Sunday, March 28, 2010

The Opening Salvo



Agnes didn’t want to fight back because she and her cousin were outnumbered. But they were closing in on them, getting ready for the kill and there was nowhere to run. They were like vicious predators bent on tearing their prey into minute pieces of useless flesh. There was a dozen of them, and they were only two. Agnes felt a raging anger in her that she never felt before. This was totally unacceptable and unfair! When she heard her cousin crying, Agnes was infuriated.

“Don’t cry Tasha,” she hissed into her cousin’s ears. “Let’s show them we’re stronger in spirit than all their physical strengths combined.”

The melee that happened next was a blur to Agnes. Numerous hands clawed at her face; someone was ripping her dress apart; several hands were haphazardly pulling her hair out of her skull.

The excruciating pain was all over her body but eventually, she felt numbed from it all. She threw punches everywhere, scratched anything that she met and kicked as hard as she could. She felt her wild kicks come in contact with soft and solid matter, but she didn’t care what they were. Even her sharp canines came into play when both her hands and feet were restrained. She would rather die fighting, than give up.

Suddenly, she felt hands easing their hold on her. She heard shouts from older voices. Then she was teetering on her toes. Someone was shaking her face: “Are you okay, child?” She blinked to see the face of her grandpa and she almost cried with relief, but she didn’t want to give in and eventually hear the whole village talk about her “weakness” - a story to gossip about in their evening bonfires.

She gave her “appo” (grandpa) a fierce look and nodded. Tasha! She brushed aside her appo’s gentle hand and shouted: “Tasha, where are you?”

Tasha was slumped in one corner of the plaza crying. There were bruises all over her body. Her face bore fingernail scratches and her dress was shredded to pieces. Her heart went out to her. It took a herculean effort not to wail too. She was aching all over but she dared not show it.

The school plaza was almost empty now, the children who have ganged up on them had disappeared like cloud dust into thin air.

“Have you seen what happened?” her appo was asking the few teenagers hanging out in the plaza, but no one wanted to answer.

“What happened? Let’s go home and treat your bruises. What have you been up to?” Her grandpa was worriedly scrutinizing them.

At home, Agnes cried her heart out. Her mother, Melinda, had been outraged and had forced her to name their attackers, and she did. She was thinking of Tasha, who had been an accidental victim of that malicious prank. She just came for a two-week stay and this was what she got.

When would they stop taunting and bullying her? When would they accept her as one of them? She bit her lip as more tears came and she stifled her sobs in the stillness of the night.

And she remembered how she first came to what she had imagined as a paradise then. ..

Photo by Pink Sherbet



23 comments:

  1. Hi Jena,
    That was a vicious attack. Poor girls.

    I like the fighting spirit of Agnes against her attackers: "Even her sharp canines came into play when both her hands and feet were restrained. She would rather die fighting, than give up."

    I could visualize the fighting scene and the setting very well, Jena.

    Be waiting for the next installment.

    Tasha

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  2. Hi Tasha, lol....thanks for honoring me with your visit. Will I continue? lol...TC, hugs.

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  3. The elementary school where I studied is near the town plaza. Kids with scores to settle with their classmates use it as an arena. Thus, the ultimate taunt, "O ano? Tara sa parke!"

    As you might suspect I was not one of those feisty kids, but I knew what's going on for sure. :)

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  4. Hi Jan,

    Yes, those were the days. I guess by now, alam mo na kung sino si AGnes? he he he...It was difficult being accepted by the genuine native people. lol..How are you Jan?

    Parang, I would like to follow the example of Heather? lol.

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  5. Wow, what tension, trauma, and trial. Excellent story, will there be more to it?

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  6. one word runs in my mind....

    "REVENGEEEEE!!!!!"


    Let's get them!

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  7. hi jena,

    drop here to say hello! and kamusta.

    anyways! i have a great time reading this post.

    p.s.
    may nakalimutan ako...medyo tagaktak ang pawis ko sa trabaho...bawi ako sa susunod..teka sa presinto nako magpapaliwanag.he he he.:)

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  8. Hi Eric,

    It am glad you're back online. I have been remiss of my obligations too, I'll try to do my blog hopping this week, Regards and take care.

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  9. Hi Roy,

    Sweet revenge, he he he...matamis na mapait..(sweet and sour). ANo kaya? Revenge? lol

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  10. Hi Ever,

    I'm glad you were able to leave your camel and visit us here. ANg hirap ma reach ang mga tiga disyerto. But I understand. Feel free to come and go as you please. Wala namang pulis dito...lol...kumusta na lang diyan at magpakabait.

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  11. apo is spelled with 2 p's? haha! didn't know that! i learned something new from my blog mentor again! :)
    i really wouldn't mind being outnumbered, i like being outnumbered in an unfair fight as long as i have a small vile of concentrated 6moles of SULFURIC ACID!! hahaha! tc jena! :)

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  12. in kapampangan it's also spelled with a single "p" regardless of which, i'm still fat so i can say anything i want, well, almost anything! hahaha! just jokin jena, i like pointing out the fact that i'm fat because i find it funny......tc jena! :)

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  13. well hey, it's good to see you again. been a looong time. love the writing - gripping. well done. happy easter xoxo

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  14. Hello Ajchtar,

    You're not fat, you're cute. he he he. TC

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  15. Hello Chuckie,

    Nice of you to drop by. Thanks and best regards.

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  16. This scenario often happens in my shop. A group of kids bulling someone just for fun, or may be for ego.

    I've been a victim of this scenario too, a group of teenager gang me for mistakenly thought that I'm protecting one of their target. We left Dasmariñas for several months because of this incident.

    Best Regards!

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  17. Humans are alike in their behaviour all over the world.

    Your vivid presentation took me to memory lanes. More than 3 decades back, I did notice such stray incidents taking place in India too, especially the Northern India.

    Too short but more than enough to stir the mind.

    keep writing.

    with regards

    Krish

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  18. Hello Jhong,

    That's a sad story. It seems dismissible until you are the victim, right? But most kids experience bullying. TC , How's the baby? I know you're all in good health.

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  19. Hello Nicemann

    I'm delighted you were able to drop by inspite of your extremely toxic workload. I'm doing good, I know you are too, because I'm always praying for you. TC.

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  20. one statement.....I AM FAT! lol!
    jena really makes my day brighter with her blogs and comments.....off to enjoy summer! bye jena! :)

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  21. Dropped in from Entrecard. Nice read. Took me down memory lane, too. I got jumped in Kindergarten by a group of weak boys and beat them all up. Thanks

    T.

    Bullying happens over here in Japan too.

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  22. Hello Aj.

    You're lucky you have a summer vacation. I wish I had one too, but work, work, work keeps me busy. Enjoy and savor it. TC

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  23. what a good feature writer u are. keep it up!

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