Zane's Outward Bound is an inward journey for us.

We drove back to Lumut, nine days after dropping Zane off at OBS for his 'maiden' away from home stay. This time to take him home. He's been there from 1Dec-10Dec. I was apprehensive about who this person I was about to be reunited with. Will he disown me? Will he hate me forevermore? I had to find out. And we did. The dark, scrawny looking, famished, yellow teethed, sun burned boy was beaming when we saw him and we each had our own questions to flood him with, but the first question each of us asked was the most telling of what's going on inside us.

Me. Did you have access to your handphone? (Indicating concern as to why he didn't try to call us if he had a chance. Maybe he was still angry...)Notice no "how are you? or Hi Son?.. Mum. Did you brush your teeth? Summer. Was it fun? Hanim. Did you have fun?....and uncontrollably hugs Zane.( Having previously warned Mum that it would not be cool to hug Zane in front of his peers...)

I was relieved that he didn't hurl things or abuses at me. Seeing him behaving restrained and aloof that BBQ nite was even more suspenseful. It was much understood as he later revealed that he didn't want to lose his cool about having so much fun at OBS. A place that he so begrudgingly went to at our insistence. He said he enjoyed kayakking the most. The 12km paddle to Pangkor Island and camping overnight was the most fun. It was the highlight of his trip. The most torturous was perhaps the solo camp overnight in the jungle. He was facing his fear of the dark. Then there's rock climbing, hiking, rapelling, abseiling and all the wonderful stuff every young person must experience. We had more than our son back that weekend, we had a more enlightened teenager who has broadened his horizon a little. Thanks Godmas Hanim and Ann.