Hey Ale, did you forget that we are at the gym today? – says Montserrat, a thin bodied, long-red-straight-haired girl caring a heavy wristwatch, which she glanced at, letting Alejandro know that they were late for class. He looks at her and says:
- Yeah I don’t know why but let’s hurry because being late is something you don’t want to do too often.
-Yeah, sure - said the 12 year old freckly-faced girl.
They hurried themselves to the school gym.
Inside the gym, a thin, athletic looking, around 35 years old man wearing a uniform that reads: “P.E teacher” sees Alejandro and Eduardo, a 12 year old chubby kid with freckles on his face. The two youngsters get themselves ready for a push-ups exercise, one aside the other while the rest of their classmates look attentively.
This is your first time doing the push-ups exercise, are you sure you can do it – says Genaro, taking off this P.E jacket and getting his whistle ready. Alejandro replies:
-Yes, sure professor.
Genaro blows his whistle and the two boys lift their bodies off the ground completing their first push up. The needles of a clock inside the gym move revealing the two boys sweating on the ground, Genaro approaches them,
Alejandro has won – he says.
Eduardo sees Alejandro and smiles at him helping him pick himself from the ground. While standing, Eduardo pads Alejandro on the back and he balances off a little while Eduardo holds him from the arm. Eduardo sees other kids that are near them, Eduardo and Sebastian. Both of large complexion and curly hair, average stature for 12 year olds and teeth covered in a silver shiny dentistry procedure.
Hey, don’t you just stand there looking at him, help! – says Eduardo to them.
Ok – they both reply together.
Both of them grab the walker from its handles and draw it near Alejandro but not close enough, Alejandro walks towards it but cannot reach the walker’s handles. As he is falling, he places his hands in front of him to prevent himself from hitting the ground but Eduardo grabs him before he hits the gym’s floor. Eduardo looks at Sebastian and Alberto,
What is wrong with you two, pay attention to what you are doing – he says to them.
Both boys lower their heads without saying anything. Alejandro places himself in the walker. A bell located on one of the gym’s walls rings indicating the end of the class. Eduardo, Sebastian, Alberto and the rest of the 6 graders leave the gym. Alejandro looks at Montserrat and at another 12 year old dark skinned tall boy, Erich. They are both helping to order some footballs at one of the gym’s corners. Genaro walks to them,
Party is over prof – says Erich.
Party? Well, go, I’ll finish picking things up, Alejandro is waiting for you two – says Genaro.
They both walk to where Alejandro is. Before he had the chance to say anything, Monserrat takes his hand and Erich grabs his walker. They both climb the metal made, blue painted gym stairs. Their feet make the rusty construction under them chime a victory like tune that reaches Alejandro’s hears making him feel special because of his accomplishment. It is logical that he was declared winner: his feet are not strong, but the many hours during the day that his arms have to push that blue padded sit walker have given him a strong upper body with heavy arms. The three children walk out of the gym.
In the school hallway, the sun shines high in the clear blue sky of the San Pedro located primary school reflecting its rays in a little wood piece placed on a door, with blue painted letters, that reads: 6th grade class.
Rodolfo, a 40 year old, tall man with a thick, black and white haired beard writes on a whiteboard. All of the 20 children are sitting in their desks copying in their notebooks from the board, what they see. Montserrat looks at Alejandro while he writes.
Ale you should see the new camera I have, it’s amazing – says Montserrat to Alejandro in a low tone of voice so that they are not called on by the teacher for talking during class time. Alejandro looks at her,
A new camera, that’s great! – says to her in the same voice tone.
Yes! You know me, I love them, I go taping everything I see and I know because my dad teaches me – she replies.
Eduardo throws a paper ball to Alejandro; he looks at him while Alejandro reads it. His eyes run through the words: I’ll see you after class. Sebastian, Alberto and everybody else continue copying. A bells rings and everybody races off to recess, Rodolfo leaves too. Eduardo raises himself from his desk; Alejandro is sitting on his desk reading his notes. Reeking of armpit smell, for puberty is knocking on his door already but he is yet to know a thing about using deodorant, he stands in front of Alejandro and leans on his desk grabbing him by the throat.
You are not gonna make it out of here alive today! You know why? Because no stupid handicap beats me at pushups! I am the master and everybody knows it! Are we clear? – says Eduardo.
