So, last Sunday I did some 'speaking' activities about fathers with my students. Yes, the class suddenly became so excited and lively.
"Have you called your father today?" Some said yes, some said no..
"Ok, if you haven't called your father, you can call them now..5 minutes!" Some students took out their phone. Of all the phone calls made in class this particular call made by a student to his father is the most interesting.
"Assalamualaikum Dad!" he said as he giggled.
"Happy Father's Day...I'm in class right now. My teacher asked me to speak English with you." the whole class laughed at him by now but this boy was very sporting. He kept on giggling. Earlier, he told the class that both his father and mother work in the police force.
Then, after the phone calls I told my students to share with the class any good moments that they had with their father. I had them talking, chatting and laughing about 20 minutes or so about this topic.
" Madam, I don't have a father"
"Passed away?"
"Nope!. Ran away." (Pulak dah...)
"My father married second wife. I cannot remember anything about him.""Since when?"
"When I was 6.."
Therefore, I told him to speak about any father figure that she knows.
"Yes, my uncle." Problem solved.
"I remember my father a lot because he always scolded me." (Arghh...I immediately felt guilty of asking this girl to share her story about her father ).
"He is strict and not easy to communicate with him. I always feel scared talking to him..(beruntunglah anak-anak aku...)
"Don't worry. We have the same father..It's not easy to talk to my father neither. My father was a policeman. Is yours the same?
"No, rubber tapper." (I felt even guiltier...)
But one day, before I go to school to sit for my first paper SPM, I hugged my father.
Everyone was quiet. Kata takut dengan bapak...
"You hugged him or he hugged you?"
"I hugged him."
"I said thank you."
"What was your father's reaction?"
"He looked like he wanted to cry.."She looked as if she wanted to cry. I wanted to cry too but the tears were under controlled. Terharu.
"I love my father"
"Did you call him?"
"No credit."" I used to help my father in the palm oil plantatation before I came here."
" Now, I'm here. He had to work alone...on his own." another boy shared his story with the class.He must have missed his father a lot. He's from Jerantut, Pahang.
"My father was a great man. He can sew baju melayu, cook ketupat, do carpentry, build houses while working as a policeman. My father is also very pious and never miss his solat and prayers. He used to be a strict and disciplined man too because he wanted all his daugters not to stray away."
"So, whatever that your father do, don't complain too much. Always be grateful. He's trying his best to mould you into a better and greater person."
"Boys, if you don't have a good father, then, create one" I ended the class with a big smile.
And I left the class with lots of childhood memories with my own father.
