Write Affair

A Confused Bobby

Mrs Tham announced that the class was to complete a project. Each group must be in a buddy team. Before Bobby could ask Sharon, Anna had tagged her proclaiming to those who could hear that Sharon was her group mate. Turning around, Bobby saw Daniel sitting quietly as the rest of the class shouted to one another. Daniel looked at him blankly. Bobby went forth to ask if he would be his buddy for the project. Daniel simply grunted.

Unsure if it was a positive, Bobby asked again and got another grunt, this time, louder. Confused, he looked around and realised that only him and Daniel were unpaired. Once everyone had settled down, Mrs Tham went on to the project’s details. They were to present a poster encouraging everyone to be environmental friendly. They had to display 3 different ways of recycling and a real product that was recycled.

They were to submit the project in 2 weeks’ time. Bobby invited Daniel to his place to discuss the project and received a grunt. He was starting to feel irritated by the grunts that didn’t really answer his questions. A simple “Yes” or “No” would have made everything clearer.

After school, Bobby walked towards Grandpa smiling. “Grandpa! I invited my friend today! We are going to do a project on helping the Earth!”

“Wow, Bobby, that’s great! Where’s your friend?” Grandpa looked around. Bobby turned around and found that Daniel hadn’t followed him despite his grunt. Slapping his forehead, Bobby realised that the grunt meant “No”.

“Forget about him,” Bobby frowned. “He never answer me except grunting as if he’s lost his talking ability. I don’t even know if it’s a ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ each time.” Grandfather and grandson walked him together in silence.

Two days later, when Bobby greeted Grandpa, Grandpa asked, “Is that your friend?” Bobby turned around to find Daniel close behind. They hadn’t spoken at all since Bobby was often frustrated by grunts from Daniel. Bobby nodded and the three of them walked home.

At home, both boys sat at the table with a pen and paper. Bobby asked,”Do you know where to start?” He received a blank stare. Struggling to keep cool, Bobby drew some objects that was related to recycling and included a logo that he found in the newspapers the day before.

After he had completed, Daniel took the pen from him and started drawing and writing. Eventually, the paper looked different and it was better than Bobby’s with improvements. Bobby smiled. “Daniel, that’s great! Shall we do it now?” Another grunt. “Daniel, can you even speak at all? All those grunting makes no sense! I don’t know what you are thinking!”

Daniel ignored him, started packing and left the house. Bobby’s face was red from the anger and it nearly made him burst out again at being ignored. Grandpa was watching the entire episode and felt it was time to make his move. “Bobby, let’s have dinner. We’ll clean this place later.”

It was Friday when Daniel followed Grandpa and  Bobby home. He held a large bag and refused to let anyone take it. When they had settled down, Daniel took out the stuff that was meant for recycling and placed them neatly on the table. Bobby watched quietly as he didn’t know what he had in mind. After everything was placed on the table, Daniel sat down doing nothing. Bobby waited. Ten minutes later, Bobby reached out to take one of the items and followed the drawings on the paper that Daniel had added that day.

When Bobby finally finished, Daniel took the items and started dismantling them to make the changes. Bobby frowned, “What are you doing? Isn’t that what you drew?” No answer. “Look, are you dumb? What exactly are you doing? I don’t know what’s going on! Your silence and grunts are confusing me!”

Daniel continued building and left after he was done without a word. Bobby screamed in frustration. “Grandpa,” he cried. “Why can’t he simple talk? It makes things so much easier!” Grandpa patted him. “I don’t know what he wants either! If he at least tell me what and how he wants it to be built, I would know and I can help! I feel so useless!”

“Bobby, perhaps, he prefers to do it his way. Just let him do it and maybe he’ll start talking.”

“He better start talking. Grunting doesn’t really tell me anything at all!” Bobby snuggled into Grandpa’s arms. Grandpa smiled and patted his grandson assuringly. It was the day of the project to be handed in. They had to do a presentation and Daniel suddenly stood up with the poster and product in his hands. He strode purposefully towards the board and did a great speech. Bobby was shocked at his change.

After class, Bobby went to Daniel but before he could speak, Daniel spoke, “I’m sorry. I don’t talk a lot and I don’t like to make people angry.”

