They say misfortune comes in three and we had a three electronic mishaps in one week.
First up was my laptop. I didn't open it for two days because I was busy working and loving Qing. When I tried opening it, it won't start up. I was lost. I...I think my heart stopped for a second. So I gathered my dead laptop and ran to distress...you know it...
(Baba *sigh*)
Of course, I bothered Qing with it. Why not? Misery loves company and he is my constant companion so...
Me: (running to the living room with my laptop) Qing! My laptop is dead.
Qing: How dead?
Me: Like totally dead. It won't start up.
Qing: (taking my laptop and studying it critically) How old is this thing?
Me: Maybe five years?
Qing: (handing my laptop back to me) Buy a new one.
Me: (hugging my laptop) What?! No! I love this one. I wrote my journals with it. I have pictures here. I need this to come alive.
Qing: It's old. It needs replacement.
Me: Why is it that when things got broken in this house, your first solution was to chuck it out and buy a new one?! Is it because you have plenty of money?!
Qing: (eyes narrowing at me) Think about it for a second and then say those words again. Who is the one who likes chucking things away and buying new ones?
I opened my mouth and closed it again. I thought about it and I realized that I am the one who likes chucking little things away and buy new trinkets for us. I console myself into thinking that I am chucking things that are not expensive like rags, coasters, old pots and pans and napkins. I sometimes throw things that are still in good conditions so Qing will stop me and persuade me to put them in a box with a label "donation" on it.
I once put a pair of clippers there that are still in its packaging. I saw a clipper with cute designs so I bought two and chuck the old clippers, that are still in its packaging, in the donation box.
I have bad habits.
But that is neither here nor there. The issue now is my laptop that Qing wants me to throw away. I can't do that because...
Me: (hugging my laptop tighter) I have our vacation photos and videos here. Also my porn stash.
Qing: You have a porn stash?
Me: Well...what do you consider porn anyways?
Qing: (blinking in confusion) People fucking in a video? I think...
Me: You sounded unsure. Why?
Qing: Because there are really times when you confuse the hell out of me. I wonder if I am going stupid or if you asked a stupid question. Either way, I am confuse.
Me: Oh...well, whatever. Bases on your description, its not porn stash then. It's just photos and videos of you in sexy photoshoots. I always remind your assistant to ask for copies of videos and photos of your sexy photoshoots.
Qing: (baffled) What do you do with those things?
Me: I watch it while jerking off.
Qing: Why do you need to jerk off?
Me: Because you are not around and I have needs. Duh!
Qing: Sweet mother of...
Me: (whining) Qing! Save my laptop!
Qing sighed and contacted his network of people to find someone who can save my laptop, long enough for us to save the photos and videos I have there in a USB.
We found someone who took a look at my laptop and said that I need to buy a new one because the motherboard of this laptop is tired.
Repairman: This is a ten year old laptop.
Me: Yes.
Qing: Wait, you said its only five years old.
Me: In my possession. But it was a hand me down from my Baba. He used it for three years before buying a new one and giving this one to me.
Qing: Sweet mother of...
Repairman: Anyways, we can get it up and running for maybe two weeks to a month but I suggest saving the important files during that time and buy a new one. This device is exhausted and you already had your money's worth on it. Eight years of use is a long time for a laptop.
Me: Thank you. Please...I need those photos and videos.
The repairman did his magic and got my laptop running again. I am now in frenzy to save photos and videos as well as word documents in a USB. I will need to buy a new laptop.
The second mishap was Qing's phone. He was talking to someone with it while washing some rice in the kitchen sink when it suddenly fell from his grip and got dunk in the basin of water and rice.
I heard a loud "Shit!" from the kitchen and when I run there, I saw Qing holding a dripping phone on his hand. I quickly got a towel so we can dry it. It's still working fine, Qing's phone, but we were scared that there's water inside it and it will short circuit. So I suggested that he should...
Me: Chuck it away and buy a new one.
Qing: (scowling at me) Don't be ridiculous. I just need to turn it off and dry it out in the rice basket.
We have a covered basket where we store our rice. It comes with a measuring cup.
And that's what Qing did. He turned his phone off and stuck it with the rice in the basket. He got his other phone, call the person he was talking too before his phone dove in the water and then he also turned that phone off.
