This
is the first day to school after Christmas Holiday.
The
morning of the school day was usually messy.
Dad
asked, “Where’s my socks?”
Beth
yelled, “Who’d touched my watercolour? The yellow one is missing!”
“Bill!
Why your handbook is still on the desk?” Mum shouted, “I told you never touched
the school bag after I’d checked it. I should have sealed it every night!”
Bill
yawned, “I don’t know.” Feina helped him to dress up as he wandered about.
Even
Ginger screamed, “MMEEOWW!!!” as Bill stepped on his tail carelessly.
After
the battle they got out of the house one by one.
“Bye,
Feina ……” they said.
“Byebye
…….” Feina stood at the door and waved with a beautiful smile. She had very
good mood at this time every day.
**********
Dad
drove the car. Beth sat beside him. When they arrived at Bill’s school, Bill
got out, Mum followed.
“Bye,
Dad.” Bill said.
“Bye,
Beth.” Mum said.
Bill
wanted to keep away from Mum. He walked fast. But Mum caught up.
“See
your collar! And the belt! Tut tut!” Mum tidied his clothes. “Bill, you’re
already Grade 6. Don’t behave like a Grade 3.”
Bill
wriggled to escape from Mom.
“Okay,
bye honey.” Mum grasped him and KISSED him on the forehead.
Ugh!
Please don’t! Bill thought.
Mum
went upstairs alone. Bill looked around and hoped nobody had caught the sight.
Unluckily
the auntie of the tuck shop was gazing at him. She worked there since last
month.
Bill
pretended nothing happened. He walked over and said, “Tuna sandwich and Vitasoy
please.”
“Is
that your mum?” Asked the tuck shop’s auntie.
Bill
nodded.
“Is
she a teacher?”
“Uh—uh.”
“Is
she a staff?”
“Nope.”
“Is
she the social worker or school worker?”
“Of
course not.”
“I
know she’s not the principal, whom I met before.”
She
looked so curious. “Then who is she?”
“She’s
just my mum.”
“I
mean, what does she do?”
“She’s
a housewife.”
“But
why she comes to school EVERY day? And leaves so late?”
“She
comes to help.”
“For
free?”
“Of
course, she’s a helper. She helps whenever the school needs her. In the swimming
pool, library, classroom. For distributing lunch, decorating school hall, etc……..”
“I
know. The parent helpers. There’re a lot here in this school. But everyday? EVERY
whole day?”
“I
bet there’re over 30 mums like her. You’re just too new here.” Bill sounded far
too precocious.
“Wow…..
I see.” She muttered, “Please don’t let them help over here. I need this job.”
~To be
continued~