Misbehaving at Dinner

Mrs Lee had prepared a lavish feast for the family. She announced that she had roasted half a chicken as a treat for the children as they had done well in their recent school examination. Ren Jie and Ren Kai erupted in cheer. “I want the drumstick!” they declared as their mother brought out the dishes from the kitchen.

The cheerful atmosphere took a turn for the worse as the children started to bicker over who should get the prized drumstick. Their parents tried to stop them, but to no avail. Before long, the argument turned into a fight. Ren Jie and Ren Kai hurled utensils and food at each other, spilling them all over the floor.

“Stop right now!” Mr Lee’s voice boomed. The children froze in shock. Seeing the look of anger on their parents’ faces, Ren Jie and Ren Kai knew that they were in big trouble.

Mr Lee reprimanded the children for their unruly behaviour and for wasting precious food which their mother had thoughtfully prepared for them. “I’m sorry,” Ren Jie and Ren Kai stammered. With their parents glaring at them, they cleaned up the mess and were sent to bed with empty stomachs.

Sam, Ken, and their father gathered around the dining table, waiting to indulge in mother’s delectable cooking. A wonderful mix of aroma wafted from the kitchen and they looked on with anticipation as Mrs Goh brought out the dishes one by one.

All of a sudden, something caught Ken’s eyes. “Are you wearing my new cap?” he questioned Sam, reaching out to grab it. Ken demanded that Sam return his cap immediately, but Sam stubbornly refused. The children continued to bicker and fight without a care for their surroundings, knocking over glasses of water and bowls of rice onto the floor.

Mrs Goh’s patience was wearing thin and the sound of glasses shattering and bowls smashing was the straw that broke the camel’s back. “Behave yourselves!” she snapped at the two boys.

Seeing the mess that they had created, the children lowered their heads in shame. Sam and Ken apologised for their unruly behaviour and promised to behave themselves in future. Together, they cleaned up the mess, making sure that the dining area was spick and span before tucking into the sumptuous meal.