My son A has this thing against talking to me over the phone. Since I make this long distance call daily, he is at loss of topics to discuss. Usually it turns into just a 2 min call where I ask him how his class was that day, whether he had good food at home etc etc.
At this young age of 12 my son has gone through a lot in life. Not that he is necessarily aware that some of them have been due to his parents divorce! But A does know that it is not normal for his mother and father to be living in different countries and married to two different people. But yeah like normal boys of that age, he does not talk about it and generally brushes aside any conversation that I try to initiate.
Last week, quite unlike him he talked to me for almost half hour. Because A is not really a talker and of the impatient sort I knew something was brewing and finally when I couldn’t take it any longer I asked him straight whether he was facing any problems.
He started with saying Mummy they call me Gay at school. My first reaction was to tell him that it must be a joke. Since I don’t take really serious matter serious enough unless someone shakes me by the shoulder this news did not seem too bad. But when A stopped and said No mummy I really don’t like it, no one plays with me anymore and no one sits next to me in the class, that’s when it finally dawned – Yes my son is actually asking for my help. I was the first one he was talking about this to. It was not his father with whom he was staying, it was not his mama (my brother – A’s favourite person in this world!), it was me Chinty he was turning to. His mom, his only love in life apart from his PSP, PS2 and Nintendo DS (phew that was a mouthful).
I did what any mom in my situation would do – she turns into a Lioness. Schedule of things – called his teacher, then talked to his father, called my brother and finally got his father to meet the Principal. Mind you I was making all these calls from London and trying to get everything sorted out long distance.
After a wait of nearly two days A’s school Principal visited his class and gave the rest of the kids a good warning. Everyone is now under the watchful eyes of the Head Teacher. And my son he is happy.
But my story doesn’t end here. Since the day his problem got attended to, he talks to me – yes really really talks to me. And because we now talk for a good hour, it bleeds my heart that I have to make him wait till I get back home from work to have this chat. You see when I reach home at 6 pm it is already 10pm in Dubai. And what really makes me awww is that he actually waits for my call before hitting the bed.
4 comments:
Knowing he is suffering must have been so painful for you....
SW, it was even more painful to know that I was the cause of his pain. Wait for the next post to read why my son was called what he was called!!
Chinty-you weren't intentionally the cause of his pain. It must be hard for you to be in separate countries. All said and done, both of you have been very brave.
Oh dear. Kids can be quite mean at times, though..
How sweet that he actually waits for your call everyday.
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