It was an ordinary Friday afternoon. I couldn’t even remember the date. However, the feeling I felt on that special Friday was surely unforgettable.
Seated next to me was a 12 years old boy. His eyes were brimming with excitement. Sadly, his enthusiasm wasn’t to learn about the Bahasa language class which I was paid for. Instead, he was jumping for joy and eagerness to share with me his first time encounter of “courtship rivalry”.
This is his story.
After release of the UPSR trial results at school, I was chilling with my friends under the shade at the field. My friend was walking with his “girlfriend.” An idea struck me and instantly I acted upon it. I walked up to the guy friend of mine and grinned, ” Did you know I touched your girlfriend earlier ?” His face turned red. I could see smoke oozing out from the top of his head. That’s when a sudden voice told me to run ! And ran I did. My good friend chased me out of the field, into the classrooms and across corridors. In between rooms, some others joined the chase. Finally, I was caught !
He pointed his breathless fingers at me. “Don’t ya ever touch my girl !” Panting. I nodded.
At this point when he finished telling his story, he was standing. Showing me the motion how his friend pointed that filthy finger at him. I was noticeably amused. I couldn’t resist my curiosity, so I asked naively, “So, did you touch his girlfriend?” He started laughing hysterically as if I asked the most ridiculous question. I must admit, I was ashamed, being laughed at by my own student.
He motioned his head indicating “No”. My face went blank. I didn’t understand it. Why did he tell his friend that he did so ? Why did the guys chased him? There was no logic behind it. Naturally, I inquired further. “Just for the fun of it” was his plain explanation.
With that, I left that class that day, learning that men will create rivalry among each other when it comes to courtship – just for the fun of it. Not that if it ever mattered if one fancies the girl or otherwise.
