The New Pink.

My 7 to 8 year-old Sunday School children gathered together for class. Chatting away like a hive of bees, the raucous boys were so absorbed in conversation that I needed to get their attention to start class. So I said, loudly and clearly, very slowly and deliberately, with just a hint of mystery just so I could get their attention,

” Hmmm… I notice something veerrry in-ter-est-ing about the boys in my class.”

The boys, stunned, froze at once in mid-action as they executed their super-hero superpower moves.

“Hmmm….” I continued, “I notice thaaaaat….” I deliberately dragged my words for suspense.

“…. thaaaaat…… so many of you are dressed in RED today! One, two, three, four, five and hey, look, Zenon is in…”

I don’t know what it was but something gripped me and shut my mouth before that wretched word came out of my mouth. Some boys had already begun giggling, and I stopped myself mid-sentence immediately, deleted the word from my verbal brain bank and said instead, “… and Zenon is looking VERY SMART AND HANDSOME today.”

Phew.

Zenon was in a beautiful rich PINK collared shirt. But I realised, there are some things you should never EVER say to a 7-year old boy in front of his macho friends, unless you intend to scar him for life.

Right after, as the other boys became engrossed in their man-talk again, I asked Zenon very cautiously, away from the other boys, “Zenon, I really like your shirt you know. Are you wearing….”

I was almost whispering now, “…. pink?”

He looked up from whatever he was doing and said matter-of-factly, “No, Jiejie Wai Jia, it’s A-LITTLE-BIT-RED. I’m wearing A-LITTLE-BIT-RED.”

You know, the inner Obessive-compulsive freak within me corrects my kids when they speak bad english, but I just couldn’t bring myself to do it this time.

“Oh, I see,” I replied.

I see, A-LITTLE-BIT-RED is now the new “in” colour, the new Pink, I might say. No pun intended.

Okay. A-LITTLE-BIT-RED it is, Zenon.

JUST SO I DON’T SCAR YOU FOR LIFE.

I love you.