Last Saturday was my uncle’s thirty-sixth birthday, which was a big occasion for the extended family. After school, I rushed straight to the restaurant where the celebration was to take place. There I ran into my little uncle. Although I call him little uncle, he is one year my junior.

That evening, my little uncle was kind and courteous to all at the family party, with a smile on his face. Although his hairdo looked as bizarre as before, I was aware how much he had changed deep down since we met last time.

My little uncle is actually my neighbour’s son. Most families in my village share the same family name, so we are all part of the Deng clan. An only child, my little uncle was spoiled every way possible. Most of his desires were instantly gratified by the adults around, his parents, grandparents and aunts and uncles.

As you can imagine, a flower raised in a greenhouse does not survive a slight storm. Raised in that manner, my little uncle fell into many bad habits. He fought with other kids. He had a short temper. He cursed a lot. And he was self-centred. At school it seemed that the rules were not set for him. Even worse, he got tired of school in time. Instead of studying in the classroom, he buried himself in PC games.

In Grade 8, my little uncle quitted school altogether. I had mixed reactions to it. On the one hand, I was happy about it because he had often bullied me. On the other, I felt a bit sorry for him. Although not an obedient pupil, he was a very fast learner. I knew it.

After he dropped out, I often found him hanging about with some yobs on the street of our town. His haircut became a ridiculous thing in my eyes then. Tattoos appeared on his arms. Some years later, he left for a big city, where he landed a job. Knowing there was a slim chance that he could resume school, I was sure my little uncle was heading for hell.

However, last Saturday, at the birthday party in the restaurant, my little uncle was a far better person than expected. I don’t know what he has gone through in the real world, but I realise that there is something out there that teachers and parents cannot teach but life can.