“Well, you did a great job. Just don’t make me confused again!” Bobby shook hands with his partner.

Tags: School

Now I Know

Anisa sobbed quietly in the corner that she found in the garden. She didn’t realise that a simple gesture would make her friend say those mean words to her. As a ten-year-old, all she knew was that as long as she was nice to people, they would return her the same way. Her mother had taught her that. However, Gregory wasn’t happy about her being nice to Hasan. He called her a fake and put his tongue at her and gave her the evil eye.

Thinking back, Anisa started crying again. Gregory was horrible, she thought. Hasan just needed her help in Mathematics and Gregory didn’t have the right to say mean things. “Anisa?” a voice called out softly. Wiping her tears with her hands, Anisa turned towards the voice. It was Hasan.

“Anisa, I’m sorry that Gregory was so mean to you. I didn’t know he would do that.” Hasan looked at the ground as if a flower would suddenly grow where he was staring hard at. Anisa didn’t answer and smiled. She walked towards him and put out her hand. Hasan stared at her when he saw the hand. She was smiling at him. It was the first time that anyone had smiled so gently at Hasan that he didn’t know how to react but when she continued holding her hand out, he shook her hand.

“Hasan, we are friends. My mummy taught me to be nice to everyone who deserves it. You deserve this. Gregory can go suck his thumb for all I care. I know that we are friends because you came to find me and comfort me. Thank you.” The both of them smiled at each other.

Back in class, Ansia ignored Gregory’s snide remarks and concentrated on what the teacher was saying. Hasan pursed his lips and did the same. Finally, Mrs Lim stopped her teaching. “Gregory Chan, stand up and go the back of the classroom now!” The class except Anisa and Hasan looked at Gregory. Humiliated, Gregory stood up, the sound of the chair’s legs dragged across the floor loudly and he walked to the back of the classroom with his head bowed.

The lesson continued without any interruptions. After school, Grace and Krishna went up to Hasan and apologised for treating him so cruelly. Anisa winked at her new-found friend who winked back. Her mother had often spoke about true friends and she now understood what she meant.

“A true friend is someone who thinks that you are a good egg even though he knows that you are slightly cracked” ~ Bernard Meltzer [Source]

Tags: Friends, Relationships

A Mother’s Love

[Author's Note: Dedicated to all mothers who love their children. Based on an email about a thoughtful mother.]

The crash was devastating. The car was destroyed beyond repair. The fire engine could not extract the metal. There was blood and oil on the road. A fire was about to start if there was enough heat for combustion. A cry was heard among the noises. A young boy was still trapped inside the car.

Using the tools to cut through the metal, the rescuers quickly got through the scrap to rescue him. He was bleeding in the head. “Daddy!” he wailed loudly. Apparently, he was with his father. The front of the car was crushed into a ball and there was no way they could see the prospect of the driver still being alive.

Someone shouted, “FIRE!” The explosion was about to come. Everyone ran away from the car as fast as they could. The explosion shook the ground. The boy was still crying. His eye looked injured. Worried, the rescuer hurried him towards the ambulance.

Hours later, a mother was seen crying softly in the dim ward. Her son was injured and the doctor said he would not see out of that eye. Her husband was dead. There was no one else to depend on. She had no family as she was an orphan.

Her husband’s family were staying overseas and they had never liked traveling. The loneliness crept in. Alone and afraid for the future, she sobbed. As dawn crept into the room, she heard birds chirping. Standing up, she went to the doctor’s room and stated her request.

“Madam, are you sure?” She nodded.

4 years later, he was seen running and jumping around with his classmates. It was the last day of school. He didn’t want to leave the school as he hated going home. His friends often laughed at him for having a ‘pirate’ mother. He hated her for daring to show up at school and still smile at him as though nothing happened.

However, there was no where else to go so, when it was time to go home, he went to her side in stony silence. She chatted with him even though he was silent. She carried on her monologue and they finally reached home.

He went to his room immediately and locked the door. She went to the kitchen and prepared for lunch. After she placed his lunch on the table, she left for work. This went on for years. He left home as soon as he completed his degree. He couldn’t stand the thought of living in the same house as her until she was old.

