Although it was a new school but it was near to home,so near that if I left something at home I can walk back and get it during recess.We only had 3 standard 5 classes so we were all quite close.
5 Intan, 5 Berlian and 5 Zamrud. Following the Permata theme.
I was in 5 Berlian.
Back then our headmaster was Mr Jamlus, a bald strict but very smart teacher who had the Idea of having a school garden. Each class would have their own part of a garden and they can plant whatever vegetable or fruit that they like. 5 Berlian decided to plant corns
5 Berlian
A few months later some of the corn started to ripen.
It was quite few so my teacher decided to have a contest in class to which person can answer his quizzes will be rewarded with a corn. Since it was an early harvest and only few are available the prize was not only precious but also prestigious. Hey I was 11....
There were 4 large ripe corns up for grab and so the homeroom teacher decided to have a Malay Literature quiz. Much of the annoyance of my fellow classmates I managed to bag 3 out of the 4 corns that was available.
It was epic.
But what I remember most was not the fact that I get to brag to the whole class about it, but the feeling I got with I first showcase the prizes to my parents. Of course they were proud of me and that night we had corn for dinner.
And for the very first time,
I ate something that I brought home. Something that I worked for, it's just corns but it sure was tasty. For once I ate something that my mother did not buy from the grocery. It's the same feeling you get when you bring home a fish after a fishing trip and ate it for dinner. A sort of age old Hunter pride feeling buried deep inside, even when well you don't actually hunt for corn, well technically I had to fight for it, intellectually.
I thought it was a very good lesson for an eleven year old.
It teaches a kid the value of earning something and reaping the benefits of which you worked for.
It taught me on how to be good to nature in turn nature will be good to you. I learn that it takes time to see the results of the seeds that you planted. I saw it grew and I learn that indeed each things takes their own time.
But perhaps the biggest lesson of all was that,
I learn how it felt like to bring food home. Look ma I brought this home, come on let's eat it.
I wonder if kids these days were as lucky as I was.
P/S
I read in a book that a once there was a school in Japan that gave vegetables as prizes in their sports carnival. Instead of metal and medals which will be junk in a few months time, kids can actually share their prizes with their family during dinner. I think we should do that as well.
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