Tomorrow's First Step.

Round 2: Pagi Yang Gelap

"Zaki, this is the 4th time you've come back with bruises this week. Your teacher is starting to get really worried.. You have a black eye! Gosh.."

Zaki sat on the couch, his dad applying a bag of frozen chicken nuggets to his bruised eye. With his son wincing with each contact and tears forming in his eyes, his dad figured to try to at least uplift the situation.

"Zaki, we're going out to a friend's place this weekend, after your madrasah classes on Saturday morning. He is a good friend of mama and I."

"Really? Whose house is it?"

"You haven't met them yet, you will find out."

Saturday afternoon. Zaki and his father enter a gym. The young boy is immediately overwhelmed by the many sights and sounds he is experiencing. Many tall men wearing special gloves were throwing all kinds of punches at large sandbags, some being hit so hard they were sent up with the sound of chains rattling.

"Eh, Amir!"

Zaki instinctively hides behind his dad, a burly man approaching him. Long curly hair stretches down to his shoulder, dark-skinned with a smile on his face.

"Singh, how are you man?"

"Im alright, how about you?"

Zaki's dad shakes his hand indicating it's been fine.

"And this boy right here must be Zaki, right?"

Zaki peeps out from behind his dad, nodding softly.

"OK, come. Uncle Singh want to show you something."

Zaki looked up at his dad, with a minor look of concern on his face.

"Don't worry, you stay with Uncle Singh and the abang-abang here first. Papa need to go work for a bit."

Zaki followed the taller man, he was soon posed in front of a boxing ring. Inside, he spots two teens sparring in the ring. One is a much taller boy, around 165cm. The other is shorter. They both go on fighting, Zaki's eyes fixated on the taller boy as he seemingly dances around the ring, pestering the shorter boy with jabs.

"DING!"

The two boys stop, fist-bumping each other and coming down from the ring.

"Jordan, come, say hi to Zaki."

The tall boy towered over Zaki by miles, Zaki having to crane his neck back just to look the other in the eyes.

"Hi, I'm Jordan. Im in Sec 1." (Note: Sec 1 is similar to 7th grade, so 12-13 years old)

"Im..Zaki, Im P5." (P5 is similar to 5th Grade, 10-11)

The two shook hands, the younger boy being slightly taken aback by the size of Jordan's hands. The size difference, was, a bit of a shock.

"Coach told me you get bullied a lot, is that true?"

The smaller boy nodded softly.

"You wanna try the punching bag? Pretend as if it's your bullies."

Zaki nodded, he seemed a bit more excited now, being led by the older boy to a heavy bag. Jordan got into a stance, which Zaki copied. Left foot and left fist in front. 

"You want to hit with your left or right?"

Zaki raised his right fist.

Jordan nods, immediately hitting a body hook with the right. He moves aside, about to explain his technique when-

"BANG!"

Zaki had already gotten a shot at the bag.

"WAIT."

Zaki looked up at Jordan.

"Do that again I never see."

Zaki took another shot, his right fist hitting the bag almost flawlessly. Jordan's  mouth goes agape. 

"Uhm, Coach?"

Zaki zoned out, looking at his fist, his knuckles were red, the pain stinging in them, but..it felt good, really good actually. Coach soon returned, seeing Zaki's knuckles, and hearing the weird sound from earlier..

"Zaki, did you hit that bag?"

Zaki, afraid for his life, nodded slowly.

"...Amazing. I haven't seen anyone hit the bag like that.. If you were a pro boxer that would've knocked your opponent out."

The young boy's eyes lit up.

"REALLY?"

"Yes, Zaki. Do you want to learn how to become stronger?"

He excitedly nodded.

"Well then, if you want to become stronger, train under me and Jordan. He will help you."

Zaki grins from ear to ear. Now this is certainly a start to something..quite exciting.