Stinky No More

CEBU, Philippines —  Shouts of “Stinky Jason! Stinky Jason!” were heard at the school grounds one Friday afternoon. A bunch of boisterous kids was calling out to another kid across from the high school building. They were drumming on the walls with their fists. They were stomping their feet as they continued to chant, “Stinky Jason! Stinky Jason!”

Jason was the only child of the school janitor, Mr. Garcia. While he sat in the classroom and listened to the teachers, his father swept and mopped the floor. He also cleaned all the restrooms.

Jason’s mother died when he was only 5 years old. His father tried his best to take care of him –  but because he was already exhausted at the end of the day, washing their clothes properly almost seemed impossible. It was the reason why Jason did not smell very nice.

During lunch, Jason would eat his “baon” under the stairs with his father. He did not want the other children to see what they were eating. On some days they had chicken or fish, but there were days when they could only have tomatoes to go with their rice.

While the other children played computer games after class, Jason read his books and did his homework. He studied his lessons in advance. Sadly, while his teachers cherished him, the only thing his classmates would notice was his smell. As soon as he entered the classroom, the chant would automatically start, “Stinky Jason! Stinky Jason!”

Despite all the bullying, Jason never got into any fights with his classmates. He ignored all the name-calling and just focused on what he needed to do as a student.

One day, a new student came to his class. Her name was Lucille. She looked really rich but unlike the others, she was very kind and friendly. She almost could not believe it when the chant started, “Stinky Jason! Stinky Jason!”

“How could you let this go on? You should have done something about it. You could have fought back,” Lucille told Jason. “Nah, I learned to ignore them and the things they say about me, but do I really smell that bad?” Jason asked.

“I don’t think it’s you, but your clothes could have a good washing. You should learn to do that for yourself because your father doesn’t have the time anymore,” Lucille replied.

“Thank you for pointing that out, Lucille. You are the first person to have offered a solution. Almost everyone just makes fun of me,” Jason said. “I’ll start washing my clothes by myself this afternoon.”

Lucille gave him a high-five, and added, “I really don’t get it how you’re able to deal with all the bullying.”  Jason just smiled.

Upon reaching home that afternoon, Lucille was surprised to find a piece of paper with Jason’s handwriting when she opened her bag to check her assignment notebook. - Zaida Marie A. Tambis