Retiring discipline master returns Digivice to former student 20 years after it was confiscated

Run-ins with discipline masters usually turn out badly for students, but for this former mischief-maker, he finally got something near and dear to his heart returned decades later.

It was in 1999 that Lai Wai Kit last saw his Digimon Digivice after it was confiscated by his former discipline master when he was a student at The Chinese High School. Of course, the former independent school has since merged with Hwa Chong Junior College in 2005 and is now better known as Hwa Chong Institution.

In any case, Lai recently found out that Jeffrey Lim, the discipline master from his days in TCHS, is retiring. Admittedly a trouble-prone student, he is highly familiar with the teacher, Lai wrote in a Facebook post on Nov 26, as Lim had kept him on a tight leash back then.

“He never taught me directly but he always kept me on the radar. The coloured hair. The baggy pants. The funky shoes. And a few other misdemeanours that should not find its way into social media. As you can tell, trouble seems to find me a lot,” Lai shared.

One of the many clashes involved Lim taking away the former student’s Digivice, a handheld toy that has certainly plagued many teachers in the late ‘90s when every young boy either had or wanted one.

With that in mind, Lai cheekily commented on HCI’s post, reminding Lim that the toy is still in his possession.

Surprisingly, Lim got in touch with Lai directly and managed to find the ancient device after rummaging through an old steel cabinet in the school.

Lai then returned to his former school to pay a visit and pick up his treasured Digivice — more than 20 years since it was seized.

“No graduation robe or a hat to throw, but I know that I will keep this digital pet over my distinctions any day,” he wrote, wishing his former discipline master a happy retirement.

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“It is said that the best teachers are those who show you where to look, but don’t tell you what to see. I guess the best discipline masters are those who tell me where NOT to go, so I know what I can be.”

And yes, the Digivice can still run.

ilyas@asiaone.com