The Unhappy Customer and the Ever-Changing Boy.

Today, after having some food from the Book and a nice meal, I went to the supermarket with a friend of mine and saw what we thought was rather odd behaviour -- for adults.

We were strolling along and all of a sudden, in the not too far off distance, we heard a man begin to raise his voice.

This is not uncommon in China, so we kept walking. However, he suddenly changed tones and sounded really angry, so we turned to see what was the matter. Most of the time an argumentative tone is just people trying to get a better price for something. This one was different, so we knew something was wrong.

Well, much to our amazement, the man began swinging his bag at the clerk. Then, he threw it at him. Both faces were beat-red. The customer then threw other things across the counter and began throwing his fists at the clerk. At one point the little shop's one light was shattered.

At some point, the clerk lifted the counter and came running out. The customer threw fists and the clerk threw fists. Then, a metal stool appeared and the clerk hit the customer with it. The customer broke it over the clerk's back.

It was a weak kind of metal, not a solid one - I gather, for the man still fought. Perhaps it was just adrenaline./?

However, the clerk was infuriated at the man and took him to the ground and began beating him on the top of his head. The man stopped moving. I saw that his stomach was still moving and his eyes were not rolled back in his head. I didn't know enough Chinese to help, so I just kept moving.

The Clerk called someone...the police I suppose.

My friend and I passed back by there to see if he was okay. It had been about 15 minutes or so and the man was still on the floor - motionless. His face had begun to swell -- especially around his eye...I hope he is okay. I am sure he was hit above the eye.

Police were standing around, but no one was touching the man. He was breathing but not moving much. There was no involuntary twitching or convulsions, so I think he will be okay. There were no paramedics...

I hope not to ever see another incident like that the rest of my life.

On a happier note, yesterday, I visited the orphanage. The little boy I had affectionately decided to call Cody (and secretly know that I meant to call him the Wiley Coyote) was there. He is the boy that spit in my face last weekend and squeezed my throat. I was glad to see him and smiled at him. He smiled back the cutest, biggest smile I have ever seen.

A friend of mine made me think of how we may do this with our Father. He wants all the best for us and we spit in his face. How convicting!

I learned that Cody is supposedly mentally challenged. He appears to be a smart kid. He is beginning to talk more in an understandable way. I don't think he is deaf -- more probably just mishandled and abused.

He looks like he is about 6, but I found out that he is 10. His parents discarded him, because he is "mentally challenged". I think that they did not care for him and he is just underdeveloped because of it. However, I was not there and do not know. I can only go on suppositions I may have.

Anyway, Cody participated in our lesson this week and played nicely with the other boys -- for the most part. One of the smaller children got him to sneak a soccer ball away from a bigger kid when he was not playing with it. They were working together! Great. He whispered in Cody's ear, so I know he is not deaf.

At the end of our time, I shook hands with all of the boys and told them goodbye. Cody kindly shook my hand and as my head was turned, he tried to bite me. What a kid! I've learned to keep on my guard when he is around. One minute he may be a sweet little angle, and the next he's a demon waiting to strike.

One young man, 15 years old, who looks like he is 10 was playing around and gave me one of the spongy balls in a very gracious manner even bowing and smiling very big. Then, he ran away and laughed with the other teacher. He said to them that I was dead, because he had handed me a bomb. What a practical joker. He continued to act like that and I finally got one of the "bombs" to go down his shirt and started laughing and saying, "boom". Being a 15 year old, he ran with the idea and acted like it was not a bomb, but part of a woman's anatomy. Oi! I said no. and had the Chinese teacher explain to him that that is not acceptable.

However, boys will be boys in any culture. I hope these young men will grow up and be productive members of society and of the plan for the ages.

I love and miss you all.

James :0-)