A Boy

lim peh ka li kong

Yesterday afternoon, while relaxing at home hiding from the very hot sun, a small boy about 10 years old came knocking at our house.

As our maid was sweeping the floor near the gate, she talked to the little boy, using her limited English.

After a while, our maid came and told us, "Sir, boy... money... no rice..."

I tell you ah, lim peh always have difficulty understanding what our maid says.

When I went to see the boy, I saw him standing under the sun.

"Yes, boy....?" I asked the boy who was looking at me.

"Er... can you give me $6 to buy rice?" The boy asked me.

"$6 to buy rice? What do you mean?"

The Little boy pointed his finger to his right and said,"My brother and I...."

I couldn't hear him clearly as he mumbled when he talked or was it lim peh's hearing got problem but I guessed he was trying to tell me that both his brother and him needed $6 to buy rice.

Lim peh was furious with the boys' parents for not providing food for their children which led them in asking for money from house to house.

"Where do you stay?" I asked the boy as I walked towards him.

"Teban Garden."

"Can you give me your address?"

The moment he heard me asking for his address, he turned and ran away.

I was really puzzled as to why the boy ran away.

Was he hungry?
Would his brother and him starve?
What kind of parents let their children going around asking for money to buy food?
Why did he run away when I asked for his address?
Was he afraid that I will confront his parents later?

Guess I will never know now....

lim peh kong wan liao