PSLE: Bullying

The sky was darkening. The afternoon sun was hiding behind a thick curtain of grey clouds. Tim huddled in a corner against the water tank on the rooftop, sniffling in trepidation. Streak of blood trickled down the corner of his lips. Before him were three boys, the infamous trio. Jason, the burly boy, was the leader while Kayven and Kenny were the sidekicks.

“I told you to show me your answers right?” Jason hissed, pulling Tim by the collar, his face red with fury. “How dare you disobey me!”

“It… it is not right to cheat…” the poor boy replied almost inaudibly.

“Cheat! You call me a cheat!” Jason boomed as his clenched fist flew and pounded on Tim’s ribcage.

“Ouch! Please don’t beat me anymore!” Tim pleaded for mercy, his hands trying to block the incessant blows.

“Son of a bitch! You’ve made me fail my Mathematics examination and now you ask me not to thrash you!! Dream on!” Jason bellowed maliciously.

Immediately, he signaled his henchmen to take over. The two sidekicks threw karate chops and flying kicks on him as if he were a potato sack. Their faces were cold and their blows hard. There was never a twinge of remorse or guilt. Poor Tim’s white uniform was now all covered with multiple footprints and splatter of blood. Tim was rolling on the floor, clutching his abdomen tightly, moaning in excruciating pain.

“You have to pay a price for your defiance!” Jason announced with an arrogant smirk. “Search his bag,” he ordered.

The duo swiftly took hold of the bag and emptied all the contents out. Textbooks, exercise books, files, a calculator, stationery and a water bottle were strewn all over the cement ground.

“Nothing of value, Boss,” Kenny replied.

“Search his body!” Jason ordered and Kayven dragged him to his feet and immediately dug in all of his pockets. Finally, they found a mobile phone. It was locked with a password.

“What is the password?” Jason asked gruffly.

“Please don’t take my phone!” Tim begged. “Inside are the photographs of my late mother who has just passed away.”

“Really? Then, you think I should return you, shouldn’t I? Password now or you will regret it!” Jason snarled.

Tim felt compelled but he refused to speak a word. Indignant anger engulfed his heart and he dived straight for his phone. “Give me back, you monster!”

For a fleeting moment, they could not believe their eyes. The timid Tim was fighting back. He stood glowering at them, seething like a dragon, his nostrils flaring and his lips quivering. 

Jason could not care less. In villainous vengeance, he flung the phone like a shot put athlete towards the sky. The gadget flew from his hand and it came crashing down towards the pavement like a fallen meteorite. 

Flabbergasted. Tim gasped in horror! The phone was smashed. Waves of sadness swept over him as images of his beloved mother coalesced in his mind. His treasured photographs of his late mother were - gone. Tim knelt there, crying like a baby.

Thundering footsteps suddenly stomped towards them. The villains looked up in alarm. It was the principal. How did he come to know about this?  His face was grey like the ominous dark clouds. Justice would be meted out swiftly for sure. The errant boys would definitely get their just desserts. Bullying must never be condoned.