People From My Past...
A few doors away from my house, lived a family whose parents did not believe in the Malaysian education system. Instead of sending their children to school, they sought tutors for home schooling at a very young age. My mother which used to teach at the kindergarden would spend every morning at their house teaching them basic arithmetic and the alphabet.
Every day, after walking back from school, I would go to my neighbour's house and wait for my mom to finish her classes. While waiting for her, I would begin on my homework or play with some of the children that had already finished their classes for the day.
Because of this, I grew quite close to some of the children that my mother was teaching. It came to a point where I remember the children would cry if I did not take the time to play with them or at least greet them whenever I was over at their house. Mind you, due to the 8 year age gap, these children were only 3 or 4 years old at that time.
When I started secondary school, my mother decided to stop teaching and began to do company secretarial work. Hence, I slowly drifted apart from the children that I used to 'hang out' with every day after primary school.
Today, almost 13 years after my daily visits to their house, these children have all grown up to be teenagers and young adults. I sometimes see them with their boyfriends/girlfriends and our communication has degenerated into a small smile or in most cases, just a nod of the head.
Most would argue that my 25 years of age could still be classified as 'young' but nothing reminds me more of how old I am than my memories of these children as toddlers crying for my attention and now seeing them as teenagers and young adults who hardly recognize my existence anymore.
Every day, after walking back from school, I would go to my neighbour's house and wait for my mom to finish her classes. While waiting for her, I would begin on my homework or play with some of the children that had already finished their classes for the day.
Because of this, I grew quite close to some of the children that my mother was teaching. It came to a point where I remember the children would cry if I did not take the time to play with them or at least greet them whenever I was over at their house. Mind you, due to the 8 year age gap, these children were only 3 or 4 years old at that time.
When I started secondary school, my mother decided to stop teaching and began to do company secretarial work. Hence, I slowly drifted apart from the children that I used to 'hang out' with every day after primary school.
Today, almost 13 years after my daily visits to their house, these children have all grown up to be teenagers and young adults. I sometimes see them with their boyfriends/girlfriends and our communication has degenerated into a small smile or in most cases, just a nod of the head.
Most would argue that my 25 years of age could still be classified as 'young' but nothing reminds me more of how old I am than my memories of these children as toddlers crying for my attention and now seeing them as teenagers and young adults who hardly recognize my existence anymore.
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