M'sian City Life #19: My Student Was Happy When His Stepmum And Dad Finally Got A Divorce
"Children at your age are still cared for by their parents but not you."
By Tang Ruxyn — 30 May 2016, 07:03 PM
"Teacher, my stepmother and father have gotten a divorce," he said with a smile that lit up his whole face.
Those were the words from Aanas (not his real name) to his teacher one fine day at school.
"Are you happy?" his teacher asked.
He nodded instantaneously, his non-verbal answer to the question.
His teacher changed the subject, however, asking him to carry on with the Nilam Reading Programme.
"Alright, teacher," the 14-year-old said while keeping the smile on his face, one that stretched from ear-to-ear.
This is a story of Aanas, told by his teacher, Nur Izdihar binti Ramlan. They got to know each other last year, when she taught him Sejarah (history) in school.
Aanas' mother and father were separated. He had to live separately from his own siblings as his parents acquired the custody of two each out of their four children.
His father, who is supporting the family financially, is always absent from home.
"While his peers were playing in the fields in the afternoons, he was confined to his house, doing all sorts of housework," Nur Izdihar said.
He even suffered insults for coming back late from school after extracurricular activities. He was not allowed to fulfill his Friday prayers. Aanas was used to getting beaten up, slapped and strangled till he looked like he was almost half-dead.
"Aanas is small in stature for someone who is 14, making him an easy victim for abuse at home," the 31-year-old teacher said.
There were many times when Aanas skipped meals in school because he didn't have any money
Whenever Nur Izdihar bumped into him, she would offer him some money to buy food but he would refuse her offer each time, probably out of embarrassment.
"Not many in the school know about his story. His cheerful personality often overshadows and hides his own anguish. I would never understand why he would open up his life stories to me, even when I did not ask sometimes."
"He is a good child. Although he may not be the best academically, he always respects his teachers. He is always eager to help the teachers in schools, even for those that do not teach him any subjects in particular," Nur Izdihar remarked.
It has always been Aanas' desire to enrol himself to the boarding school but he was never given the opportunity to do so due to objections from his stepmother
"Teacher, I could attend the boarding school now. My stepmother did not allow me to when she was around but now she's gone," he told his teacher while walking back to the class, sometime earlier last month.
"Who are you living with now then?" Nur Izdihar teacher asked.
"I live alone," he answered, smiling.
Nur Izdihar was taken aback when she heard his reply. She stopped walking and looked at her student's face intently.
"Then, who prepares your meals? Who wakes you up to go to school? Who will care for you when you fall sick?" her questions came one after another."
"Myself," he answered.
Each time she talked to Aanas, Nur Izdihar learnt something new about her student. She remembered the conversation she had with Aanas a week before he was enrolled to the school's hostel.
"Teacher, I've been accepted to live in the school's hostel," Aanas told Nur Izdihar the good news during one of her classes. "How are the ongoing preparations?" she asked in return.
"What do I need to bring?" the teenager asked with wrinkles visible on his forehead now.
She took a piece of paper and listed down all the things that he would need when he starts staying at the hostel. Aanas somehow looked like he was worried when he was going through the list.
"Do I really need to have three pairs of baju Melayu? I only have one," he asked.
"Don't you have baju raya from the last year?"
"I haven't gotten any baju raya for a very long time," he answered truthfully.
"I'll need three sets of school uniforms as well?" he asked again.
"How many pairs of school uniform do you have?"
"Only this one. I wear it everyday from Monday to Friday," Aanas said, holding the collar of his shirt.
"No wonder it's a mess. Dirty," Nur Izdihar thought to herself.
"What about the money you received from your scholarship?" she asked, trying to be firm.
"My stepmother took it."
"Neraka punya mak tiri (A stepmother from hell!)," her heart whispered.
"This coming Monday… how are you going to the hostel?"
He stared for a moment, then said, "I’ll come with my bicycle. How about that, teacher?"
His face looked sad, like he was using every breath he took to fight the urge to cry
Unwilling to continue the conversation further as she was gripped by her own emotions, Nur Izdihar turned to face the whiteboard, hiding her teary eyes.
She shifted the attention to the rest of the classroom by diverting the subject, "Are you all done with the exercise that I gave you?"
Nur Izdihar admitted to feeling a sense of compassion and worry towards her student that has suffered so much neglect at that young age
"How does someone cycle while carrying a bag of clothes, water buckets and other equipment? Where is your father? What about your relatives? Children at your age are still cared for by their parents but not you," Nur Izdihar thought to herself, as she grieved for her student.
"You are being tested with trials that don't even match the size of your body."
Nur Izdihar still keeps a close contact with Aanas, and she is pleased to know that he is doing well under the care of his mother now.
Living in the city ain’t a piece of cake but it could also be exciting and adventurous. How are you coping? How are you making the best out of things? Do you have a story or experience to share?
SUBMIT YOUR STORY NOW, or work on it and send it soon. Share a personal experience, your story as an urban city-dweller in Malaysia, whether it’s yours or from someone you know, email [email protected] or FB message us.
We’ll get in touch with you for your story to be featured on SAYS!
Stay tuned for the next episode!