A Frugal Man on a Bicycle

The sun was frying my brain while sitting on my bicycle waiting for the light to turn green. Thoughts were swimming through my head:

I should have ridden home earlier... It's too hot out here. ..Am I in the correct lane?(I'm still adjusting to British driving on the left)..Would it be faster to go straight or turn left?....I'm hungry... I still haven't found bread...

YOU'D BETTER BE CAREFUL, MISSY!

I was startled out of my befuddled conversation.

Be careful about what? Where am I? Is someone talking to me?

A Chinese man with grey, buzzed hair riding a red bicycle pulled up beside me. 

He repeated, "You'd better be careful! The drivers in Malaysia are animals. They are crazy. They give no respect!" Then, without taking a break he asked, "Where are you from?"

"America," I replied.

"I lived in New York City, Queens, for 30 years. I also lived in New Jersey, Florida, Massachusetts, and Maryland. I just returned to Malaysia 9 months ago. Malaysia is a good place but dangerous. You must lock your doors every night before you go to sleep. You be careful. Lots of muggers. They take your money."

"Ok. I'll be careful. Thanks for the advice."

The light turned to green.

"Come, I'll show you my house."

Forgetting how hot I was, I figured it would be interesting to see what 30 years of hard work in the USA will purchase in Malaysia. I had a fleeting thought that he could mug me but his age, his good spoken English, and the giant mole with two-inch long whiskers on the left center of his chin took away all common sense. My only thoughts were that a pair of scissors could easily take care of the 6 hairs positioned  like spider legs on his mole.

"OK," I replied a little too enthusiastically.

We biked along the same highway for several minutes chatting about America and Malaysia. When he mentioned his wife, I felt OK about the excursion but then I thought:

A wife?! He's got a wife?! Why hasn't she taken care of the spider legs on his face!

A few more turns of the pedals brought us up to his gate (all houses have locked gates in front and bars on all the windows) I was impressed. He has a large, organic garden where he grows vegetables for his family and a lovely British colonial style house with a bay window. He also mentioned he has a house in Ipoh and in Kuala Lumpur.

 He apologized that he is uneducated (at least in the traditional sense of a formal education) but he reads a lot. Judging from this house which he said cost about $350,000 he's certainly educated about the importance of hard work, money, and saving. Here was a man who had given a lifetime of hard to provide a better life for his children. He is an inspiration.