Don't judge just yet. You haven't read my story. This post may be soporific. Just bear with me, if you refuse to do so, you know what to do.
Despite feeling unwell, I still turn up for today's event and I am very grateful indeed for doing so. Even though the event wasn't approve by the college administration board, we, this group of noble youth decided to go on with the program.
We made a special visit to a school for children of special backgrounds. The program started yesterday but I couldn't participate since I had to sit for Calculus 1 test 2.
The journey started at about 9 am and we arrived at Sentul Boulevard 45 minutes later. Thankfully the traffic was smooth all the way. Before meeting the kids, we had a briefing and practiced the movements and the chorus of You Raise Me Up and Heads, Shoulders, Knees and Toes with the accompaniment of 2 acoustic guitars played by 2 seniors.
After practicing, we saw some kids coming down the stairs, who were ecstatic to see us. We gathered our things and went upstairs.While going up the stairs I felt anxious and a little daunted as I was about to have fun with kids. It's not that I'm not good with them but the fact that it's been a while since I played with kids for quite sometime and I was worried that I was unable to relate to them. To be frank, my childhood is way epic than those of kids these days, even though iPads, Angry Birds, The Avengers haven't existed at that time. The moment I entered classroom, I smiled when I saw boys and girls in school uniforms most probably lower primary school kids with the looks of anticipation to meet us.
A senior reintroduced yesterday's volunteers and introduced today's team to the kids. That warm, fuzzy feeling you get when you introduce yourself in front of an audience, and they greet you back. After breaking the ice, we started with a simple game, Tied In Knots, where you are in groups of 4 or more, cross your arms on front of you and grab the other person's hand and try to form a circle. Then we sang Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes with movements and also You Raise Me Up chorus twice.
Subsequently, each volunteer was assign to at least 2 kids for the 1 hour reading session. I enjoyed reading WITH 2 adorable girls, probably aged 7-8. Even though it seems too mainstream to read fairy tales especially Cinderella, Snow White and Rapunzel whenever there's any reading program or session with children, I had fun reading with them even though the ending to the 3 stories are similar where the heroin falls in love and get married with prince charming. The girls most probably from a neighboring country as they talked to each other in between the stories in some foreign language and I can only smile while listening to them.
When the 1 hour period ended, we started with the arts and craft session by making a simple key chain. I helped out the 2 girls by handling the scissors whilst they draw on the colored foam (unsure what that material was). The other senior conducted that session and showed us some examples: a flower, the red angry bird and a smiley face. I was awed with their creativity as they drew hearts,sunflowers and an angel. I was indeed very touched with that. "She must've gone through a lot," I said to myself.
We shared the scissors and double sided tape with another group which was really time consuming to wait for our turn to use those instruments. The volunteers were also given the same material to create our own key chains.
Since I ran out of time and materials because I was helping out the whole time and I gave my materials to those 2 girls, my key chain was the one I showed you in the photo above. Whilst the other kids completed their masterpiece and helping each other to clean up, I was still doing the final touches for the girl who drew the angel. I didn't want to miss a chance so I grabbed the pink material and orange marker, drew Elmo's face and cut it out. The angel girl asked me where should she paste the Elmo since she already completed her key chain. I paused for a moment and solemnly I told her that Elmo was mine.
I should've. I should've given her my Elmo and pasted it behind her beautiful angel-surrounded-by-hearts -and -roses key chain. I really feel bad for not doing so. Why on earth was I so selfish to the child who loved my drawing of roses for her, which do not appear like roses and also the child who went through life more than I did at such a young age?
I don't deserve to be called a human for doing so. I feel bad for unable to pronounce her name correctly even though she had her name tag on. During the reading session, I only called her "Girl" and "Dear" and I was too ignorant to read and remember her name even though she wrote it on her key chain.
I do hope I am able to be remembered and forgiven for my wrong doings and as compensation, the key chain that I helped her to make. In return, I will treasure the Elmo key chain and not write my name on it as I dedicate this key chain to her and I'd like to say, " Angel girl, Elmo is for you and me. "
I didn't want to leave the center too soon, but alas, we left with a heavy heart. Even though we only spent 3 memorable hours but we grew closer. I am very thankful to the seniors who took the effort to create this kind of event as it got me thinking.
I am and should be even more grateful with everything I have, even though I've hit rock bottom and fell down for a number of times, having scars and bruises and still trying to walk properly, hoping that I could run again, like I used to. I'll try to have the determination and high spirit as those kids have in going through their lives at such age. In retrospect, at their age, I was living a normal and comfortable life, no worries as I was only a child yet they are trying their best to continue living and hoping to grow up and live better lives despite all the scars and bruises, which are worst than mine which they had when they were younger.
On the way back to Shah Alam, I gazed out the bus window and while listening to piano instrumentals on my playlist, something struck me, like lightning. I can't recall at some age, I wanted to pursue a career in the medical field and when I am older and have enough funds to live a comfortable but normal life, I would love to be a volunteer in any non-profit organizations, just to give back to the community. With today's experience, I will try my best to realize that dream, hoping that I could present a gift to humanity and may all you people out there have the opportunity to experience something similar like I did so that you could increase your awareness with these issues.This is indeed an eye-opening experience and I wanted so badly to go for next week's session but then I decided to give a chance to the other volunteers hoping that they'll experience the same thing as I did.
I won't be revealing what those kids have gone through and I do hope you respect my decisions.
No matter this program was unapproved by our college administration, it was worth it. I am willing to go through anything if I get into trouble with the administrative board for participating this event.
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