Eduardo opens the classroom door and leaves. Alejandro sits in this desk coughing violently. He tries to reach for his inhaler in his pocket but all he can find is lint. Coughing even harder with his face now resembling a freshly picked coffee bean, jumps off his chair and crawls as fast as his extremities let him, for he knows that if he tries to get to his walker he might make it, and gets to the area within the class where all of the children’s backpacks are stored. Opening the backpack’s zippers as fast as his tiny hands let him, he finds the inhaler and gives himself a doze. He is now ok and leaves.
In the hallway, Alejandro sees Rodolfo passing by. A Hawaiian t-shirt covers the teacher´s surf board looking back, which is all Alejandro catches to see.
Professor! Professor! – Alejandro screams, but Rodolfo cannot hear him because the iPod he is wearing is blasting his ears with Celtic tunes, those that are so precious to him but are not appreciated by the other teachers in the school.
Alejandro sprints to catch him and hits his left foot with the front part of his “made in China” walker.
What’s wrong with you sport, why do you hit me? – asks Rodolfo. Alejandro sees Eduardo sitting in a bench not too far away from them.
That does not matter right now professor; Eduardo was chocking me inside the classroom! – said Alejandro in an agitated voice, for he had run quite quickly to catch on to his teacher and his asthma did not help him much when trying to perform such emergency stunts. They both go to where Eduardo was sitting.
Sport, Alejandro told me that you were choking him inside of the class – says Rodolfo to Eduardo while the 12 year old looks him to his face.
It’s not true teacher! He is lying! – He replies.
Sport, you don’t have to use your disability to do wrong to others by saying that they did things to you that they didn’t do – says Rodolfo to Alejandro.
He pads both children in the head and leaves. Eduardo hits Alejandro in the head and walks in the hallway. Alejandro sees Genaro pass by,
Professor, help me!
I can’t Alejandro, I’m busy right now – replies Genaro.
Eduardo gets back inside the classroom giving a look to Alejandro who is sitting on a bench. Alejandro, who is still looking at Genaro, gets his sight away from him and sees Alberto. He runs towards Alejandro and Alejandro does too. He falls to his knees because of the tackle that Alberto gives to him.
At the bathroom, Alejandro sees Erich and starts crying, Erich gets the walker away from him and holds him,
What’s wrong buddy? – asks Erich
Eduardo… he tried to choke me – says Alejandro.
Alejandro keeps crying and Erich comforts him.
Let’s beat it from here, I gotta tell you something – says Erich.
The hallway is now empty; both children sit on a bench.
I believe you buddy – says Erich. He continues, long time ago that prick hit me but you didn’t realize it. Don’t be afraid, I’m gonna go look for him and together we will get ‘im kicked out.
Yes ok, we will get him expelled – agreed Alejandro.
Yeah that’s the spirit buddy, he will be screwed! Alright alright, enough crap-talk, am outta here. Erich stands up and leaves.
Montserrat is walking towards Alejandro carrying a bag, she sees him and smiles. She gets to where Alejandro is and he receives her with a low level head. She places her bag on the ground, using her index finder touches his chin and slowly lifts his head,
Is something wrong Ale? – She asks him.
No, everything will be alright now – He replies.
Alejandro notices the bag,
What’s in the bag – He asks.
Ale I have to tell you something very important, but first, am gonna give you a gift – She says.
Montserrat picks the bag from the ground, places it on top of the bench where Alejandro is sitting and opens it,
It’s yours, I bought it for you, it’s a really good one – She says, giving him a Cannon D90 digital camera.
Alejandro hugs and thanks her.
Let’s go down to the “dirt place” to tell you what am going to – she says. Ohh yeah! the bag I hid it at the gym yesterday, she continues.
Alejandro hands her the camera, she puts it back inside her bag and they both head down to the “dirt place”. The dirt place is seen from afar. It is a plain open area surrounded by trees that act as nature given walls where the dust of this desert-like circular surface gets picked up easily., This makes own goals a highly common thing for the teams of children that usually play soccer there during recess time.
The children get to the dirt place, given that cement stairs are present for getting down to the “soccer area”, Alejandro lets go of his walker, sits on the first step and begins going down the stairs in a sitting manner, pushing himself with his arms; Montserrat, who has already lowered the walker in the soccer area, watches him smiling and looks at her watch.
Ale let’s hurry recess is almost over! – She says.
Both of them see that there’s nobody around.
Let’s go behind the trees – says Montserrat.
Behind the trees, the soccer field is still visible and Alejandro is sitting on his walker, Montserrat stands in front of him. She kneels herself until her eyes are inline with his,
Ale, you know, I like you… a lot. She kisses him, drops the bag and the camera pops out from the bag. Montserrat looks at her watch.
