when I was a 7 years old, I requested Tok Mudim to allow me watching him circumcising the boys.
Those with him was telling him not to allow me watch the process.
He told them that he wanted to hear my reason first.
I told him that if I'm older, definitely he will not let me or I would be out there among men but would be among the ladies. Since I was only 7 years old, still a child not yet a young lady then I could be there among them. I just want to watch so that I can learn about the process. I also told him the if he would allow me to watch then he also should allow me to ask questions about why he was doing what he was doing.
That was when he came to meet the boys and find out how many would undergo circumcision the next morning.
He wanted to know the number and their ages so that he can plan.
The older boys would have to do their circumcision first.
The boys were told to soak themselves in the river as early as 6.30 am in the morning. The older you are, the longer you need to be in the water.
I was up early. Long before they came, I was there at the river bank waiting. By 6.45 am, the first boy showed up with his friends and jumped into the river.10 minutes later, two more boys came with their uncle. By 8:20 am there were more men and women came to take their bath in the river. Those boys were hiding under the jetty.
Tok Mudim came a little bit after 8:40 am and he was carrying a banana trunk on his shoulders. He the boys uncle to get another banana trunk and some pole sticks.
He laid down the banana trunk and dig the ground to fasten the pole. I was wondering what he was doing but when two boys came with white sheets and started to hang the white sheets around the poles sort of forming a curtain so that the people cannot see what's been done behind it, I understand.
Tok Mudim asked the boys who brought the white sheets to go check on the boys who were soaking in the river while he took out the knife from his toolbox and started to sharpen it.
He looked up when he saw me coming around behind the white curtains that was just erected and saw my questioning eyes. He explained that he should have sharpen it yesterday or before he came there as he didn't really want the boys who would undergo circumcision see the knifes. He'd many boys run away or change their mind from doing the circumcision after seeing the knife.
From the boys conversation yesterday, I sort of understood that the banana trunk would serve as a stool for Tok Mudim and the boys as well as a cutting board.
When Tok Mudim asked for the oldest boy to be circumcised to be brought in, I jumped up and took my place behind Tok Mudim to get ' the best view. '
There were voices questioning what I was doing there, the only girl while all others are men or boys.
"Hey, there's nothing to be shy about! Sooner or later after I've grown - up I'd get married and get to see the men's 'thing' which would be my husband! But, for now, I just want to learn how Tok Mudim do the circumcision. Maybe when I grow up, I'd become a doctor and do circumcision my self! " - That quiet em down and Tok Mudim spoke defending me and told them that he already told me yesterday that I could watch.
Among the tools Tok Mudim had in his box were knives of different sizes and shapes, rings, safety pins, gauze, cotton pads, scissors, bottles of iodine etc.
I asked about what's the rings for and the answer I get was "you don't have to know about it yet. Only men knows what the rings are for" and told me not to ask any more questions as the first boy to eb circumcised was already there.
The boy was already shivering from soaking in the water too long. Others told him that he should have stayed in the water longer as they said that it should have been at least 4 hours since he was in the water for less than 3 hours.
I stood there watching and that was then I realised that I don't have the stomach to become a doctor. I cringed when I saw Tok Mudim pull the foreskin and and pin the edge of the foreskin onto the banana trunk. The boy chosed not to take any medication and he had a piece of what it seemed to me like wood which he gritted in between his teeth. When I saw blood tickling out as Tok Mudim moved his knife and then scissors, it was time to make a move. My heart cringed.
Watching my son's circumcision, I had the same cringing feeling that I experienced then when I saw the doctor was cutting the foreskin and removed it with a scissors later... I couldn't watch! I had to look away!
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