Ring! It was time for recess. The loud chairs being pushed back were followed by the succession of noisy chatter from my classmates. Ramping down the stairs like a herd of bulls gone wild, we could not wait to stuff ourselves with food. When we reached the canteen, the aroma of the variety of food wafted to me like a siren beckoning the doomed sailors. As I sat on the bench, I looked behind to see the snaking queues forming at the stalls. What should I have for recess this time? I thought to myself.
At the corner of my eye, I noticed something amiss. A primary one boy was surrounded by a group of older boys. One of the boys snatched Keith’s wallet and started taking money out of it. The bullies stared down at him. One of the older boys shouted at the victim, “You are but a punny little dwarf!”
“Please give me back my wallet,” the little boy begged pitifully, half sniffling away. “My entire week’s allowance is in there.”
When I saw what was unfolding before my eyes, I knew that the experience must have been quite traumatising for the small boy. I could see tears rolling down his face, and he looked as helpless as a baby seal lying in front of a group of ferocious polar bears. Without a second thought, I marched right up to the bullies and stood right between the bullies and the hapless boy.
“Stop bullying him! You tyrants!” I snapped. “Will you like it if someone bullies you?”
The bullies paid no attention to me and one of them was about to shove me aside.
“Walk away,” I hissed, “or I’ll make sure the principal hears about your evil deeds.”
Just then, a teacher walked past and asked what was the commotion about. I told the teacher what happened in excruciating details. There and then, the teacher reprimanded the bullies and marched them to the principal’s office.
When the bullies were out of sight, the little boy collapsed onto the floor and cried his eyes out. I placed my hands on his shoulders in an attempt to console him. “If you get bullied again, you can either walk away or speak up for yourself. Don’t let them get you in a tizzy,” I advised him. The small boy thanked me for helping him and that day, we both made a new friend.
