1:02 p.m. - 2003-07-20
The school badge.
"Mum, where is my Math exercise book?" Asked Sajid as he put his things in his school bag.
"It should be on the table," Mother answered from the kitchen.
"It is not here."
"Where did you put it after you finished your homework last evening?" Mother asked.
"I just don't remember," answered the boy. "When I finished my homework, my friend Akram, came over, and we went out to play. What should I do now. It is getting late for school."
"You should keep your things in their proper place," Mother frowned as she entered Sajid's room to look for the exercise book.
"Look it's here," she brought it out from under the sofa and handed it to her son. "Next time keep all your things where they belong." Mother admonished and went back to the kitchen.
"It is such a bother to keep things in place when you are in a hurry," Sajid said to himself, as he dashed out of the house, "and it is no problem finding it again. You just look around and it is there!"
When he reached school, Sajid saw Akram standing at the gate. A broad smile spread over his face. "Hello Sajid!" Akram greeted him.
"Have you got a king's ransom?" Sajid asked. "You look so happy."
"To me it's more than a king's ransom," said Akram. "I have just learnt that our class is going to Murree next Friday."
"Oh, that is wonderful!" Sajid exclaimed. "I've wanted to visit this beautiful place for a long time."
Just before recess the Headmaster came into the classroom and said, "As you know we are going to visit Murree next Friday. We have arranged a bus which will take us up there. So I want all of you to be here exactly at 8:00 in the morning, and remember all of you must be in the proper school uniform, complete with the school badge on the blazer. Anyone not in the proper school uniform will not be allowed to go. Understand?"
"Yes sir," the boys chorused.
"Good," said the headmaster and went out of the room.
Sajid could not concentrate on his lessons. His thoughts kept wandering to Murree. On their way home Akram and Sajid talked happily about their trip to Murree.
"You look excited, don't you?" Mother asked as Sajid burst into the house.
"We are going to Murree."
"Good!" Mother said.
"What's so good?" Father interrupted, who had come home early from work.
"Our son is going to Murree with his class." Mother told him.
"Please Father," Sajid begged, "buy me a camera. I want to take some photographs."
"Sure," Father agreed," we'll go to the Bazaar today and I will buy you the best camera available."
"Thank you Father!" the boy exclaimed with joy.
Sajid was elated to have an expensive camera. He talked about it to his friends in school the next day. He waited impatiently for Friday. Each day seemed like a year. At last Friday arrived.
"Mum!" He called excitedly as he woke up earlier than usual. "Today is Friday," he declared. "Please make me breakfast and the big delicious lunch you promised."
"Don't worry," Mother answered, "I remember everything."
The boy jumped out of bed and ran into the bedroom. While slipping on his school uniform Sajid could smell the good food his mother was cooking.
"Sajid come for breakfast," Mother called from the kitchen. The boy had a cup of tea and a slice of bread, he did not want to waste time eating a large breakfast. After breakfast he hurried to his room to put on his shoes.
"Here's your lunch," Mother said as she entered the room with a large lunch box. "Hurry up, it's 7:20 already and it takes almost fifteen minutes to reach school."
"I am almost ready. All I need to get is my camera and I have to ... put the school badge on my blazer."
"Where is the camera," he looked all around his room. "Oh it is here under the chair." He sprinted there and picked it up.
"It should be in the cupboard," Mother admonished.
"Yes, I was looking at it last night and then I felt so sleepy that I guess I did not put it in the cupboard. Now, where is my school badge." He looked at the clock it was 7:30. He looked in all the drawers. It was not there. Then he frantically removed the books and other things from the table to look for the badge, but all in vain.
Time seemed to be flying. It was 7:40. "Please Mum, help me find the badge," he requested. "Without it I will not be allowed to go to Murree."
Both mother and son went all over the room, looking for the badge but could not find it. There was no sign of it.
"It is 7:50," Sajid wailed, "if I run fast I can make it to school only if I find the badge."
But they did not find the badge. Mother hurried into Father's room, in vain. Sajid went over his room once again but did not find the badge. All his hopes of going to Murree crashed. It was 8:05. "Sajid here's your badge," Mother shouted as she ran into the room.
"It was on Father's table, under his books."
"But I cannot go to Murree, now," said Sajid in a choked voice.
"This is why I have been telling you to keep things in their proper place," Mother fumed.
"I will do it from now on," the boy said determinedly. "I have learnt a tough lesson
