Glimpses

The Next Heir

The front door of the Daoming mansion slammed with a heavy thud. Si stormed into the house, with a sulky, sullen little boy trailing behind him. Once inside the house, Si turned around and faced his son. "Young man, you have a lot of explaining to do! How many times have I told you that I simply won't tolerate fighting!"

Hearing the commotion, Shancai, Zhuang and Mrs Yu rushed to the foyer. The three women gasped as they looked at the little boy. His hair was dishevelled, shirt untucked and tie unravelled. He had a fat lip, bruises on his face and dirt smeared all over his school uniform. "What happened?" Shancai asked her husband. Si told her, "This little scalawag was caught fighting in school! I had to leave a very important meeting because the principal asked me to come in to deal with it!" Seeing his mother, the little boy rushed to take cover behind Shancai. Si gave an exasperated sigh and stalked off to his study. "The three of you molly-coddle him too much!"

Half an hour later, Si was still in his study, having a drink of his favourite Ballantine's to calm himself. He was interrupted by a soft knock on the door. It was Zhuang. "Si," she began gently, "Don't you think you're being a little hard on him? He's just a little boy. I remember it wasn't too long ago when you were just like him. Remember how I disciplined you then?" She smiled to herself as she remembered all those times that she had given him a good thrashing, and especially when she had forced him to eat his most-dreaded pumpkin pies as punishment.

Si paused for a moment, his glass still raised to his lips. He closed his eyes. Yes he did remember. He remembered how rebellious he was after their father had passed away. How he had acted out his frustrations and hid his insecurities behind that bad-boy aura. How he had bullied everyone that came into his path. How How he had trouble making friends, with the exception of his three best buddies who had stood behind him through thick and thin. How he had been so hard to love, save for those three molly-coddlers who had then and still now loved him the most. It was no surprise then how much the three women loved his son, who was so alike him.

Si opened his eyes, sighed and looked at his sister. "Jie, you're right. I was too hard on him. It's just been a long day at work and I guess I took out my stress on him. Let me go and talk to him."

He found his son in his room, doing his homework. He stood at the doorway watching him for a while, thinking of how the little boy was the spitting image of him. Every time he looked at his son, it was like looking into the mirror at his younger self.

He cleared his throat, "Ahem. What are you doing?" "Homework, dad" his son replied. Si stepped closer to him and his tone was now gentler. "Son, I think I was a bit harsh on you earlier. I never really asked you what happened and why you got into that fight. Maybe you want to tell me?"

The little boy's eyes welled up with tears as he looked at his father. In a choked-up voice he said "It was because of mom. Some kids in my class called her an ugly water buffalo with stumpy feet. I got angry and I hit them."

Hearing that, Si could feel a burning sensation at the back of his own eyes too. He took the little boy in his arms and the child buried his face in his father's chest. "I'm sorry, dad" he said in a muffled voice. Si gently stroked his son's hair and told him "No son, I'm sorry. I should have had more faith in you. No-one should be allowed to insult our women, or any woman for that fact, and you were right to stand up for your mother." "However," he pulled away and looked at his son, "Fighting is still not condoned. Tell me or your mother if it happens again next time. And don't worry, your mother can defend herself. Just ask her about her famous flying kick!" he reminisced with a smile.

Drying his son's tears, he asked "Ok, now who's up to go out for ice cream?" The little boy excitedly nodded his head but then he stopped and said, "How about we go to mom's favourite dessert place, Rabbit Hole? We can all go, with mom, Aunty Zhuang and Mrs Yu too!"

Si hesitated. Rabbit Hole wasn't his first preference, or his any preference, for that matter. The whole place was just too pink for him. But looking at his son's pleading face he smiled and said "You are just like your mom, I can't say no to you." The little boy beamed at him. "C'mon, let's go dad!"

Together they walked down the steps, hand in hand, father and son.