Monday, February 10, 2014

Do not point!

The hunchback was in his fifties. He walked past our shophouse every day during the time when I was a wee little kid. I used to point at him and laughed because he looked freakish.  All the kids did it anyway.

Ma chided me when she caught me in the act. Her methods were conventional.

"Don't mock at people like them or you'll end up looking the same."

That scared the shit out of me but it worked. I've regarded special people with a lot more respect since.  (So I was an impressionable kid.)

Ma's methods may be brutal but it cuts to the chase.

"Don't point at people or your fingers will be cut off and you'll die."

"Don't lie or your tongue will be cut off and you'll die."

"Don't jump after your meals or the rice will get into your appendix and you'll die."

Kids nowadays? You can't treat them the same way. You'll die from a thousand "Whys?"

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