When he got married, he didn’t invite her. She only knew of it through a friend of hers whose son was his friend. Happy, she went to visit him when she saved up enough money for the flight to California as he has migrated there.

When he opened the door, he screamed at her. His children were scared of her. His daughter was screaming, “Mommy! Monster! Monster!”

“I’m sorry to disturb you.” she left quietly, glad that he was living in a large house that she had always dreamed of giving him but unable to afford.

The doctor told her that her cancer was spreading. She nodded quietly. She had left her letter with her friend and months later, the letter arrived in California. When he saw the handwriting, he was angry. However, at the back of the envelope, it was written by his friend. She had passed away.

He didn’t know if he should be relieved or sad. With hands shaking, he opened the letter.

“My dearest John,

I’ve always loved you with all my heart. I’m so happy that you are now living in a large house and with a family. I’ve always wanted to travel around and with you living in California, I’m so glad that I had a chance to travel.

Your father always loved you and he would take you out for rides. That night, when you were only 2, the both of you were out for a ride again. However, he never returned home. Only you were back home. The doctor said you had lost your eye during the accident.

My heart ached at the thought of you growing up with just one eye. So, I told the doctor that I wanted to give you mine. I’m so glad I did that. You now have a wonderful life and lots of friends. Seeing that you have made your mark in life, I am now at peace.

Love,

Mom.”

He cried out. His wife came to see the commotion and gently took the letter away from him. After she finished reading, she realised why he was in pain.

No love is greater than a mother’s love.

Tags: Emotions, Family, Feelings, Relationships, School

A Field Trip

[Author's note: SimplyMoroccan is organising SimplyMoroccan's Competition. The rules can be found here. Ending on 15 Oct 2007. Now, onward to my attempt on using the words based on the rules.]

“Wîlî wîlî, how did you end up here?” Jessie gently picked up the farâsha which seemed to have a broken wing. It didn’t attempt to fly away. Cupping it in her hands, Jessie half-ran, half-walked home. She had been walking home from her trip to the pier where the new babbôr been before cruising off to another harbour.

It was her first time seeing a babbôr in real life. Her Papa had showed her a black and white picture of it in the newspapers a few days ago. Seeing the one in real life was different from seeing it in the papers. Her school had organised a trip to the pier that day because it came from another land and was stopping over for a re-fuel. Field trips were rare because her principal was qrzâz and Jessie was surprised that they had one.

Jessie had a good look at the huge babbôr from the pier. There, the captain came down to give them a tour in it. All of her friends were in awe. They had never seen so much finery in their lives. The captain brought them to the dining area where the children all ooh-ed and ah-ed about the fine cutlery and the paintings. It was there she overheard that the field trip was free because the captain had paid for it. Joe whispered that the principal ought to eat his khnôna. Jessie stifled a laugh. Jessie had once tasted her own and shuddered at the reminder. Her Mama had scolded her for it.

By this time, she was near her home and went into her house. “Mama! Mama!” she shouted excitedly, forgetting the delicate farâsha in her hands during the process.

“In the kitchen!” Her Mama shouted. Turning, she went there and proceeded to tell her Mama about the injured farâsha and the huge babbôr she saw.

A Hamster for Bobby

Bobby had always been fascinated by little furry animals. His favourite was hamsters. He liked the way that they dig frantically into the wood shavings, turn a few rounds before settling down into little fur balls to sleep. He had asked Mommy if he could have one, she had patted his head and said, “Honey, we’ll see,” before walking out of the door for work. Little Bobby was sad. He wanted to have one very badly.

“Come, it’s time for school,” Grandpa told him. Sighing, Bobby went to get his school bag from his room. After the class had finished, Bobby walked up to Grandpa as usual. They started walking the path as usual except that they were not walking home yet. It was when they reached the pet shop that Bobby realised that they were not going home yet. “Why are we here, Grandpa?” asked Bobby. Grandpa smiled and opened the door to the pet shop, Norman’s Pets. They were greeted by a woman who asked them what kind of pets they were looking for. Grandpa smiled, “My grandson wants a hamster, can we take a look at them?”

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