"Don't Mess With A Fun Loving Criminal And His Scooby-Snacks"

Today I had what I hope is not a foreshadowing of future run-ins with the law where my youngest is concerned.


There I was in the parking lot of the Bintang Supermarket, loading up the back seat with yet more groceries which will no doubt go 'off' or get consumed by greedy ants before we even get a look in.


Nevertheless, I was suddenly surprised by a tap on my shoulder, turning to find a rather meek but resolved looking young supermarket employee motioning towards Dumpie in the car.


"Sorry that boy take and no pay" he said, looking apologetic that he had been dispatched to deal with such nasty business - and with a foreigner no less.


"Dumpie?  Did you take something from the store?" I asked, mortified, whilst peering into the nether regions of the back seat.


That's when I noticed a giant roll of jelly sweets peeking out from beneath his little thigh.


The husband roared from the front seat and Dumpie burst into tears as I grabbed the contraband sweet and shamefaced, handed it to the even more shamefaced employee.  He scuttled off as I took Dumpie in my arms, consoling him and telling him off at the same time (a great parental standby that one).


What I neglected to mention of course was that earlier, inside this selfsame supermarket, I had already suffered the indignity of having to pay for an empty packet of pricey chocolate sweets which Dumpie had grabbed off the shelf and torn open with his little teeth.


This violent rupture caused the little chocolate balls to go multi-directionally airborne in the Fresh Produce section, and my guess is that this is where Dumpie likely picked up store securities attention.  It came down to strict damage limitation as I tried valiantly to tear Dumpie off the dirty floor, where he was frantically trying to shovel in as many sweets as his tiny little mouth could hold.


Later on the husband and I asked Dumpie why he did it...why he left the store with something that he hadn't paid for.


"Because you give me no money!" he answered indignantly.


Fair play.