Any Day Now

Okay, this topic I'm about to dwell on is not something Joseph will be very thrilled about. Why? Because he will be the sole beneficiary of "it" once I got my act together. All this while I had waited for the right moment to execute my "rod of correction", i.e. the Mighty Cane.

I myself, had tasted the cane on numerous occasions as a child, being of a rather rowdy disposition and been bestowed with the gift of Getting Into Trouble. Having grew up in a family of six siblings, I was the only one who climbed trees and had the inclination to jump about the house, anywhere & everywhere, from any object or height. My jumping career came to a screeching halt one day, when I was seven years old.

I well remembered that day because it wasn't supposed to end with me lying on a hospital bed. Normally, little girls played with dolls, or tea sets. I, on the opposite end of the spectrum, preferred more physically challenging games. I loved pretending to be a superhero, a kungfu expert with unbeatable skills, or an undercover agent on a secret mission.

On that fateful day, I was in the role of an invincible swordswoman, jumping from boulder to boulder as I fought off evil villains with masked faces. The arm-chairs in my living room played the part of huge boulders. The villains, as you guessed rightly, existed only in my imagination. Anyway, there I was, hopping from one arm-chair to another. I became over-confident and got careless, missed my footing and rammed my waist into the metal arm-rest as I fell sideways. To cut a long story short, I was hospitalised for half a month because of the injury sustained.

All that, to say I'm no stranger to the cane. Even when I secretly hid or threw away a cane, my late mother had various creative substitutes for it. A clothes hanger came readily within reach. A thin branch broken off the soursop tree in my backyard proved as effective. Even a ruler fished from my school bag was good to deliver a few sound whacks.

If my narration made anyone feel that my mother was a fearsome creature, she wasn't. It's just that I am not exactly the typical sweet and easy daughter. For a mother who had to care for six children, and handle a mountain-load of housework besides, I was the constant straw that broke the camel's back.

Now, let me steer the subject back to Joseph. It's almost time. Any day now, the cane may make its first hit, just a quick swish and an instant pain will be felt. Three days ago, I thought I was going to do it. Surprisingly, Joseph yielded when I only waved the cane in his face. Does he know more than he appears to understand? Hmm...

So, I'm ready to do what I need to do. When the crime fits the punishment, I shall execute the rod of correction. Tough love is still love. Joseph will come to understand where I'm coming from. As I did my mother.