Fist me, Please!

I started this entry last Friday, but the company had a fire drill rehearsal, therefore, I was forced to get out of the office early. Didn’t get to post it up on the blog. Anyway, here it is.

I’m going to write about something in the past, a very personal experience, that happened to me during fourth grade.

He’s name, well, I don’t think he had an English back then. So, I’m just going refer him as John in this entry. (He looked like a John kinda person) He was my classmate in four grade, I was around 8 or 9 years old. Unlike the female love bird (my older sister), I didn’t really start growing until I reached the age of 14, so I was one of the many ‘midgets’ in the class. (Yes. The classmates refer us as Midgets. Damn it. Later on, the female love bird started to call me Midget. Argh) John, on the other hand, was a tall guy.

On the first day of the class, the teacher assigned our seats right next to each other. I’d never expect to become friends with John. At least, on my side, I thought we were really ‘good’ friends. We share almost everything. Pencils, Erasers, Paper, answers on homework assignments, lunch, gossips, candies…

One day, I forgot what exactly that I did, got him really upset. (Ate his lunch by accident? Broke his watch? Plugged his hair?) But the result is, that I owe him a flavor… Or at least, he needs to get back at what I did.

I remember asking him, what exactly I can do to make it up for him.

He looked at me, and with a strange grin on his face, and said “Meet me by the wall next to Classroom E at lunch time.”

“Okay…”

Classroom E, is considered one of the less-noticeable room on campus. Mainly it is located right next to the janitor’s closet, all the way in the corner at the end of the hall way. Because of the tree that grew right outside of the window, the light reception was extremely bad. Due to lack of light and air circulation, the environment is extremely dark, humid and covered with moles. (Classroom was usually used for study-session and make-up testing only. It was never used as a regular classroom.)

With a grin like that, I wasn’t sure what John had in mind. Or what he wanted to do to me.

I guess I was a bit afraid of what will happen to me.

Then finally, it came. The lunch hour that everyone waited since 7 AM has arrived. (I went to a private Taiwanese elementary school, where the school hours are 7 AM – 5 PM. Yes. Very Long Day.)

Keeping my word, I went to the wall that is connected to Classroom E.

He was standing right there. Expecting my arrival.

"I'm here."

He eyed me up and down, and said, “Let me punch you.”

I was a little shocked.

In my head, I wondered why would he wanted to punch me? He could have asked me to clean his desk, or do his homework for me. There are so many things that I can do, to make up what I did to him. But why a punch? Did he really hate me? Or he just want to feel how it is like to punch someone? Was he thinking about joining some kind of gang, or want to start one? Was this part of becoming of a man-hood for him or he just want to exercise his power? But why did he want to do that to me? Aren’t we friends?

“Do whatever you want.” I said coldly.

Then he did.

He reached his right arm back, with his fist above his ear.

I kept my eyes open, looking at him.

Like an arrow off the crossbow, He thrust his fist into my face. (Back then, I was unaware of my duty of as a fairy, I didn’t protect my fragile and delicate face with both of my hands.)

He slammed his knuckles into my right cheek bone.

The impact of his fist against my face forced my body back. Fighting the force, I planted both of my feet firmly on the ground, like the roots of a tree. I arched my back to maintain my balance, so my feet would stay in the same place, then like a rubber chicken, I bounced right back into my original position.

My cheek felt numb. I couldn’t feel anything.

I looked at him in the eyes.

I was holding my breath, to let myself recover from the shock.

He looked back at me in the eyes.

It took me 4 seconds, before these words came out of my mouth:

“Is that all you got?”

He looked surprised.

Then I said.

“I didn’t feel anything.”

He was speechless.

“Are you done? If you are done, I’m gonna go. I’ve got other things to do.”

I turned my body around, with my back facing him, and walked out of the class room.

I knew that he expected me to cry.

He wanted me to burst into tears and surrender to his power.

(Well, little did he know, he should never expect too much when dealing with a Princess in training. He should be glad that I didn’t claw his eyes out.)

But I was in control of my emotion.

I didn’t want him to win.

I went up to the Boys’ Room. Grabbed a piece of the tissue from the toilet stall. Looked into the mirror and wiped off the little tear drops that were waiting to fall down.

I never talk to him again.