Have you ever been misunderstood and even got a beating before? Well, I have. Let me tell you more about it…
“Remember, the composition must be handed in by tomorrow!” my teacher, Mr Tan reminded us.
It was yet another boring day in school. Every day, my teacher would give us endless homework to do.
I rushed back home the moment school ended. Without changing my uniform, I dashed to the computer and started my composition.
“Boy! Can you change your clothes first! Why are you playing computer the moment you get home?” my mother bawled her lungs at me with her face fuming red.
“Ma, I am not playing the computer! I am doing my…”
Before I could finish my sentence, a tight slap landed on my face so hard that my glasses flew off.
My mum slapped me again with the back of her hand against my other cheek. My nose and eyes were drenched and I wiped them with the back of my sleeve. I saw bright-red blood staining my hand and sleeve. Drops of blood trickled freely from my nose onto the floor. My face was probably smeared with a mixture of blood, mucus and tears.
With that, I picked up my glasses, ran to my room, slammed the door and jumped onto my bed. I allowed my tears to flow like an open tap. I was devastated.
A few seconds later, I heard the door open and thought perhaps Mum had come to apologize but I was wrong, very very wrong!
“Shouldn’t you apologize for your mistake?”
“Ma! I really was not playing the computer! Can’t you just believe me?”
“Shut up!”
Those very two words made my blood boil.
“I…I can’t b…believe that you would scold a…and beat me without listening to my explanation first!” I cried between sobs.
That sentence had no positive effect on Mum. Instead her reaction was shocking – so shocking that I could not recognize she was my mum. Out from her mouth came words I would never thought I would hear from a dainty lady – vulgarities, lots of them spurting out from her mouth.
I was dumbfounded. I had never heard my mum behaving and acting so lowly before. She must be very furious with me that the huge vocabulary of vulgarities exploded from her mouth!
It had been two months since the incident happened and we spoke nothing nor did she apologize. I will never ever forget that incident and somehow that left a permanent scar in my heart.
Sometimes, when adults, especially parents, make mistakes, they hardly ever say sorry , quite contrary to what they had taught us. Perhaps it could be due to their ‘faces’ but is keeping and protecting their ‘faces’ more important than loving their beloved child? Again, if their ‘faces’ are so important, then what about us – kids. Don’t you think we need our ‘faces’ too? Oh come on – Mums just don’t get it, do they?