8'' Four Kindergartner - Mia (FA0016A)
Ruby Red Galleria - Four KindergartnerMajor Material: Cotton and Polyester
Major Colour: Navy, Emerald, Red and Grey
Wig Size: 5.5 inch
Items included: Nude doll with make-up, Wig, Dress, Under-pant, Head-piece, Mask, Shoes and Limited edition storybook
Limited Edition
The theme of the Four Kindergartner in the year 2016: Story about their grandmothers and their influences over their individual family values.
Every family has their own unique and honored set of family values. The name of Mia’s family value in Chinese is厚仁(hou ren).
厚仁(hou ren) refers to the care and affections and the honored kindred spirits amongst people; especially those amongst close family members.
Mia’s grandmother’s name is Melissa.
Grandmother Melissa came from a small rural village in Malaysia called Georgetown; which was also produced some of the best Malaysian professional cooks/chefs of that time.
A few of the famous delicious traditional Malaysian food or snacks that originated from the small rural village Georgetown are Acar, Ambuyat, Chapath and Murtabak etc.
During grandmother Melissa’s childhood, Melissa’s family made and sold traditional Murtabak - which was a Malaysian style of pancake.
At that period, their Murtabak shop was very popular, that people would come from miles around to form a long queue outside Melissa’ parents’ pancake shop daily; just to try and savor the delicious Murtabak pancakes,
Due to their Murtabak’s popularity, youth Melissa soon found out that she had to help her parents out occasionally in tidying up the shop and washing the dishes after school; but particularly during weekends and holidays.
As Melissa’s parents were too busy running their popular pancake business, young 7 years old Melissa also found out that she had to look after of her 7 months old little brother; a nasty and demanding little devil.
Similar to other 7 years old little girls of her age, of her time, Melissa would rather do handcrafts, such as making colored paper animals like frogs, grasshoppers and rabbits especially with her classmates.
A few months earlier, after making their paper animals, Melissa and her classmates even set up an impromptu puppet theater on their own to the amusement of the neighbors nearby.
Hanging up a long piece of white fabric as a backdrop; together with 2 bamboo sticks, a torch (or flashlight) that Melissa wisely borrowed from her father beforehand, Melissa and her young gang staged a puppet animal shadow show on their own.
Melissa’s favorite animal character at the shadow show was the rabbit.
Melissa had always wanted to have a rabbit as a pet, but her mother refused it on the grounds that her grandfather was too old, and her little brother was too young. And the two of them would needed more attention from Melissa than any rabbit would require.
As Melissa could not have a rabbit as a pet, distressed Melissa subsequently shifted her anger towards her little bratty brother instead.
It was all because of her little bratty brother, who demanded lots of Melissa’s time and attention, that she had less time to play with her friends. And it was all because of her little brother, that she could not have a rabbit pet; Melissa concluded.
Besides taking care of her horrid little baby brother, young Melissa also had the duty to look after her old grandfather; an elderly widower living with the family.
Every day after school, besides her many other daily chores, Melissa was expected to give a full body massage to her aging grandfather; in order to help the old man to relax his aging muscles and help relief his constant arthritic pains.
Unlike other children, who could play with others after school freely, Melissa was obligated to look after her little brother and old grandfather.
Melissa was not happy with her family duties.
On coming Saturday, Melissa desperately needed one day off from her family duties, in order to join her classmates to play in the shadow show to be held at her school.
Attending this show, also, would be a professional puppeteer; who was scheduled to teach the young kids how to make the paper pandas.
Young Melissa had long wanted to learn how to make paper pandas.
As a matter of fact, Melissa had even treasured a pink printed book cover paper, for a long time, as Melissa believed that it would be the perfect material to make paper pandas.
Excited, Malissa anxiously awaited for this coming Saturday.
When that long-awaited Saturday finally arrived, Melissa’s parents were already off to their pancake shop, at 5:00 a.m. in the morning, the same as before,
When Melissa woke up later, she found a note on the breakfast table.
It said: “Melissa, honey, please make some congee for breakfast for your little brother today. Afterward, please go to the market and buy some cooking oil, as there is no more cooking oil at home. And as grandpa needs to go out today; please bring your little brother along and take grandpa to the big stage to watch his favorite Chinese Opera.”
Upon reading the note, Melissa became furious as to slump down onto the floor and yell out in anger. “Why me? Why today? Today I have to go to school to learn how to make paper pandas. I don't want to take care of my brother! I don't want to go to the Chinese Opera with my grandpa!” Melissa cried loudly.
At that moment, Melissa’s mother happened to return home in order to pick up some missing ingredients for their pancake shop. Seeing Melissa on the living room floor and crying out loudly, mother promptly rushed in. And helped Melissa up from the cold floor while gently asking Melissa what happened.
Moments later, grandfather also slowly and awkwardly hobbled into the room to find out what the commotion was all about.
To mother, Melissa sobbingly replied: “Mum, I don’t want to look after my nasty brother anymore, I don't want to waste the rest of my life taking care of grandpa and my brother anymore.”
Realizing how hard it was for a 7 years old child to bear such heavy family workloads, Melissa’s mother understood and felt sorry for Melissa deep inside.
Caressing Melissa’s head in her hands, Melissa’s mother decided, however, that it was time for Melissa to learn a lesson.
“Melissa, do you know the meaning of “hou ren”?
A Family is a form of society in miniature, where all members, young or old, are firmly connected together; as in the real world.
In a family society, elder people are obligated to look after the younger children. And when the young children grow up, they, in turn, are obligated to take care of those even younger than them.
And then when the elders grew old, then it is the younger ones turn to take care of the elderly; who had so unselfishly helped to raise up the younger ones before, in the first place.
This is an endless circulation which has been going on from generation to next generation, unchanged.
Do you remember how grandfather had loved you, taught you, and looked after you in the past?
And when we are old enough to look after others, then we should try our best to return the love and care that we had received in the past; where we should help out all those in need, as best as we can.
This is the true meaning of “hou ren”, to love and care of others as we love and care for ourselves (將心比己) . (jiang xin bi ji)
Realizing how selfish she has been, past scenes of how grandpa had taken care of her when she was younger flashed past Melissa’s mind.
As a younger child, Melissa was a very sensitive girl affected by the slightest change in her surroundings.
The slightest different little sound would make young Melissa very uncomfortable and to cry out immediately, day or night.
With Melissa’s parents out of the house, busily working most of the time, grandpa had to babysit and look after Melissa continuously.
Every time Melissa cried, Grandpa would hold Melissa in his arms, day or night, at all hours, while gently whispering “My darling, you are my most precious gift. Please don’t cry.” For instance.
When Melissa grew older and was able to comprehend on her own; and as informed by Melissa’s mother, Grandpa had never considered baby Melissa as a burden, never ever; no matter what happened in the past.
Realizing her mistake, Melissa cannot speak anymore but only continue to cry in sorrow.
In regrets for her rude attitude towards grandpa the days earlier, Melissa quickly rushed up to grandpa; hugged grandpa firmly and apologise “Sorry, Grandpa, it is my fault. Sorry, please forgive me!”
Grandpa held Melissa firmly in his arms while sympathetic tears dropped from his wrinkled eyes.
After this incident, Melissa’s mother helped Melissa draw up a new duty schedule. Under this new schedule, other than taking care of her family members, Melissa was given enough time to do what she wanted on her own also.
Melissa was happy.