Mischievous, Naughty or just plain Notorious?

Noor was driving home as usual at about 9:30pm along the road leading to our housing estate. Along the main road, one would have to pass the kampung houses and lanes leading to their houses. These were the original houses befor this area was developed with a lot of new housing estates. From afar Noor saw 3 young boys hanging aound an old abandoned house near the main road. He saw that they had large stones in their hands. As he passed them, they suddenly threw their rocks towards his car!!! He was shocked! As the road was quite empty at this hour, he reversed the car and entered their lane. The boys ran helter skelter into the area which was lighted by the lights from the kampung houses. He saw one boy entered a house. He stopped the car and went knocking on that house's door. After giving the salam and shaking hands with the man of the house, Noor enquired if there was any boy who entered the house a few minutes ago. The man asked why and Noor showed his car with the broken window. The man denied there was a boy in that house. Noor was disappointed as the man was not being very honest because he saw that boy entered that house. He was also disappointed that the man, assuming it was the father, did not teach the son a very simple lesson - to be responsible for any actions done whether right or wrong.

I was waiting at home and was wondering why he was late. It was almost 11pm. He never called or informed me of his whereabouts so I assumed he had work at the shop or he went out to meet somebody. Anyway, when he reached home, he told me what had happened. He went to the police station to make a report. Well, all I could tell him that maybe Allah wanted him to learn something from this incident. Firstly, he was lucky because the stone hit the back window and not the front as it could hit him and made him lose control of the car just to avoid it. Alhamdulillah. Upon reflection, he was grateful and accepted that it was meant to be.

They boys were very young about 7 or 8 years old. At that age, the parents had taught them a very misleading lesson. Being protective and defending them when they were in the wrong. It was still in our neighbourhood. Thus, we would know who they were. If at that age, they had been taught not to stand up and admit their mistakes, what do you expect when they reached the critical age of 14 - 17 years old?

So, after analyzing and talking about it, I told him to reflect and connect it to his nephew's case. If he had been taught the right lessons since young, instill what was right and acceptable, respect and honour, responsibility and integrity, I was sure it would not be so difficult to reach out to him now. As it is, one cannot talk sense into him. He was afraid of no one since he was given the preferential treatment and defended by his grandmother and aunties and most of all, his mother. The justification was that he was of a broken family. So, instead of instilling in him the right values, he was mollycoddled and pampered to the point of being rude and obnoxious.

The glass remnants from the broken window

Noor's car

It was meant to happen. I was just thankful nothing happened to him. The car could be repaired. Maybe it was Allah's gentle reminder. I told him he had to take responsibility for his nephew. If the nephew was a girl, he would be next in line as her wali. Not the stepfather. He just kept quiet. He said he had tried to talk to him and the young man said he did not want to study anymore. He wanted to work and move out from his mother's house. I suggested maybe the mother should let him go and try to make a living for himself. But, monitor him from afar. Let him know that their presence is always near. Let him go but hover around him from a distance. Let him go yet never out of sight. Will she consent? I don't think so. She is afraid her son will hate her. She is afraid she will lose him. She is afraid of what her other siblings will think of her. She is conscious of her failure to raise her own son. She has 3 other children with her new husband. She is afraid of what her in laws will think of her.

I understand. It's not easy to let go. Neither is it easy to hold on to him. He is after all only 17 years old. He refused to sit for his SPM exam next week. What a heartache. I can only take a deep breath and emphatise. I can only pray for her in my early morning prayers that she has the strength and patience to face this. I can only listen when Noor talks about it and gives him my opinion as a teacher and as a friend. Not as a family member as my thoughts and opinions do not matter to them neither have they ever asked me for any opinion. Always the observer and outsider.  :-}}