A Misunderstanding

I was met with dark, wooden furniture immediately after entering the principal’s
office. It reflected his stoic personality perfectly. The air was stale with tension. I masked my
fear with a nonchalant face, although I could do little to hide the rapid beating of my
palpitating heart. Placing my arms firmly behind me, I was not unalike a criminal awaiting
his sentence.
I knew I shouldn’t have been late several days in a row, but what could one do when
unexpected things keep cropping up. On the first day, I rescued a kitten stuck on a tree. It was
whimpering piteously as I carried it cautiously in my arms. It had a gash on its paw, a streak
of blood was oozing from the wound. I took out my handkerchief to bandage its paw and
applied pressure to its wound in an effort to staunch the blood flow. The very next day, a
blind man needed help crossing a busy road. Vehicles whizzed past the blind man who was
trying to walk across the pedestrian crossing, barely missing him at a hair’s breadth. He cried
desperately for help. I held his hand gently and whispered that I would lend him a hand. I
waited for vehicles to slow down and stop before crossing the road with him together.
This morning, an old lady was wheezing as she trudged along a long flight of stairs on
an overhead bridge. She was carrying two shopping bags which were filled to the brim. I
offered to carry the bags to her house. I was playing the role of a good Samaritan three days
in a row and it was unbelievable that I was accused of cooking up excuses. Even so, I was
sent to see the principal. I reminded myself that if I had a clear conscience, I had nothing to
fear. The discipline master droned on and on, explaining my ‘wrongdoings’. I broke the
school rules by arriving late to school and refused to tell the truth. He convinced me that I
would be punished for my impudence.
“That’s enough, Mr Lim,” the principal Mr Tan interrupted his rambling. I turned
towards his steely gaze. He gave me a long look and questioned, “Is it true that you lied?”
“Mr Lim was right, I was late for three consecutive days. I did not make up any excuses. The
story of me helping others in need was the truth, I did not do it on purpose,” I replied
adamantly. The principal had a reputation for being an austere figure, so I hope and prayed
that he would be fair and impartial. Dead silence reigned as he deliberated his next course of
action. I stood my ground and stared defiantly and Mr Tan and Mr Lim.
A knock on the door interrupted the stalemate situation. A teacher opened the door
and said, “Mr Tan, there is someone here that all of you would like to meet.” I watched in
surprise as the old lady that I helped on that morning walk in. The old lady explained that she
worried that I would be in hot soup for coming late to school so she decided to make a trip to
the school to clarify things. The gesture warmed the cockles of my heart. The discipline
master looked bewildered. We were all surprised at the sudden turn of events.
“It was a misunderstanding, it appears we owe Isaac an apology,” announced Mr Tan
while looking pointedly at the discipline master. To my discomfiture, he mumbled an
apology and excused himself. When he stormed off, a weight was taken off my mind.
Everything has finally been sorted out. As the saying goes, “One good turn deserves
another.”