He was shy but beautiful. "He should have been a girl", that's what I heard people say. But, Did he always have to cry? Did he have to be quiet? - this is a short story of mawuihe, a boy who had to embrace bravery in his own little way!
Back here at the shore, he bent down and kept cracking the nut in the sand. "_ you left us huh?! Coward!" Gallo pushed his shoulder. I watched with disgust. The boys laughed. "You're always different!" Zunei shouted in annoyance. "He's a girl!" Nwanga, another boy sniggered. They roared into laughter. Mawuihes heart was running as if to grab hold of his one time day dream - that he had taught Gallo a lesson.
"I'm talking to you!" Mawuihe woke from his thoughts when Gallo held his frail arms and straightened him. He hadn't heard him. Are you no longer a part of us?" Gallo asked again. "Let go!" Mawuihe cried.He struggled and let himself go, "I don't want to be part anymore!" He said and cursed himself for blurting out the words. Gallo laughed loudly for a long time. "_then this is all you'll keep doing?" He kept on, "crack nuts which will never break!" Fermi, another added.
Gallo kicked his gathered nuts away that they scattered in the sand. Mawuihes eyes turn hot red. He wiped a tear from his eyes while his heart beat raced wildly. He stood up to Gallo and faced him.
"What are you gonna do!" Gallo shouted at him.
"What I am going to do!" He also shouted in his feeble voice. The boys stared at his legs that shivered in fright. "Why do you always want to beat me up?! I have done you nothing! Why !" He thrust himself over him and ducked when Gallo almost grabbed his arms again. Gallo fell back and Mawuihe quickly squatted and threw sand in his face.
"Ah" Gallo yelped in pain before he could get up to his feet. Mawuihe had hit his forehead! He had picked the broken stone with the sand he fetched. He bled. The others ran off scared to be in trouble. The bully cursed him. Mawuihe screamed at him while he rubbed his eyes! "Stop hating me! I hate you too!" He ran off too!
I called after him! The poor boy was crying even in his win, running back to his house probably mumbling a lot of words that couldn't be heard. I stopped him. "That was good! Hey! Don't be afraid huh!" That was all I remember saying. He hugged me! Very tightly and I cried with him feeling his beating heart. That's how I met my first friend in Mombasa.
Mawuihe's daydream had just come true! The bully's master was just broken sea rock!
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