The Gift

My heart was bursting with excitement as I took a train and then a bus to my parents' place at noon.

I could hardly contain my excitement even while changing my clothes to get ready for the trip out. I kept telling myself to calm down and not to be so excited. Something spiritual might be jealous and Murphy's Law might apply if I went overboard with my excitement.

When we reached my parents' place, Coco and I could not wait to take out the watch. We gave it to my father together. I could not wait to see his expression as he unravelled the gift.

True enough. He frowned, and said,"Why are you so wasteful? Didn't I tell you not to go repair the watch? I didn't even know you took the watch ... ... . You're very wasteful ... (sigh)"

I urged him to try the watch on. He did, and it fitted him nicely.

Coco belted out her rehearsed lines which I taught her, as a 'safety measure',"Gong Gong, the watch is expensive. Please do not pawn the watch."

I saw my father taking out the watch and putting it away. He put on his non-branded watch again.

After a while, I could not hold back my curiosity and asked,"Pa, why don't you wear the watch since it's repaired?"

He smiled and walked over to Coco, and replied,"Coco said that it's expensive and told me not to wear it."

I clarified,"Oh, she asked you not to 'pawn' it, not 'not to wear' it!"

Then he went back to his room to put on his old faithful.

He bought the watch in 1980, an era in which a $500 monthly income would suffice to support a family. The lower-range Rolex watches then cost hundreds, with the lowest being $200. He bought his at $4,000 and gave another similar one to my youngest uncle, his brother. The watch went wherever he did. The only time he took it off was when he took a bath. He wore it even when he slept.

I was browsing the watches while waiting for the receipt to be issued. The one that bore the closest resemblance to my father's watch cost $15k. The cheapest watch was a female Rolex which cost more than $6k. If I don't get the strap changed, I don't know if I would ever be able to afford a new Rolex for my father.

I felt a tinge of pride when I saw the watch on his brown, weathered and slightly wrinkled wrist. My dream came to pass.

The receptionist at the service centre told me that the watch was problematic in a few ways: the glass of the watch is 'badly chipped', the dial and bezel have scratch marks on them, the sides of the watch have dents in them. In short, she meant 'just about everything is problematic'.

Changing the glass would cost $228. Servicing and polishing the watch would cost more than $2,000.

I'll have to wait till I am richer before I can do the rest.