"Teacher! His shirt broken!"
It was 1969. First quarter of 1969.
A dark skinned,skinny little boy was standing right in front of the classmistress' desk and his right index finger pointing towards another dark skinned but plummed boy.
The dark skinned boy was the assistant class monitor and he thought it was his duty to tell his teacher that a friend's shirt was 'broken'. maybe teacher will able to mend the 'broken' shirt or fixed it or glue it as to 'unbroken' the 'broken' school shirt.
Miss Ng ,the classmistress for Standard 1C was smiling at the dark skinned kid.The assisstant monitor.
Miss Ng: What is it Zulhisham?
Zulhisham: Teacher! Kamarulzaman's shirt is 'broken' at the back. Big 'broken' teacher!
Miss Ng: Its not broken Zulhisham! Its torn.
Zulhisham: But teacher...No thorn,no thorn.Broken teacher!
Miss Ng: Well...let's see the shirt.Kamarul!please come infront of the class.
Kamarul stood up and came forward.All eyes were on him.And on the dark skinned boy who told the teacher about the 'broken' shirt.
Miss Ng: Okay...let me see....Hmmm..Well there is a big gap on Kamarul's shirt.
Okay kids listen here.And remember what I am going to tell you today.
Zulhisham! Boys! Kamarul's shirt is torn.T.O.R.N.
Zulhisham was trying to tell me that kamarul's shirt was torn but he didn't know the correct word for it.I am sure many of you did not know this as well.So Zulhisham uses the word broken.
We use broken if its for cup or chair or something solid. If its for something thin and filmsy and not solid like a shirt here,or a cloth or a sheet of paper or a sheet of plastic,we said torn. Its from the word tear. Don't worry.later in standard 2 or 3 you will be taught about this.
The boys nodded in unision.
Miss Ng: So Zulhisham! Now tell me again.
Zulhisham: Err...teacher! kamarul's shirt is torn.
Miss Ng: Very good.
For the whole of school season in the year of 1969,Zulhisham became the blue-eyed boy to Miss Ng.
About 14 years ago,Zulhisham met Miss Ng at Hospital Taiping. he went there to take some medication for his father. He saw Miss Ng sitting on a bench beside the pathology lab at Hospital Taiping.With her was a teenager.
Zulhisham knew this is his classmistress during Standard 1.King Edward VII-2 Primary School.
"Miss Ng? How are you?"
Miss Ng was suprise that a dark skinned chubby man asked her this question.But she was all smiles. She knew, is someone acknowledge her by her name then it must be one her students.
Miss Ng: I am fine thank you. I am sorry ,but who are you?
Zulhisham: I was your student in Std 1C in 1969.I am Zulhisham.
Miss Ng: Oh my dear...Zulhisham! The boy who said "Teacher ,his shirt broken".
Zulhisham: Yes! Thats me.You remember that?
Miss Ng: Of course I remember. You were always very helpful during those years in KE-2. How are you?What are you doing now?
Zulhisham: So far so good Miss Ng.I'm doing some small bussiness.
Miss Ng: Well thats good. What kind of bussiness?
The dark skinned guy smiled. What will he tell his teacher? Tell he the truth and he is already feeling embarrased about it.Lie to her? She's his teacher.How can he lie to her?
Zulhisham: Errr...actually I am a doctor teacher!
Miss Ng smiled.Her eyes sparkled. There was happiness and proud in her smile. She took his hands into hers and gripped it like she's not gonna let it go.
That brokenshirt kid made her proud of her profession.
