The Miraculous Slap

We often see this scene recurring in different novels and movies; when a girl who has been behaving badly gets slapped by someone who cares for her, then this slap acts as the magical spell or the alarm that awakens the girl from the darkness of the sinful life she's been leading. She goes home crying bitterly, washing her shame and purifying her soul, deciding afterwards never to return to that life and become a good girl again.
Never underestimate a slap! It's true, it can sometimes do miracles!

There was that naughty disobedient boy who was a pain in the neck to all his teachers. He never behaves, never pays attention, never listens to our advices, always playing, giggling during classes, and getting on our nerves. We were trying contineously to find a solution to this kid but in vain, knowing that punishments are not allowed at our school no matter what (I hope the principal doesn't come across this blog by any chance and find out about me so that on the following day I find myself jobless :S). Apparently, the boy was very spoiled, and no one annoys the teacher more than a spoiled kid.

One day, his awful behavior irritated me to the maximum, and when I called upon him to come to me, he came along derisively smiling and there was that look in his eyes: "Na Na Na Nanaaaaa, you know you can do nothing to stop me and I'll keep on teasing you." When he arrived to me, he was still having that smile on his face and looking at me very impudently. I got very furious that I draw my hand back and slapped him so hard in the face! The boy was terribly shocked for he didn't see that coming. The whole class fell in silence. The slap left the boy in a daze, he paused for a moment, then lowered his head in shame, dragged himself to his seat where he sat sobbing all along the period.

When I recovered from my anger, I was very surprised. I didn't expect to ever have the nerves to slap him, and I didn't expect this kid in specific to be moved or affected by anything. Now to see him crying bitterly startled me, but, honestly speaking, made me delighted. He definitely earned the slap, he had to payback for all the hard time he gave me and other teachers. It was quite an exceptional joy to see him sitting quietly in his seat without me having to yell at him every 5 minutes and the other to sit quiet and behave himself.

However, as the period was coming to an end, this feeling of delight turned gradually to that of sympathy and regret. Despite everything, it ain't a good feeling to see the hero defeated :p

The class was dismissed, but I asked the boy to stay in the room. He exceptionally obeyed without question. I was overwhelmed by a strong feeling of guilt. I stroked his hair, looked at him passionately and explained why he was slapped, and repeated for him the same old talk about ethics, good behavior yada yada…but his time, he was "exceptionally" listening carefully to every word I said. When I finished talking, he looked at me and said: "Teacher, I promise I will never to do that again. I promise to behave and to be a good boy from now on; and to listen to everything you say."

Oh my God, I couldn't believe my ears, I was too touched that I nearly teared up.

From then on, the boy has completely changed. He became an obedient good boy. He paid attention, his marks were getting better and everyone was pleased with him. Believe it or not, he became one of my favorite students.

Contrary to what I expected, the boy did not hate me! He loved me more than anytime else, which reminded me at that time of a quote I read in some book:
نحن في بعض الحالات لا نقاوم جنون الاعجاب بقاتلنا
I don’t know what does this quote have to do with all that, but I just remembered it. It is Ahlam Mostaghanmy who wrote that, isn't it?
Anyway, at first, I thought that he's behaving like that out of fear, but the look in his eyes is far away from being fear, I can see kind of thankfulness and tenderness.
Maybe the boy understood in a way or another that what I did was for his benefit, and I do feel that I achieved something. The slap apparently served its purpose.


To be continued…