Are Kids learning the art of Corruption?

A 4-year old girl watches his father read a newspaper unmoved. Competing for his attention she decides to create disruptive games around him, just to win his concentration - running, shouting, biting his long fingers but her efforts are met with disinterested glares.

Assumingly, she grows her art and she pulls his round ears putting her tiny, underdeveloped hands into his weekend short pockets. “Cynthia!’ he retorts, “Go to the kitchen, watch what mom is preparing”.

Disappointed she leaves him for the kitchen. Almost immediately she comes back, this time more prepared for the long struggle of his attention.

 

“Dad, Dad! Can I tell you who sleeps with mom when you are not there?” From the blues Cynthia utters these words. Poor, innocent she doesn’t know the wrath and weight those words carry. This hits her dad like a bombshell. He drops his newspaper unable to swallow the words from his small girl. But he has to conceal his emotions at least to get more and finer details of the scourging situation created by his daughter.

 ‘’Cynthia come here, you look pretty in that princess’ dress. Okay, baby girl tell me what you have just said,” he cunningly addresses her daughter as he gives her a fake smile. Seeing that she now commands her dad’s attention, she repeats the question this time with vigor and humor. He softly asks for the answer she insists first they go out shopping at Galleria mall.

Without question he signals her to be ready immediately, avoiding coming in contact with his 6 year- in -marriage wife.

All along he thinks of the many trips he has made, as his job; in an NGO requires him to only be in the city one week in a month. He can’t imagine all this time a man sleeping in his matrimonial bed let alone with his wife. Could my wife really be doing this behind my back? With who? Though they speak a lot with his daughter on the way, his attention is at zero point.

At the mall they shop a lot buying very expensive, unnecessary things for his daughter. ‘How much is this’ is not the question of the day- all he wants to know is, who is that ungodly, daring devil who snakes his way to his home?

Once back from the mall, they sit at the java. He tells his daughter to now tell him who that person sleeping with his wife in his absentia is! She clears her throat after eating a whole ice-cream. “You want to know”, she asks, as her dad nods in agreement. “Ni Mimi!” she exclaims in Swahili meaning it’s her who sleeps with mom in their bed when his father is a way.

He gives a loud laughter earning the attention of onlookers as that’s the only way to express it.

Well, this is one of many cases involving the kids in the 21st Century, they know a lot in their thoughts. But one thing is clear, they measure that which could be of interest; craft it so well that the end result causes sensations.

At least their age and ‘thought-innocence’ give it a truer appeal to the victims. Accused in courts know- it is difficult to win a case where kids are witnesses. It is an almost pre-decided case- often to the losing end.

The question is, are our kids learning the art of corruption? If yes how? And where? You tell me.