Since my 88-year-old grandma, Opah has stolen my limelight and has become a celebrity in this blog, I decided it was time for an Opah update.

She wants new shoes for Raya.

Closed-toed, comfortable flats.

First, she asked me to go and find.

Then, she’ll call me back before I go out, and say she wants to follow as well because she wants to choose.

So I wait for her to get ready.

Then, half an hour waiting, she decides she was too tired to go out.

Repeat this process 5000 times in your head.

So, today, I was tough on her. “Opah, just get ready, we’re going shoe shopping now.”

“What?! No, I’m tired…,” then she pauses, “but I do want a new pair of shoes…,” pauses again, “but no, I’m too tired.”

I told her fine.

“I have a headache…” Opah justifies herself, “I might fall down anytime.”

Sigh. Fine, I told her I will go and buy it myself and if she doesn’t like it, too bad.

She pauses to think.

This was the vulnerable point.

As if on cue, my maids wrestled her to put on some nice clothes and her veil, carried her out to put her on the wheelchair.

The whole car ride to Bangsar Village, she was complaining about how she might drop down any minute and how she’s just going to stay in the car. And then she complained that she wanted to go to Bata only, and not some other fancy shoe shop. I told her I wanted her to see other choices, since she already has so many Bata shoes.

A few minutes later, we were in Clarks, the shoe shop.

Look at her so stylo with Prada sunglasses and Harrods clutch! Hahahah

We showed her the selection. She didn’t like any.

We went to Aldo.

It’s not difficult to touch my heart

“What on earth are these odd-looking things?“

“They’re boots, Opah.” I explained and told her to shoosh after that.

As expected, she didn’t like any.

We went to Novo.

She didn’t like any.

We went back to Clarks.

She said she doesn’t mind this one pair of shoes, but I could tell she didn’t like it.

So in the end, we arrived at Bata.

The trouble with Bangsar Bata is that it wasn’t in a mall, so I couldn’t push her wheelchair, and she would have to go up some steps, which I was worried about.

So, we found a parking somewhere near and she stayed in the car.

I ran in and out of Bata to the car, carrying one side of the shoes to show her. The saleswoman was so understanding and was kind enough to let me out of the shop to walk to my car, with unpaid Bata shoes. Dean sacrificed himself as a trade-in; I would leave the shop with unpaid shoes while Dean stays in the shop, and if I didn’t come back to return the shoes, the saleswoman could have Dean. HAHAHA.

People outside were giving me looks. Like, why on earth is she robbing only one side of the shoe?!

So after a few trips, Opah finally found one she liked.

Closed-toed, comfortable flats.

“Yes!!! That’s the one…I love that one!! I want that one!!”

“OK, calm down, you might get a heart attack,” I warned her.

I had to make 3 more trips, panting and sweating in the hot sun, because Opah couldn’t decide on the size.

But in the end, she was so happy, because she got her shoes that she wanted. And I was happy because it didn’t leave such a big dent in my purse. (You wouldn’t believe how cheap Bata shoes are, considering they’re so comfortable.)

So happy, in fact, that I bought her two pairs; one in black and one in white.

I asked her which one she was going to wear first.

“Depends on which outfit I wear, of course.”

“But of course,” we all laughed.

My grandma is so clever!! I wanted to pinch her cheeks, she was so cute.

And it’s so touching that it doesn’t take much to please this woman.

After we got home, she was so tired that she slept right away. She couldn’t decide which one to wear first, so she ended up wearing both!