HURT

His father abandoned him and his mother when he was twelve. His mother was granted a divorce by the court six months later. Abandoned, no money given, they were left in the lurch.

From what he told me, his father married his new wife one week after leaving his mother.
They had to live with his grandparents (mother’s side). His grandmother was blind due to glaucoma and his grandfather was 76 years old and very sick. His grandparents received aid from the government of only RM75 and that means both of them got RM150 a month. His mother had to work as a cleaner in a private office in order to get them through.

Five months after being divorced, his mother got married to a widower with two small children. My student told me that he understood why his mother had to get married. To find a man who can take care of her. And he didn’t mind.

She moved in with her new husband and left him with her parents (his grandparents). He wanted that too, to be able to stay with his grandparents.

After school, this boy at the tender age of thirteen worked as a dish washer at a restaurant nearby and got paid RM10.00 a day.

But he was never late for school. He completed his homework. He gave no reasons for teachers to get angry at him.

Since I was the Senior Assistant (Student’s Affair) of the school, he always confided in me.

He received a government scholarship of RM 300.00 a year.

He worked from the age of 13 until 15 as a dishwasher, and then at the age of 16 until 18 he worked part time with a catering company.

CIKGUTANYA: My hamsters are fighting. Got to go and look into the matter. Continue tomorrow