Against Child’s Freedom to Play, I’ve seen the Purest Love of a Mother

“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My Eye.” Psalm 32:8

I grew up in a provincial set-up, wherein most of our culture and traditions were strictly observed. 

I remember when I was in grade school; I was always being whipped with either my father’s belt & my mother’s sleeper. I pitied myself and kept on comparing myself with other kids who enjoyed their toys and lots of games with our playmates. While on every noontime on Saturdays and Sundays (no classes), I am so irritated with the snores of my parents sleeping beside me my brother & sister along with the slippers of my mother and the belt of my father. At every attempt to escape, either my father or my mother was awakened, moving the belt or the sleeper on their hands. As a kid, I was threatened with those moves so I had no choice but to sleep again. However, I couldn’t sleep anymore because I was thinking that I was supposed to be playing with other kids at that time.

“At that time, I don’t understand that “sleeping at noontime” is good for our health. What I understood only was I don’t have the freedom to play like other kids.”

One school day, I went home late maybe around six-thirty in the evening.  I was so happy while running & rushing home because I won a bundle of rubber bands and playing cards. 

It was a great day for me, but as I came near our home, I saw the edge of a bamboo hidden while my father was holding at his back. As I approached our doorstep, he asked me “Where have you been, and why did I come home so late, what’s the time now, you should be here at 5:30PM or immediately after your schooling.” When I saw a piece of bamboo in his hand, I lied to him and told him that our teacher instructed us to finish our gardening {I studied Elementary in Public School and gardening is one of the activities in our Home Economics subject.}  Suddenly, my father was been so angry again and heavily whipped me. 

I cried too loud and ran away going to my Aunt/Uncle’s house (neighboring house - a near distance from our house). My Uncle is the older brother of my father. So as I approached my Uncle's house, my Aunt asked me “Why are you crying again?” I told them” I was punished by my father because of going home an hour late after school.” He asked me why I went home late, I told him the same reason I told to my father. Then, I got my Uncle’s and my Aunt’s sympathy and they let me enter their home while pacifying my emotions for me to stop crying.  I believed in the mind of my Uncle / Aunt, they were wondering why I had been punished with valid reason.  I slept in my Aunt’s house and I never wanted to go back home anymore.  And I told my Uncle and Aunt to hide me from them.  

But that night, I never knew that my mother went to my Aunt’s home to fetch me but I was already sleeping at that time, so my Aunt had advised my mother to come back early morning.  My mother left and agreed to just come back the next day early morning.

As I woke up, my Aunt told me the story that my mother wanted to fetch me that night.  While we were talking with my Aunt, we heard a knock on the door calling my Aunt’s attention, and then my Aunt opened the door while I went upstairs and hid under the bed.  Then, I heard my Mother’s voice saying, “Son, let’s go home, your father is waiting for you to be with us for breakfast. Don’t worry, he is not angry with you anymore. Come on down and let’s eat together at home.” With the appeal of my mother, I still didn’t want to go home because I was still afraid and worried but my Aunt convinced me that if I was whipped again they would be so willing still to welcome me in their home anytime. My mother assured me that she would protect me.

So I went home, and then I saw my father waiting at the dining table with his prepared and set  breakfast for us and shouted so calmly with  a sweet voice “Come –on, take your meal.”

I’ve learned that those belts, sleepers, and bamboo remind me of God’s whip, its protection… it’s a concern… it’s care… it’s Love from my Parents.

[Articles of this month will be entirely dedicated to the CEO’s Mother, in memory of her death on 5^th April 2018.]