SEPT 24 — In the last instalment of Zain’s adventures, we left him confused about his ethnic identity. This week, we fast-forward a few years and he is now in Standard 6.
This is an important year for Zain. He will be sitting for his UPSR examination. It will determine how he will move forward into secondary school.
The school is feeling the pressure, and so are the students. But Zain seems to be taking it pretty easy. He’s still playing basketball in school and going to movies.
He’s still watching his favourite television shows with his mother at night and assembling radio control cars with his father in the evenings.
Of course Zain doesn’t forget his homework. He still does his homework diligently but a 12-year-old kid still needs to have his fun.
As the end of the year approaches, the exam dates loom closer. Little did he know, his principal has decided to train the kids for the UPSR exams.
There will be a trial examination a few weeks before the real one just to see how the kids are doing and to see if they need further assistance.
Zain is feeling cool the day of the trials. He has been going to class and doing his homework and is pretty confident.
When the trials end, he is as jovial as his other friends as they step out of the exam hall and straight to the football field to kick the ball around.
The next day, Zain goes to school as usual. He stands in line during assembly as usual along with his other classmates.
They all joke around as they always do. Zain is a pretty friendly and easy-going boy so he has many friends in school.
Then, the principal makes an announcement.
“I am very disappointed with the overall results of the UPSR trial examinations. Out of 120 students, only 20 of you managed to get 5As,” he says in an angry tone.
“I’ll call the names of these students and they will come up and receive this gold badge. Those who don’t get the badge, go home and think about it,” he continues.
The principal calls out the names of the 20 students and Zain’s is not among those called.
“Don’t take the UPSR exam lightly. It will determine your entire future! You’re all already 12-years old. Don’t waste your life away!” the principal nags.
Zain shrugs and the assembly is dismissed.
In class, Zain walks up to his teacher and asks her for his trial results.
“Teacher, what did I get for my trials?” he asks politely.
“Zain. You only got three A’s and two B’s. You better be careful,” she warns him.
Zain thinks to himself and concludes that three A’s and two B’s isn’t that bad. At least he didn’t fail. So he sits at his place and continues with the rest of the school day.
During recess, Zain bounces a basketball around when a couple of his friends come up to him proudly showing off their gold badges.
“Hey Zain. You’re part Chinese right? How come you didn’t get an A for maths?” says Faris Irwan.
Zain shrugs.
“Yeah Zain. How come you don’t have a badge like us? Are you stupid or something?” laughs Azidi Kamil.
“I think I did okay. I didn’t fail. Anyway, it’s just a trial exam,” replies Zain.
“Haha! Zain bodoh!” laughs Saiful Azman.
That evening, Zain arrives home from school in the school bus. He walks in the house with a deadpan look on his face.
His parents look at him and smile.
“Hey Zain, our Tamiya Boomerang 4WD buggy is almost done. Want to finish it up tonight?” asks his father.
Zain sits on the couch and shakes his head side to side.
“Zain, Macgyver is on tonight. We can eat our dinner in front of the television later, okay?” says his mother.
Zain shakes his head again and gets up from the couch and heads to his room.
“No thanks. I’ve got more important things to do. I can’t waste my life away,” he says matter-of-factly.
His parents look surprised and bewildered. Zain continues to his room, closes the door and opens up a text book to study for his UPSR examination.
* All names have been changed for the sake of confidentiality.
* The views expressed here are the personal opinion of the columnist.
