The Perfume

THE PERFUME

As  she  stood in front of  her primary 5 class on the very first day of school, she told  the children an untruth.

Like most teachers, she looked at her pupils and said that she loved them all the same.

However, that was impossible, because there in the front row, slumped in

his seat, was a little boy named Koko Bassey.

Mrs.Thompson had watched Koko the year before and noticed that he did not

play well  with  the  other  children,  that  his clothes were messy and that he

constantly needed a bath. In addition,  Koko BASSEY could be  unpleasant.

It got to the point where Mrs. Thompson would actually take delight

in  marking  his  papers  with a broad red pen, making bold X's and

then putting a big  "F"  at the top of his papers.

At  the  school where Mrs. Thompson taught, she was required to review each

child's past  records and she put Koko's off until last. However, when she reviewed

his file, she was in  for a surprise.

Koko's primary 1 teacher wrote, "Koko is a bright child with a ready laugh.

He does his work neatly and has good manners... he is a joy to be around."

His primary 2 teacher wrote, "Koko is an excellent pupil, well liked by his

classmates,  but  he  is troubled because his mother has a terminal illness

and life at home must be a struggle."

His primary 3 teacher wrote, "His mother's death has been hard on

him.  He  tries to do his best, but his father doesn't show much

interest  and his home life will soon affect him if some steps aren't  taken."

Koko's  primary  4  teacher wrote, "Koko is withdrawn and doesn't show much

interest in  school. He doesn't have many friends and he sometimes sleeps in class."

By  now, Mrs. Thompson realized the problem and she was ashamed of herself.

She felt  even worse when her pupils brought her Christmas presents, wrapped in

beautiful ribbons and bright paper, except for Koko's.

His present was clumsily wrapped in the heavy, brown paper that he got from

a grocery bag. Mrs.  Thompson  took  pains to open it in the middle of the other presents.

Some of the  children  started  to  laugh when she found a rhinestone bracelet with

some of the  stones missing, and a bottle that was one-quarter full of perfume. But

she stifled  the children's laughter when she exclaimed how pretty the bracelet

was putting it on, and dabbing some of the perfume on her wrist.

Koko  Bassey  stayed  after school that day just long enough to say,

"Mrs.  Thompson,  today  you  smelled  just like  my Mom used to."

After  the children left, she cried for at least an hour. On that very day,

she quit  teaching reading, writing and arithmetic. Instead, she began to teach

children.  Mrs.  Thompson  paid particular attention to Koko. As she worked

with him, his  mind  seemed to come alive. The more she encouraged him, the faster he

responded.

By the end of the year, Koko had become one of the smartest  children in

the class and, despite her lie that she would love  all  the  children  the same,

Koko became one of her "teacher's pets."

A  year  later,  she  found a note under her door, from Koko, telling her that she was

still the best teacher he ever had in his whole life.

Six years went by before she got another note from Koko. He then wrote that he had

finished secondary school, third in his class,and  she  was  still  the best teacher

he ever had in his whole life.

Four years after that, she got another letter, saying that while things had been tough at times,

he'd stayed in school, had stuck with it,  and  would  soon  graduate from the university with the

highest  of  honors.  He assured Mrs. Thompson that she was still the best and favorite teacher

he had ever had in his whole life.

Then  four  more  years  passed  and  yet another letter came. This time he

explained that after he got his bachelor's degree, he decided to go a little further.

The letter  explained  that she was still the best and favorite teacher he ever

had. But now  his name was a little longer....The letter was signed, Koko A. Bassey, MD.

The story does not end there. You see, there was yet another letter that spring.

Koko said he had met this girl and was going to be married. He explained that his  father

had died a couple of years ago  and he was wondering if Mrs. Thompson might  agree to sit at the

wedding  in the place that was usually reserved for the mother of the groom.

Of course, Mrs. Thompson did. And guess what? She wore that bracelet,  the  one with  several rhinestones missing.

Moreover, she made sure she was wearing the perfume that  Koko  remembered his mother wearing

on their last Christmas together.They hugged  each other, and Dr. Bassey whispered in Mrs. Thompson's ear,

"Thank you, Mrs.  Thompson  for  believing  in  me Thank you so much for making me feel important and

showing me that  I  could make a difference."

Mrs. Thompson, with tears in her eyes, whispered back. She said, "Koko, you have it  all  wrong.

You were the one  who  taught  me that  I could make a difference.

I  didn't know how  to teach until  I  met  you."

Warm someone's heart today. . . pass this along.  Just try to make a difference in someone's life today or tomorrow.  Just  "do  it". Random acts of kindness, I think they call it.

Find time to laugh... but not at the weaknesses of others!

Yesterday is History, Tomorrow is a Mystery, Today is the present, so let's call it a Gift!!!

And if you have another few minutes, listen to the Shia Story...