My name is Song.I come from a poor family and we live in
the poor workmans quarters on the outskirts of a small town.My father is an odd-job worker and mother is a domestic help.She works for a rich family in the city.My father would often be drunk and liked to beat me up both my mother and me.I hated going to school.Especially when it was Monday.I did not have the Monday blues like most people had rather,I did not want to face the detestable Miss Menon whose lesson with her class was early every Monday morning.I stil can remember when the detestable Miss Menon fingered me unfairly as the prime suspect when her favourite student not being able to find her wallet.I still can remember this case happend before Miss Menon lesson on Monday.
That morning,I was in an unusually cranky mood as I had woken up late.By the time I got to school,the class had already gone for our Physical Education lesson.After putting up my school bag under the desk,I quickly changed into my sports attire and rushed out to join the rest of the class.The exhausting workout passed without a hitch and the class trooped back to class for Miss Menons lesson.We were all getting our books out when a loud scream shocked everyone.Mei Ling was crying in despair over not being able to find her wallet.She was frantically turning out all the pockets of her bag to try to find it.After fruitlessly searching for a few minutes,she sank down on her chair and buried her face in her hands.The next moment,Miss Menon came in.Seeing her favourite students tears,Miss Menon walked over to her and asked her what the matter was.After finding out the situation,Miss Menon began to conduct her investigation.
She first asked if anyone had left the Physical Education lesson to come back to class.When the answer was negative,she told the class to think of anyone who was not with them all time.Suddenly,Mei Ling stood up and pointed at me,saying that I had gone to class late.I was speechless.No matter how I tried to explain the situation,Miss Menon insisted that I was the prime suspect.She wanted me to surrender the wallet,which I was not able to do since I did not take it.Taking my non-compliance to be evident of rebellious nature,she made me kneel outside the classroom in full view of anyone passing by.The half-hour that I had to kneel there in humiliation was the longest moment in my life.All the while,I kept thinking of how unfair it was to punish me when I was innocent.I knew that Mei Ling was her favourite and I came from poor family,but that did not make her correct in pointing an accusing finger at me.
Finally,Miss Menon came out to call me in.She told that Mei Ling had found her wallet among her books.I was cleared eventually,but the stigma remained.Since that,I often played truant.I really hated going to school.One day,I was hanging outside Pak Udins provision shop,gazing longingly at the chocholate candies inside.Then my attention was drawn to two men that went out from the shop and go towards the car park.Something in their manner was amiss.I decided to follow them secretly.At the car park after had loaded the goods from theur bag,they decided to go to the toilet.My attention however,was drawn to one of the men prolonged stare at the partly opened car boat.I wondered what was inside it that made him look on so long.When the men had left the car,I approached the boot.To my surprise,I heard muffled cries which sounded like the cries of a small child in need.Putting my ears to the car metal,I heard someone calling for help.
All I could do was reassure the child as loudly as I could,all the while looking around to see any approaching man.Then,I acted quickly.After mentally noting down the cars particulars,including the vital licence plate number,I made a dash to the nearest police station.But it was here that my trouble began.At the police post,they did not belive my story.In the first place,I was out of my place in my school uniform.I was sternly asked about why I was not in school.A phone call by the officer to my school confirmed his suspicions that I was truant.My detestable teacher told him that I was untrustworthy.Then I was escorted back to the school in disgrace.It never occurred to the authorities to wonder why I did want to lie to them in the first case about the cries in the car.That very night,I heard news from the village people that confirmed my fears and suspicions.A prominent politicians only son had been kidnapped.The kidnappers wanted a huge sum of money.
After hearing this,I felt vindicated and prepared myself for a visit from police.When they arrived at my home,I was treated with care and respect.In fact,I was treated very well.After ascertaining from me a detailed account of the mornings incident,Inspector Ramu departed.That night,I learned from my neighbor who heard from the television news,that the police caught the kidnappers.I could not sleep that night,happy in the knowledge that I had played a small part in helping the boy and his parents.The next day was one I would not forget in my life.In school,the Principal and Inspector Ramu invited me to the stage of the school hall.In front of the all pupils,I was commended on my bravery and alertness in helping them nab the criminals.I also recived a most welcome cash reward from the grateful father of the kidnapped boy.From then on,I was treated with more respect from my teachers and school mates.Attending school from then was a joy.