This morning we went to a coffee shop for breakfast. While waiting for a group of senior citizens to leave the table so that we could have that table, an old man in this coffee shop saw Cass and stroked her cheek and commented that she is cute. I have seen this man several times in the past somewhere in the neighborhood. I was across the table and could not hear the conversation between the old man and Cass. About half a minute later, the old man shoved his hand into his trousers pocket and took out a RM100 note. I saw him happily mumbling something to Cass and Cass looked shy. She looked at me, as if trying to get an approval from me. She knows that she is not supposed to talk to strangers. I walked over to the old man and was shocked to see him put the RM100 note onto Cass' hand. I asked him in Cantonese "why are you giving money to her?!" And his cheery reply in Cantonese was "because she called me "uncle" ma". Before I could say NO to him and pass back the RM100 note to him, he quickly walked away and 'vanished' into the crowded coffee shop! I was just too stunned to even chase after him. Everyone of us was floored. Just like a fairy godfather who came and slowly faded away in a mist, like in a fairy tale movie!
Some si lai seated at the next table were watching our short drama and I heard them saying in Cantonese "Wah, really 'seng tang loa yan' (Santa Claus) in real life, give away money like that!"
A few minutes later when Cass was eating her bowl of noodles, her shaky tooth came off! She took out her bloody tooth from the corner of her mouth and said "mummy, that man is a tooth fairy!". All of us were in disbelief that a real life tooth fairy came to give her RM100 for her tooth!
When I finally came to my senses, I realized that what had just happened is wrong. The fact that Cass accepted money from a total stranger with me not objecting to it is just so wrong. I am sending the wrong message to her that it is ok to accept money from strangers. There are too many sick perverts out there who are preying on naive kids like Cass. I kept telling her over and over again that she should never accept money again from strangers and told her stories of how kids get lured, trapped and never get to see their parents again all because of accepting things from strangers. I guess a human's instinctive reaction to money (especially if the amount is HUGE!$!) given right in front of us is to accept it first.
To Cass, she still thinks that the old man is a real life tooth fairy as he came at such an unbelievable and impeccable timing!
All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth. How very apt this song is for Cass on our Boxing Day!
2 comments:
Not sure what else you did, but might be a good idea to explain further with Cass. It is absolutely right never ever to accept $ from strangers but qualify it by saying you were there and she had checked with you by looking toward you and u had spoken to the uncle. Yes, maybe he is the tooth fairy, lol, but explain he was in the Xmas spirit, and along the same lines, to take part of the $ and donate it to a charity ofCass' choice. Teach her the importance of paying forward (am a great believer in that, it works!).
Chris, I used the money to buy everyone breakfast that morning :D
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