So You Know About Me, Really?

It is interesting to hear people speaking confidently about the character of another person, who could be his family member, his good friend or his work mate. So you hear a statement like "I know my son would never do such a thing. Anyone else I can't say for sure, but definitely not my son. I know him."

I believe, quite often, the statement is more of a statement of hope, as in "I hope my son would never do such a thing" than a statement of guarantee that "my son would never do such a thing."

We couldn't really know another person so well, even if that person has been very close to us for a long time, could we?

Here is a true story.

I had a classmate in Primary 1. He was the smartest in class. Smartest as in he already learnt everything the teacher was teaching. He was also the naughtiest in class. When the teacher tried to cane him, allowable in those days, he snatched the cane from the teacher and directed the cane back at the teacher.

He was removed from the school. His parents transferred him to another school in Singapore. I have never seen him again.

My classmate was the only son. His parents were rich, and were modern in outlook for their time. They were bringing up their son differently from the rest of the parents. I was brought up to respect the authority of our elders. Unquestionable authority, only to be obeyed, never to be challenged.

Many years later, my parents were retired, living a rich and comfortable life. One day dad bumped into my classmate's father, whom I said was a rich man himself before. Dad was surprised to see his village mate an old, weak and haggard man. Naturally dad asked about his welfare. My classmate's father related to dad his misfortune. He had given all his wealth to his son, my classmate. He loved his only son. He trusted him. He wanted to give his son everything he had.

His son, my classmate, turned around to kick his own parents out of the home. Now old and penniless, my classmate's father found work as a store attendant. His wife, my classmate's mother, a rich man's daughter herself, was now working as a house maid.

Such is just one of many sad stories that have been played out several times, like a script, to people I know personally.

Could you really and absolutely know someone you know?