The regular meter reader was an older uncle, but one day, I opened the door to a new meter reader--young, short and slim, with close-cropped black hair. He appeared slightly startled when I opened the door, after all, this was his first visit to our house and he apparently hadn't heard that an American family was living here.
The metal gate on our front door...plus a baby. Sarah, when she was tiny.
My eyes got wide, and I looked around for parents or siblings to save me from the situation. Where's an overprotective dad when you need him? At work. Mom? Upstairs, teaching the kids. Kids? Doing their schoolwork, at the most inconvenient time possible. "Umm, sorry, I don't have a phone," I mumbled.
"Please?" He said, "I just want to practice my English with you."
By this point I was ushering him out the door and closing the metal gate behind him.
"Can we just be friends?" he asked, through the gate.
I smiled what I hoped was a polite smile and not a terrified grimace as I clicked the padlock closed.
"Sorry, I don't think so, thank you, bye!"
And I shut the wooden door. From then on, when the meter reader rang the doorbell, I hid from answering the door...just to be on the safe side.
And that's the tale of the first time I ever got hit on, when I was 14 years old, by probably a perfectly nice young meter reader who terrified me. TCKs are not necessarily any more comfortable with awkward social interactions than teens in their own culture, I guess.
{This is Day 13 of my 31 Days Series: 31 Days of Growing Up in Malaysia}
I still have awkward social interactions like this... gah!! Love it... So well written!
What a fun story. Thanks for sharing :)
What a fun story. Thanks for sharing :)
Lol that's so funny Poor guy - wonder how old he was. I mean you were 14 he should have had a little more sense than that. I'd avoid him too though don't blame ya. :) Have a great one Rachel! -Iva
Wow he was pushy! I wouldn't answer the door too if that happened to me.
Whoah, I would've hidden every time the meter reader came back too! I'm sure he didn't realise how young you were, but still.. :P
Thanks for sharing, I would have done the same! It might have been harmless, but sometimes you just can't tell in today's society!
Love little stories like this! 14 is still pretty young - I don't blame you! ha
Haha! Oh goodness... I'm guessing you were also telling the truth about not having a phone? At least you could fall back on that since no one else came to rescue you ;)
Oh this cracked me up! I don't know what I would have done in the situation because I, too, was a very awkward teenager. I think I probably would have given him my number though because I never wanted to hurt anyone's feelings. It would have been bad. lol
This made me laugh! I would've done the exact same thing when I was 14!
I would've been super nervous about that. I wouldn't know how to react as a 14 year old!
Nope, that was a lie. :P I was an early adopter of a Nokia.
That would have freaked me out too. Even now to be honest. Someone that is in your house would feel a bit threatening.
bisous
Suzanne
I would have felt so embarrassed. I mean he had to be in his twenties. I had a situation like that happen to me at a Target while shopping with my mom. He was 23 and I was 14. Super awkward.
Bahaha that's hilarious! I probably would have responded the same way though. Unless he was cute. Just kidding (maybe.) Once a guy asked for my number and I was facetious and spelled out my number like "four two" and so on. It turns out in my silliness I accidentally gave him my mom's number instead!
Fun story. Thanks for sharing it with me.
This is hilarious! Those overprotective dads are never around when you need them!
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