💬 My father still folds the newspaper in 4, cricket page on the outside

Every morning in my parents' house in Hyderabad the newspaper has to be folded in 4. Cricket page outside. My father reads it from 6 to 7 with 1 cup of tea. Then it goes on the shelf by the door. If anyone leaves it open on the sofa, he walks over and refolds it. Without a word. I learnt this at 9 years old when I used the sports page to cover a mango. I got the look. For about 20 years I thought it was just a habit. Something old men do, like saving rubber bands. Then last month I stayed there for 2 weeks and sat next to him one morning to watch. He turned the page, creased it with his thumb, turned it again. It took maybe 8 seconds. I asked, why 4? He said, 4 fits the shelf. That was his entire answer. So I measured the shelf. It's about 14 inches wide. The paper folded in 4 is exactly 14 inches. I stood in the hall with a tape measure at 6 am feeling very silly. My mother came out. She said, he cut that shelf himself in 1998 to fit the paper. She said it like it was obvious. Nobody had ever told me that. Not once in all the years I lived in that house folding badly. Now when I visit I fold it his way. I'm not great at it yet, the edges don't line up. He notices, but he doesn't say anything. He just refolds it a little when I leave the room. Back in Riyadh I read the news on my phone and nothing ever gets folded. Strange thing to miss. Yesterday I caught myself folding a flyer from my door into 4 and putting it on a shelf.

Cricket page outside, folded in 4, and refolded without a word if anyone dares to leave it open. My father had the same rule, and it was the sports page for him too. I broke it once to read a film review and got the look you describe. Some habits are really just a kind of respect. Do you fold yours the same way now in your own flat?

The tape measure part made me laugh. My grandfather stacked his letters with the oldest on top, every morning.