)58 years old. She has been a widow for the past 40 years! ...40 lonely years....and still counting.....
In my kampong in Kuala Pilah, almost 3/4 of its population are widows. The women tend to outlive the men. Besides my own mother, there is Wan Omok Jorah, Wan Acik Siti, Mak Long Esah, Mak Long Inun, Wan Ngah Jenab, Mak Ngah Sorah, Mak Embong Sumah,Kak Itam, Kak Embong Jauhari....they all live around my mother's house and they are all widows. There was a theory that Negeri Sembilan women are a power to reckon with due to the adat perpatih which they practise, that's probably one of the contributing factors that drives their husbands early to graves!..Ooops, Datuk Seri Rais Yatim doesn't know about this blog, does he?

In fact, my kampong should get the title 'Kampong Janda Baik!'

Back to papa's suggestion, if I am to live as long as my grandmother, I'll have another (a quick back of the envelope calculation, roughly roughly lah!) 49 years to haggle and hassle in this dog eat dog world. And if I follow my grandma's path, papa will be with me for another 9 years?!?

mama: ..Eeeiii, kalau papa takde, mama pun tak nak idup lah!!!
papa:...?!!?(surprise,blurr,confuse,suspicious)....ini mesti case malas nak pergi pasar ni!!....