The following is an excerpt from the chapter titled Fight.
There was this one time when we had a visiting magician at school. I was sitting on the bleachers in the school auditorium watching the magic show when an older student started to kick me from behind. He was sitting higher and the toe of his shoe stabbed me in the back. Ordinarily this was how I got treated by bullies and I would have let it pass. But I was keenly aware of at least a dozen eyes on me. It was a matter of respect.
I was Kalim Chida’s brother. Kalim took no disrespect. I told myself I couldn’t either. I turned around and told the bully to stop. He didn’t. I told him again. He didn’t stop. So I challenged him to meet me in the football field after school. The other children heard me. Soon after the event, a large crowd gathered in the field.
I could tell everyone was curious to see the little guy – the quiet and nervous little guy – fight someone more than twice his size. I could tell from what I saw and heard that they all believed he would finish me off in no time. In fact, I believed that too. But I put up a brave front because it was the thing to do. We walked and walked and it took forever to reach the middle of the field, which was good. I was going to be bashed up quite badly by this notorious kid. His friends cheered him on. I was hoping someone would arrive – one of my older brothers or their friends who also studied at the same school in higher classes – and stop the fight. No one came.
I recall, as the two of us walked ahead of the crowds, I kept complaining that the grass on the field wasn't enough. I think it annoyed my tormentor. Without a warning, he punched me in the face. It had begun....
