The kids were screaming, all three of them. Their mother ran into the room to try to identify the source of the commotion and as soon as she did, the problem became obvious. Her five year-old son had somehow managed to find a cigarette lighter in their tiny flat and had set fire to a small teddy bear in the corner of the room. The fire had now spread to the curtains, causing the children to react. Their mother managed to put the fire out and then turned her attention to the small boy. Stooping down to his level, she held him firmly by the shoulders.
“What do you think you’re doing? You must never play with fire!”
What happened next seemed to take everyone by surprise. The young boy looked at his mother, her head still inches from his and swung his fist firmly into the centre of her face. As her nose burst open and blood gushed down her chin, her other two children screamed in shock and her stunned son ran out of the open door.
Hearing the noise and witnessing the boy’s escape, a neighbouring woman ran into their flat. Assuring their mother that she would watch her two girls, she encouraged her to go and find her son.
It didn’t take long. The sound of his tears gave away his hiding place, behind a tree in the car park outside. The boy was distraught and sobbed into his mother’s arms as she held him tightly, fresh blood still dripping down her face.
“I’m so sorry Mommy,” he cried. “I don’t want to be a man that hits ladies.”