Ale, start heading back, there’s no more time!
Alejandro gets out of the tree area and sees Erich running towards him.
Buddy, I found Eduardo, he’s atta other side of the field with Alberto! – He says.
Montserrat, who is still behind the trees getting the camera inside her bag, watches from in between the branches of the trees Erich and Alejandro walking across the field; she turns the camera on and starts recording. The children arrive to where Eduardo and Alberto are. Erich yanks the walker off from Alejandro’s hands and grabs him from behind his back,
Erich what is going on – asks Alejandro in an altered voice state.
Erich does not reply to him and grabs him by the head. Alberto draws near, Eduardo watches. Montserrat is still recording from in between the trees. Erich holds Alejandro while Alberto punches him, Eduardo stills looks attentively. Montserrat looks at her watch, turns the camera off, gets out from the tree area the using the same path she used when with Alejandro, so nobody sees her, and runs off to let Genaro and Rodolfo know about the situation.
At the hallway, Montserrat is running. She holds the camera in between her shaking hands not being able to find the power button for it. Tilting her head to the left, she sees the leafs of a bush move swiftly. She sits on a nearby bench. Still looking at the camera’s screen, she tilts her head looking up for an instant and… the camera falls slowly on the bench. Some minutes pass, Rodolfo is standing at the 6 graders’ class door,
Kids, recess time is over, everybody inside! – He says in a loud voice tone.
At the field, Erich holds Alejandro from behind; Alejandro sees Eduardo gets hit in the head by him. Back at the hallway, Rodolfo notices the light of the camera screen and walks to the bench. He holds the camera in between his hands and watches the video. Rodolfo rushes off to the gym.
At the field, Sebastian is walking towards the other children while holding Montserrat, who is trying to set herself free from him. Alejandro sees them drawing near; Erich holds him and Eduardo observes from a distance.
Rushing on their way to the field, Genaro and Rodolfo watch the video,
Dude look at this! And I didn’t believe him when he told me about it – says Rodolfo.
I said no when he asked me for help – replied Genaro.
The sun at its highest point watches how Alberto hits Alejandro in the stomach, Erich holding him tight sees him fall to the ground. Alberto covers his stomach with his hands and coughs. While at the ground, Alejandro glances to the left and sees Montserrat crying,
Ale, don’t be afraid – hollers Montserrat, feeling how a sensation of powerlessness takes over her.
Eduardo looks at Erich and Alberto,
It’s enough; I want ‘im all for myself now! – says Eduardo.
Eduardo circles Alejandro while he watches him from upside down; Alejandro looks like a curled up armadillo.
I didn’t give it to you that ugly so that everybody could see! – said Eduardo in an almost rhetorical way that bulked his ego.
Almost at the field but not there yet, Genaro and Alberto see the kids at a distance and rush down the stairs to the unsuspected wrestling area.
Eduardo stops circling Alejandro. A torrent of memories come rushing like a thunderbolt to Alejandro’s mind: When he pushed himself with his arms to get to the field, Montserrat kissing him,
Come on! I’ve never given up against anything! I can beat this! – He thinks silently.
In a quick movement, Alejandro pushes himself up and hits Eduardo’s testicles. The shadow of the colossus blocks the sun for a minimal but glorious instant and Eduardo falls to the ground crawling and weeping in pain. Genaro and Rodolfo get to the forsaken area; Genaro holds Erich and Alberto, Rodolfo restraints Sebastian. Montserrat sets herself free and runs off while crying; Alejandro crawls to his walker.
The sun reveals orange and yellow shades to the clouds; they all will soon return to their haven, for this one has been a long day of work. The hallway watches Montserrat sitting down and Alejandro at walks up to her and hugs her. Genaro and Rodolfo get to where Alejandro is; he is sitting on his walker,
Alejandro, sport, I’m sorry because I didn’t believe you, and on top of that I said that you used your disability to do wrong to others by saying that they did things to you when they didn’t – says Rodolfo. He continues – I never should’ve doubted you, let alone say what I did. I want you to know that those bullies will not be coming to this school anymore – he ended.
Alejandro, it is my duty to offer to you my sincerest apologies, because I refused to help you when you asked for my assistance. We adults are always too preoccupied with our own affairs and we forget that it is not only about us, but everybody else too – said Genaro.
Thank you both – said Alejandro to both of his teachers.
Alejandro looks at Montserrat, she looks back at him and they both walk out from the school.
The End.
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