(1176) A Catching Game

A collection of 26 four wheel drive vehicles from four cities brought doctors, nurses, dentist, volunteers and basic food stuff to an area in need of medical care.

Here is a game that I observed in a hostel in Tambunan.

I was allotted a mattress in room 5. Right in front of the room is a paved area for hanging laundry out to dry. I was tired from trekking uphill from the river to the hill top school cum hostel, therefore I sat on the steps enjoying the mountain view. A few young girls walked about, collecting dry clothes as well as bed linen meant for us, the one-night guests to use. They peeped at me, smiled shyly. As I sat there in idleness, they began to play a game after folding the dry laundry in different rooms.

There were four girls, all of them looked like seven-year-olds to me. They are not only short, but small in stature as well. Of course I know I can't compare them to children in the affluent  cities. They are probably children of small scale subsistence farmers, mostly from big families. This town is about five thousand feet high on a plateau. Most families plant wet rice paddy. Interestingly there is no scarecrows, no anything to chase away birds. It is indeed a most blessed place. It is an area surrounded by hills and mountains. The second highest mountain in Sabah was within hiking distance from where I was sitting.

The game they played was like "What is the time, Mr Wolf?" One girl started by leaning against the pole (one of the many that were there to attach lines for hanging wet clothes), she closed her eyes and count "One, Two ....Three". At three, she ran to catch the nearest playmate. While she was standing at the pole, the others squatted down near her. Each of the three wrapped their T-shirts around their knees. As the one at the pole closed her eyes, each "duck" waddled away swiftly. As long as the girl at the pole was counting, no one could stand up. At three, all hell break lose, everyone shrieked and shouted. The one that was caught groaned and became "it". All the others laughed.

Each girl that became "it" counted differently, some used Malay numbers, some used their own dialect. One gave some seconds between one and two, some don't. By the time the fourth girl became "it", she counted differently. She said, "One, two ... one hundred." Everyone laughed. Then she counted, "One, ... Two ... five hundred .."  All the others, including the observers, complained. There was suspense, no chance to run. The "ducks" were very tired of waddling. At the fourth time of unconventional round, the p a system beeped and all the children were called to line up for dental checks. The game ended promptly. 

Much later, a local volunteer talked to one of the girls I saw playing the waddling-running-catching game. Apparently she was in standard three.