Qing: (smiling at me) Lets have an electronic day off. Turn off your phone too.
Me: Why should I do that? You have a day without electronic on your own...
Qing: Because if you do that, I will cook dinner, run a bath and massage you later.
I ran to turn my phone off. We had a relaxing night of just us spending time together. My favorite part was the soaking in the tub. We got to talk while bathing together. Qing said he missed just holding me and not worrying that the world is ending with a virus without a vaccine yet.
The massage and sex part was fun too but you know...that's a given to us.
The last electronic device that gave up on us was our TV. We were watching a movie from a streaming channel and enjoying our beers and chips when suddenly, the TV blacked out.
Me: Oh! What happened?
Qing: Did someone unplug it?
Me: (looking at him in amazement) Who will unplug the damn thing? Its just the two of us here and unless you have a rubber hand that can stretch for meters, I don't think you can reach the socket to unplug that thing from where we are sitting right now.
Qing: (grinning at me) Are you sure its just us here?
Me: Fuck you. If you are implying that there are ghosts here, fuck you. If you are implying that we have mice and bugs here with us, double fuck you. If you give me proofs that those things exist here with us, I will leave you and this place to live somewhere without ghosts, mice, bugs and annoying fiancé.
Qing: God, you have no chill.
Me: (unchilled) Just check what's gone wrong with the TV!
Qing sighed before he stood up from the sofa to check why the TV suddenly died on us.
Qing: It was plugged and I don't think anything chewed on the cords. The socket is working well, its not the problem. I think the problem is the TV.
Me: What's wrong with it now? Ugh! Why does this week sucks? Things keep on breaking around us. What's next to get broken? Our engagement?
Qing: Feng Jian Yu!
Me: It's a thought.
Qing: Banish that thought. Our engagement will stand.
Me: Well, I am not happy. What should we do to that TV?
Qing: We will call someone who can repair it.
We called someone who can repair TVs. He saw it and said...well, you guessed it...
(Chuck it and buy a new one?)
Yes. Apparently, what's wrong on the TV is...
Repairman: The LCD and picture tube. If you will replace them, it'll be too expensive. You might save more by buying something new. My suggestion? Sell this to someone who has direct contact on electronic manufacturers. They pay for stuffs like broken appliances higher than junk shops or garbage collectors. I know someone, I'll give you his number.
Qing: Thanks.
When the repairman left, Qing let me have my phone and said...
Qing: This is your chance. Get online and shop for a new laptop and TV.
Me: (eyes lightening up) What's my budget?
Qing: Be modest. I mean, we don't need a hundred inch TV here.
Me: Fifty inch will do. Or forty. Forty is okay.
Qing: Just be modest, Love. And don't select some designs that are eyesore.
Me: What about my laptop?
Qing: What about your laptop? That's yours. You pay for it.
Me: (crestfallen) What? I will buy my own laptop? You won't chip in?
Qing: Why would I chip in? I will not use it. You are the one...
I glared at him. Qing knows my habits. I don't like buying stuffs in full price. I have a habit of asking someone to chip in or the thing should have a discount before I will be interested to buy it. It's my way to appease the penny pinching monster inside me. We hate paying full price on anything.
Unless its food and cleaning products. You cannot be cheap when it comes to food and cleanliness. You have to buy top grade produce and products for those.
But aside from that, things like electronics, I want some discount damn it!
It's a bad habit but I have it so I won't be taking any questions right now.
I just...it's hard to explain. Qing doesn't need to pay half of the price of the laptop. He just need to pinch in a little to make me feel better in buying a new one.
Qing: 5%. I'll shoulder 5% of the laptop's cost.
Me: 10% and you have a deal.
Qing: Deal. 10%.
Me: (happy) Alright! (tapping on my phone) Lets see what TV and laptop I can buy.
So, I already placed an order for a new TV for us and a new laptop for me. I also saved all our vacation videos and photos in several USBs. Modest was the theme of this shopping so I did just that. I selected a modestly sized TV and modestly designed laptop. They cost...well, up to the standard of their brands. We will not discuss cost as Qing didn't have conniptions when we paid for them.
Anyhow...when a misfortune happened, never repeat it or pray that a second one will occur because believe me, when the second one happened, a third is close by. Remember, misfortune come in threes. We humans are unlucky that way.