Sad Story of a Tailor Receiving a Difficult Order, Impoverished Student Asks to Lengthen His Worn-out Uniform Pants

Dream - While many are happy to go to school with joy, there are some students who 'struggle' just to prepare themselves.

For children from less fortunate families, having a new uniform may only exist in their dreams. They usually just resign themselves to wearing the worn-out uniform.

Recently, a tailor from Malaysia had a touching experience when a student came to her place to alter the size of his school uniform pants.

Tailor Sharipah Sadiah Khalid said the student visited her place in the Rumah Rakyat Sikamat 2 housing area in Seremban, Negeri Sembilan, last Sunday.

However, the junior high school student's visit was not to shorten the bottom part of the uniform pants like many other students. Instead, the student wanted to lengthen his old uniform pants that had become too short.

"He asked for help to lengthen his uniform pants. The pants were size 33 inches and the color was worn-out. The original length was 36 inches, and he asked if it could be made 37 inches," Sharipah began her touching story.

At that time, Sharipah told the student that she didn't know how to make the pants longer by one inch.

But the student begged Sharipah to do anything she could as long as the pants didn't look too short.

With 20 years of experience as a tailor, Sharipah finally managed to do it by sewing the edge of the teenager's school pants and removing the hem to make them longer.

However, Sharipah left a little fabric so that the teenager's school pants could still be sewn and tidied up.

"This was the first time I did this, but I tried my best. I measured it again and finally managed to make it 37 inches long.

"Like other stitches, I tidied it up so that it wouldn't have loose threads at the bottom of the pants," said the 40-year-old woman.

Sharipah admitted feeling sorry when the teenager brought two pairs of his green school pants.

"His pants were worn-out. If he could afford it, he would definitely buy new pants. This child had come to my place before.

"Over 80 percent of those who bring new pants to my place ask for them to be made smaller or shorter. If there are old pants, rarely are they worn-out," she said.

Sharipah said that the junior high school student's house was not far from her own, and he was the third child out of four siblings.

According to Sharipah, the student's father works as a truck driver. Meanwhile, his mother is just a regular housewife.

"His family is not well-off and he always saves... he uses what he can.

"I feel sorry because there are still many families who struggle to buy school uniforms," she said.

This mother of two was touched by the student's determination to continue going to school despite his worn-out uniform.

"When he brought his pants, I gave him the price, 8 ringgit (Rp27,000) per pair, and 16 ringgit (Rp55,000) for two pairs.

"But I intended to waive the fee, and I consider it as charity," said Sharipah.

However, Sharipah was worried because once the student's uniform pants were finished, he didn't come to pick them up until the following evening.

"Usually, people pick them up on the same day or the next morning. But he didn't show up until my place closed at 11:30 PM.

"Luckily, I knew where his house was, and I went there myself to deliver them. I felt sad when I handed him the uniform because he still stretched out the money.

"I told him there was no need to pay. I said that as long as I can help, I will try to help," Sharipah concluded.

Source: mStar