There is nothing scarier than hiding the truth.

Or stretching the truth for that matter.

Actually, my parents do not really know that I’ve already resigned from my firm and had been traveling for a month and counting.

The most knowledgeable of them all, my mom, thinks that I’ll be doing Egypt later in August.

It’s a delicate issue: the last time I asked my parents for permission, they didn’t allow me to go to Australia and for no good reason than their egos (long story there). Yet, even when they’ve allowed me to go to Japan in 2003, they have also, not footed the bill.

If my parents are not paying for my trips and aren’t really contributing to my travels, what are the benefits asking for their permission than to make them worry unnecessarily? It’s not as if I’m doing something bad, right?

However, stretching the truth does have their downsides.

For example, yesterday, I received a surprise phone call from my parents. “What can I do for you dad?” I nervously asked.

“There’s really nothing you can do for me,” my dad gruffly replied.

For a moment, my heart stopped. Is the cat out of the bag?!

As it turns out, my dad has caught a fever during his trip to China and is now checked in the hospital. Luckily, he is getting better though his temper is getting worse. Finally, after years of prodding, he’s finally managed to get his executive checkup.

“His lungs are weak, but he’s generally okay,” my mom reported back in relief.

Thank god for mobile phones. However, I live in fear that they may discover where I am, putting all the good plans into naught as I will be traveling to Austrlia next week.

Here’s to a more relaxed week (I hope) and no more emergencies from my parents.

Now I also know why James Bond likes to work alone. Having all these people around you being concerned can be both a blessing and a pain.

Let’s just hope that my adventures before MBA ends more with the former than the latter. 🙂