It all started one week before the school holidays. Kor-Kor came back from school asking to buy an art book from a flyer distributed from school.
I told him no need even though the book is only RM10 (since most of the time he would just buy & then chuck the book somewhere after he got it).
But on the last day to pay up for the book, he called me in the office, pleaded that he really wanted to have the art book. So I gave in & told him to get the money from his grandparents who would be visiting at lunchtime. This was Friday - one week before the school holidays.
When I got home, I asked him to show me what he bought.
“A boy in my class wanted to borrow the book, so I lent him.”
“What?”
“This boy in my class, YY, borrowed my book…” he shrugged.
A monster reared its head in me. “WHY DID YOU LEND YOUR BOOK TO YOUR FRIEND WITHOUT LETTING MOMMY HAVE A LOOK FIRST? I THOT U REALLY WANTED THE BOOK, TO LEARN SOME DRAWING U SAID, THEN WHY DID YOU LENT TO YOUR FRIEND WITHOUT USING A BIT FIRST????”
“YY said he wanted to borrow for a while mah…” Kor-Kor said more carefully now.
I sighed, calmed down “Ok, but next time let mommy have a look first at what u buy. So, remember to ask from him on Monday. I want to have a look at what you buy.”
I reminded him again on Sunday nite – the eve of the last week of school. But on Monday nite when I got home…… NO BOOK.
“YY said he forgot to bring…”
A bigger monster reared. And I think I must have nagged Kor-Kor for about an hour – on how it is his book, so he must show more responsibility towards it, more so since it was his grandparents who gave him the money to buy the book, etc, etc…
“If your friend forgot again, please ask for his mommy’s phone no. I will ask his mommy to help.” [Sigh! That would be awkward as this friend's mom is probably clueless abt all this...]
The next day, Tuesday, was report card day. When I got to the school, Kor-Kor told me his friend couldn’t find the book & he didn’t know his mommy’s phone no.
So I asked him to show me the boy. I told the boy nicely to please remember to find & bring the book, otherwise, to please give his mommy’s phone no. (The monster didn’t rear its head – even when the boy just looked at me nonchalantly & shrugged his shoulders. I was still hoping my son can settle this by himself.) But at home, I stressed to Kor-Kor “Bring me the book or the mommy’s phone no”.
Wednesday evening – NO BOOK. NO PHONE NUMBER!!!
“YY says he doesn’t have his mommy’s phone no. He asked why mommy wants his mommy’s no…”
The biggest, ugliest, monster took control. I WAS PISSED! I was pissed, not at his friend, but at Kor-Kor – at his inability to settle this on his own…, at his indifference…, at his irresponsible manner of tossing things aside after getting them, be it toys or books!
I felt the biggest urge to show him that he must get his book back by all means!
I called the school, hoping to ask the class teacher for assistance.
I called his friends’ mothers, hoping to get the contact of that YY boy. Actually, this was almost impossible since I only have one of his classmate mom’s no. But I called anyway, explaining that the book was a gift from Kor-Kor’s grandparents & thus, the need to get in touch with this YY boy’s parents. This classmate’s mom, bless her, volunteered her son’s help.
But the monster in me still refused to calm down. So the next day, Thursday – the last day of school for the Std. 1, I went to stake out at Kor-Kor’s school before the afternoon session begins, to ask the class teacher for this boy parents’ contact no. (I was at the neighborhood, as was told not to report to work yet due to H1N1 scare at the office.)
The school was having prize giving ceremony whole day, so the teachers were everywhere. After staking out for half hour, his class teacher was not in sight. As the bell had rung for the commencement of the afternoon session, I made my way to Kor-Kor’s classroom. What I saw next blew the wind out of me…
The classmate, whose mom volunteered his help, who is class monitor, approached this YY boy, ”YY, do you have xx [Kor-Kor]’s art book?”
“Yes, here, here, I bring today” That YY boy handed over the book to my son. Kor-Kor had the audacity to cheer…
“What's yr mommy’s no?” The classmate @ class monitor asked sternly again.
That YY boy actually gave him.
This classmate @ class monitor & Kor-Kor saw me hovering outside the class, came tell me that they got the book & the mommy’s handphone number liau…
I was speechless….
What I asked Kor-Kor to do for the last 3 days, this classmate @ class monitor, achieved in 5 minutes!
Sigh! I can just pacify myself that different boys mature at different pace.
But seriously, did I go overboard? I’m not sure now. But at that time, I just want to get the book back – no matter what. Not because of the cost (RM10 only mah..), but because I was so geram (annoyed) that Kor-Kor was so casual about his things. That stupid art book was a gift from his grandparents, how can he just shrugged it off. Moreover, it was a matter of principal mah.
But seriously again, how far would you go to get it back ?
5 years ago
