THE JOY OF GIVING AND LIVING

THE JOY OF GIVING AND LIVING
My first memorable experience of Lallawmawma (Lawmtea) occurred just about one year ago. There is a huge cement reservoir on the path that extends from the main buildings to the upper, terraced and jungley portion of Silver Oak School’s 10-acre compound. The grades I-IV and I were taking a break from classes and enjoying an excursion to higher ground. As we trudged past the reservoir, one minute Lawmtea was by my side, the next he was on top of the cemented reservoir lid, and the next he had somersaulted head-first into a cave-in beside the reservoir. I retrieved him feet first, and no lasting damage seemed to have taken place.
Yesterday, I had the grades VIII’s doing a little art work so provided them with water-colouring pens. Lawmtea caught wind of this followed me around the rest of the day begging for “colours.” At one point I accused him of being a “big beggar.” His response was, “No, I am just a little boy … and I want colours!”
So, I found 45-cent packages of “colours” in the market, bought four and left them on the grade I-II desks after dark. Lawmtea spied on me and soon all four students were jumping up and down with delight. For English classes, I had previously given each of the older students a mini-dictionary. It is rather difficult to learn English without a dictionary. Lawmtea complained bitterly that his class had been left out … so I gave in. The next day Lawmtea’s friend, Tlanga informed me that he had read his new book “from A to Z”.
According to his teachers, Lawmtea has yet to learn any of the three R’s but like many of those of us on “slow side” he makes up for that slowness with the fastest, winningest smile in history!