บท 91: Balls
Bradley a young East Asian child wearing pink watched Jack run out of the classroom in tears.
"Yo Neil," said Bradley. "What just happened to Jack?"
Neil sat next to Bradley in the table row parallel to his.
"Jack told me yesterday that Santa Clause isn't real," said Neil. "I realised then and there that he is clearly insane. I don't pay attention to emo moments."
"Yeah," said Bradley. "Insane. Do you live sub poverty? You are from the same country as him, right?"
"Don't even know what that means," said Neil. "But, if it means not getting to go to Disney land in the summers like the other kids, I guess it is."
"I hear some of the other kids get money every week from their parents," said Bradley.
"Really!?," said Neil as his eyes widened in surprise.
"Yeah, even Gill does. They call it allowance," said Bradley.
"This is unfair," said Neil. "Maybe, Jack is right. If are not getting allowance perhaps we are poor … I'll ask Gill about it during recess before we play hand ball."
"Guys," said Gill. "I'm right behind you and can hear everything you are saying."
"Dude," said Bradley. "You're too far. If Miss Neilson sees you talking to us, we are gonna get in trouble."
"Gill! Bradley!?," said Miss Neilson looking at them. "Do you have anything to say?"
"No mam," said Bradley and Gill in unison as they looked down at their desk.
Neil snickered at his desk quietly enjoying how he had avoided getting in trouble.
-- @ --
The students littered the playground of the school. The sun was high in the sky as students wondered around aimlessly and chattered noisily.
TAP!
TAP!
TAP!
TAP!
A tennis ball bounced off the floor and hit the playground wall as Bradley, Gill and Neil scrambled and took turns hitting it with their hand as it bounced back, only letting the ball bounce off the floor once on the return.
"Man," said Gill grabbing the tennis ball mid-air. "It just ain't as fun without Jack or Sam here. I can't believe Jack got sent home early and Sam is sick. This day sucks!"
"So," said Bradley. "Is what he said true about living in a recession? He is always coming to my place to eat."
"There will always be discrimination," said Neil. "People always need a scape goat to attack. Unfortunately, Jack's family is in an unfair situation."
"Yeah," said Gill. "Jacks got balls to have said that. Big balls."
"I don't think he is so brave," said Neil.
Bradley snickered. "You wouldn't have the guts to pull off something like that in front of the whole class."
Pshhh!
Neil spat air out of the side of his mouth in arrogance.
"I have plenty of balls," said Neil. "I'd pee in front of the class with everyone watching. I could do it tomorrow when Miss Neilson calls me up to talk. I don't care. You are the guys who don't have any balls thinking Jack saying that in front of the class takes balls. You're both woman. Gill, your new name should be the most feminine loser name every, Suzy, and Bradley, I'll call you Chinese girl cause I don't know Chinese!"
"I'm Vietnamese man," said Bradley annoyed. "There is a difference. How do you keep forgetting that?"
"Vietnam is just a country you made up," laughed Neil.
"Man," said Gill. "I have balls. How about this, we'll prove how ballsy we are tommorow. During your speech, if you go up to the front of the classroom and pee in front of everyone. I'll strip and run around the classroom naked."
"Ha! Ha!," laughed Neil. "Sounds like a plan! But that only leaves Bradley the little Chinese girl!"
Bradley turned red clearly upset by Neil's comment.
"You even look like a girl," said Gill. "So tiny. You're nothing like your hero Bruce Lee. He would be ashamed. You probably haven't even trained in Kung Fu like you claim!"
"One last time!," growled Bradley through gritted teeth. "I am Vietnamese not Chinese. But I am a ballsy guy, if you guys do that! I'll punch Miss Neilson in her balls to get justice for Jack!"
Neil and Gill's mouths dropped open in surprise as they stared at each other in shock.
"Alright," said Neil putting his hands in.
"Hey guys," said a small child's voice. "I'll play too, I'll stab Miss Neilson in the leg with my home made pocket knife. That way she think twice about messing with Jack or any of us again."
Neil, Gill and Bradley turned and saw a small African child Sam standing behind them.
"Sam!," yelled Bradley smiling. "You're here."
"Yeah," said Sam. "I felt better, so my mom dropped me off.
"Uhhh," said Neil. "Nice to see you Sam, but stabbing might get you in too much trouble. Why not try running around naked with Gill instead?"
"Eh," said Sam shrugging. "Why not."
"So we are swearing an oath," said Gill putting his fist out.
Bradley nodded and put his fist against Gills, and said, "In the name of proving we have balls."
Sam put his fist in and said, "For Jack."
"For balls," said Neil connecting fists with the other three. "Tomorrow we will prove it."
-- @ --
Jack and Gill had just gotten to school. They met with Neil, Sam and Bradley who had arrived earlier.
Bradley had just told Jack what they were going to do during Miss Neilson's class.
"Are you guys insane!?," said Jack. "That can get you kicked out of school!"
Bradley pailed, and said, "if I get kicked out, my parents are gonna whoop me ..."
Sam said, "Hey man, I'm doing this for you. We are friends right? I'll take a whooping for you no problem."
Neil had also pailed as he whispered, "Kicked out of school?"
"What," said Gill. "Do I smell a bunch of girls? Is Jack the only person with balls around here?"
Sam shrugged putting his hands in the air and said, "Hey, I'm doing this for Jack, if he says he doesn't need it, I'm out. I got nothing to prove."
"Pansy," laughed Gill. "I am still going to run around naked. But Neil, I'll call you Princess Ghandhi from this point on if you don't stick to your end of the deal. And Chinese girl, I always knew you didn't have it in you."
Neil and Bradley looked at each other. They knew Gill would call them their new names forever, furthermore, it would hurt their pride to back down so they decided that they had to do it. Bradley and Neil nodded at each other with determined stares.
"I am still in," said Neil and Bradley with a firm nod. "Jack, you better not say anything, or we will tell your parents something that will make them beat you."
Jack clapped his head.
"I won't say anything," said Jack.
"Sam?," said Neil looking at him.
"Hey," said Sam. "I am not a snitch."
Jack looked at the ground in shock.
This was going to be a day none of them would ever forget. The grade 4 class of 1994 was in for a day of trouble.
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