BULLIES

            Sprawled uncomfortably, cheek to pavement, Cedric stiffly began pulling himself back together.

            When Cedric went down, he pretended to blackout.  He hoped that the Fergusson boy would lose interest and leave off.

            It worked.  The bearish and freckle-faced bully boy lost interest and went on his way.

            “Tomorrow, I’ll turn left a the second corner, go two blocks and work back around as soon as I’ve lost him.”  Cedric mused.

            Cedric is a 3^rd grade student at Apperdasher Elementary on Kale Street.  He lives about 14 blocks from school, depending on which route he takes.  If he makes it to the park by his home, then he’s usually out of danger from getting beat up.

            As Cedric walked into the back door of the duplex, he hid his scratched cheek as mom tousled his deep chestnut-brown hair and asked him if he wanted a snack before dinner.

“No.  I’ll just get a juice box.”  He replied as he dipped his head into the fridge for his drink.  He grabbed, as a second thought, a single pouch of string cheese.

            Mom was busy reading a book at the kitchen table while he worked his way past to his room.

            Cedric peered into the bathroom mirror and noticed that the scratch was barely noticeable.  It just felt worse than it was.

            “Checking for pimples already?”  Cedric’s dad suddenly offered.

            “Oh.  Naw, dad.”  Cedric muttered as he squeezed by, letting his dad have the bathroom to himself.  His dad momentarily stared after his son, quizzically.

            The next day came too soon.  As Cedric buttoned up his faded cotton yellow shirt, he remembered the first day of school when he wore this shirt for the first time.  He remembered how proud he was to be wearing a brand new shirt.  It was a strong and vibrant yellow color back then.

            “Two more days till the weekend” thought Cedric sleepily.  No amount of wishing will bring it here faster he reasoned.

            While waiting for the time to leave, he consoled himself with the fact that summer vacation was just three weeks away.

            On the way to school, Cedric stopped by an old chain link fence to look for four-leaf clovers.  This was a way to eat up some time so that he’d get to class just as the bell rang.

            The day was mostly uneventful, until last recess anyway.  He managed to hide when they were picking teams because he knew he’d get picked last & there would be very rude jokes made about him.

            It was May and the temperature was hot and dry.  The school didn’t have any A/C.  So, after each recess, everyone lined up at the sink in back of the room with their water cups. 

            The water was never cold like the words on the handle said.  Tobby Fergusson slapped Cedric’s cup away as he tried to take a sip.  The teacher told Cedric to clean up the spilled water.  This was the last straw.  Cedric stood his ground.

            “I didn’t do it.  Tobby knocked it out of my hands!”

            “No I didn’t!”  Tobby confidently yelled.

            “I am not cleaning that up.” Cedric said resolutely.

            “Then you lose water privileges for the rest of the year” the teacher sarcastically spat.

            That afternoon, Cedric walked an extra block north before heading eastward.  This was a busy street with businesses and other commercial buildings.

            While many of his classmates were getting candy at the corner store, Cedric walked past feeling relieved that he’d get a head start on any group or person who’d want to beat him up that day.  Everyday Cedric tried a different combination of directions and paths home.  He figured that keeping them confused was the best way to avoid the bullies.

            This way home was scary because he’d never gone this far north before.  About two blocks down, he stopped to look into a store window.  It looked sort of empty except that it was very clean and had some gym mats off to one side.  As he began walking past the open door, a man in black robes suddenly stood in front of him.

            The man said “You learn Karate?  Come.”

            Cedric hesitated.  This was a stranger!  He thought of running for his life, briefly.  Instead, he stood firm even though his knees were shaking.

            The man must’ve noticed because he said “Wait.”  Then he came back to the door with a folded piece of blue paper.

            “Give this to parents, please.  I give summer discount.”

            Cedric jammed it into his book bag and ran home.

            “What’s this?”  Cedric’s mom asked.

            Cedric watched his mom read the flyer the man gave him without answering her query.

            A week after school let out for the summer,   “things are going to change next fall” thought as he left his first lesson in Karate. 

            Fall arrived with a cool drizzle on rust colored leaves that lined the sidewalks.  Walking to school seemed solitary and serene as the scent of soggy red maple and white oak leaves squished underfoot.

            Cedric’s classmates looked at him as if he was someone new.  They just couldn’t figure him out, it seemed.   They sensed something new but didn’t know what.

            Cedric didn’t know it, but his new sense of confidence glowed like a neon sign.  It showed subtly in his posture and walk.

            Even Tobby Fergusson left him alone, unchallenged, from then on.