A (hardly) funny story

So leading up to June 25, I was getting pensive. The husband clearly didn't remember that special date. He went about his busy routine with nary an acknowledgement. And I guess, after 15 years, you forget.

A day before that date, I pulled myself together, made my way to the mall to buy him a present and brought the kids along as they were on the tail end of their school holidays. They wanted to know why we were buying a present and I told them it's for our wedding anniversary. Then they wanted to know what their daddy was buying me and I said, well, I don't know and even if he didn't it would be OK because I don't expect anything back from giving this gift. My verbalised self-righteousness was lost on the kids as they went "really?" and quickly helped me choose a gift.

All this time, I was telling myself, give a gift because you want to and it would please God, not because you want something back. I repeated that mantra all the way home. June 24 night, he said nothing. I tried to fight back tears.

As I woke up for fajar the next day, I left my gift on his beside table and went about my routine. I came back to the room and saw the gift gone from his table. He came out of the shower and said "Hey, thanks for the present!", a wide grin across his face. I gave him a glare and said "You're most welcome." He got confused and asked, "What's the occasion?"

I had to control myself from crying and in my most caustic tone said, "Oh, nothing. Just that it's our 15th anniversary. No biggie, really."

Him: "Huh? But it's not today, sayang. You forgot our wedding date?"

I couldn't believe he not only forgot our wedding anniversary, he is now saying I am WRONG? The cheek he has!

Me: "I didn't forget, you did. And now you are trying to shift the blame on me."

Him: "I know I'm right. Let's check right now. That drawer, the marriage certificate is in that drawer."

Me: "Yes I know where it is because I put it there, thankyouverymuch."

I made my way to the drawer, indignant that I had to prove the very date he promised to love and care for me for the rest of his life. I looked at the certificate and said, "See?? It says June 29! Oh."

Him: "And today's June 25."

Me: "Oh. Hmm. OK but we've been married for 15 years and you were going to forget that fact, too."

Him: "No, we'd be married for 14 years by then."

As I was doing the mental math with me eyes probably darting left to right in a systematic fashion, the husband counted the number of years on his fingers and used mine for the additional four fingers he needed. I hate being wrong.

But I love being married for 14 years on June 25, I mean June 29.