09/07/1979. Day Three Thousand Two Hundred and Fifty Three.
"Next year we'll be old enough to join the school's athletic teams", says Fellipe, while walking in between them, "finally school is about to get interesting!"
"Mostly for you", says Chase, "you are the fastest between us"
"Perhaps in the entire grade"
"So, you'll for sure make it"
"Gregor and I, though…that's a different story"
"Don't worry about it", Fellipe reassured, "if you two just continue to stick with me and you will learn how to run"
"I'll teach you both, how to stand on the podium"
"Podium?", Gregor chimed in, "aren't we getting too ahead of ourselves here?"
"Gregor…how old are you?", asked Fellipe and intentionally slowed down their pace.
"What do you mean?", Gregor, reciprocates Fellipe's suspicious expression with an inquiring tone.
"Go on, remind us how old you are?"
"I'll be Nine years old soon", Gregor replied.
"Exactly!", said Fellipe, striking his friend's forehead, "you are still a child, like me, like Chase, like everyone"
"Leave all the questions to our parents and those that call themselves adults"
"We kids, should just run and do stuff and do more stuff, do the best that we can from everything we want to do"
"All that questioning of this and that, and the doubts, is the blah, blah, blah, which all parents are already talented in"
"A talent they can keep and eat alone, I don't want no part of it"
"No part!", he yells at himself.
"You know my father", he began, "this one time he sat me down and went on and on about things I didn't even know"
"Life this, life that, friends this, friends that"
"While he was talking, on and on, I tell you, on and on"
"I realized I had to read a dictionary just to keep up with everything he was telling me"
"And even then, I still wasn't sure what he was talking about"
"Until the realisation hit me"
"Like a truck, I tell you, a truck!"
"Our parents are the experts of negativity, they are so good at it, that they gave it a name", the moment he paused, the other two did the same. Fellipe gave each a suspicious eye to build some anticipation.
"Whenever our parents are being negative"
"They just phrase it as parental advice"
"Or better yet, they call it wisdom"
"And Gregor, as your friend", he continued, "I must tell you, brother"
"Lately you've been giving us too much – wisdom"
"Take it like this"
"If I have to read a dictionary to understand the ramblings of my father, than I'm probably not of age to act the way he does"
"So stop"
"You question too much. Leave that to the adults"
"They have all this so called wisdom, our job is to just run and keep running"
"And if we break our legs, well then…that's when you tell your parents and hope for the best", Fellipe laughed excessively, leaving Gregor and Chase stunned.
"I act like an adult?", young Gregor says, "have you heard yourself?"
"You don't even sound nine years old"
"What are you talking about?", Fellipe replies, "I'm only eight years old"
"Next year is around the corner", he says, "stick with me and I'll teach you how to win silver and bronze medals"
"Silver and bronze?", asked Chase, "what about Gold?"
"Sorry, Gold is occupied until further notice"
"Looks like you summoned your father", Gregor interrupts and points him in the direction of his sighting.
"Oh mother!", Fellipe says out loud, "looks like the dictionary man is here"
"Fingers crossed, I hope he didn't hear me", he whispered as if his dad was nearby.
"See you guys tomorrow"
"Bye"
"Bye"
Moments after Fellipe's departure, chaos seemed to have erupted on the outskirts of the school. Learners around Gregor began sprinting out of school.
"Oh, boy", Chase remarks, "it seems like there's a fight"
"Come on, hurry! We're going to miss it!", he says as and ran after the crowd, Gregor had a slower reaction, but was right behind him.
They crossed the street and in little time found themselves in the park, where the alleged fight was taking place. A big circle had already formed.
Such that all they get from this view are the backs and shoulders of learners much taller than themselves.
The crowd is rowdier than ever, cheering and encouraging the ongoing battle. Following Chase's lead, Gregor tries his level best to squeeze his way in.
But receives too many push backs, and rubs off to progress through the mess, he witnesses Chase fight his way in, and decides to give up on trying.
"Woah!", says a tall guy in the back, "who could have known girls' fighting would be this entertaining"
"Let's go!"
The boy waited but felt anxious in doing so, his eyes tried to find Lusanda amongst the crowd.
"Gregor!", Chase calls, wrinkling out of the crowd, "it's your sister! She's fighting"
"What do we do, now?", he worried.
"I don't know", replied Chase, "I was enjoying the fight, until I recognized your sister, three girls are fighting"
Gregor attempts to squeeze in again, with greater effort than before when the crowd spread out and ran away before he can reach the epicentre.
"Lusanda!", his shout lost in the noise of the scattering crowd, but they gave enough way for him to catch a glimpse of the brawl.
It wasn't a three way fight, it was a two versus one fight.
Lusanda and her friend were going against someone he has never seen. The friend did her best to keep their opponent down by climbing on her back, but was struggling to keep her pinned, as the opponent's right side was mobile enough to get a grasp of Lusanda's leg but failed an attempt to trip her over.
Lusanda forcefully freed her leg, and landed multiple punches on the back of her opponents head. After momentarily freezing, young Gregor tried to get in there, but a teacher caught on before he could.
The teacher, he realised, is the reason the crowd scattered. He came in swinging a thick leather belt, so ferociously all three broke up the fight to avoid getting hit.
Lusanda and her friend laughed it off as they ran from the scene. Unaware of her younger brother's presence.
09/07/1979. Day Three Thousand Two Hundred and Fifty Three.
"I won't be getting suspended", she finally said as they made their way in, "the fight wasn't on the school grounds, or during school time, so the teachers can't do anything", she said while smirking.
"Are…you…okay?", asked young Gregor as the door cracked open.
"I'm fine", she replied and headed in, "I got a few bruises, but we won, I beat up that freak"
When he made his way in, Lusanda hands him a can of cooldrink, "this is for you", she says, "it wasn't even a fight, we were standing up to a bully"
"But if anyone asks about my bruise, just say I fell on the way home"
"Okay?"
09/07/1979. Day Three Thousand Two Hundred and Fifty Three.
"Gregor", said Cynthia in a worried tone, as he pages through a book with the aid of an afternoon candle.
"Is it true?", she asked with Lusanda standing beside her, "did your sister fall today?"
"How did she fall?"
"I already told you how it happened, you don't have to ask him", she explained.
"She fell", Gregor said, "but I wasn't paying attention so I never saw how"
"Oh, I see"
"I'll have to run to the market to get something for that bruise"
"Can I come with?", asked Gregor, anxiously.
"No", replied his mother, "the sooner you finish reading the sooner you put your eyes to rest"
27/10/1979. Day Three Thousand Three Hundred and Sixty Three.
"Where did you run off to?", asked Fellipe with Chase looking on.
"Oh, didn't I tell you?", said young Gregor, "I had to go get my crayons and pens from my sister", he revealed, while holding the crayons up.
"I had borrowed them yesterday, she forgot to return them"
"But it took you too long", said Chase as the bell rang, "now lunchtime is already over"
"Sorry, guys"
"There is still a next time to play"
27/10/1979. Day Three Thousand Three Hundred and Sixty Three.
By this point the walk back home was Gregor following Lusanda and her friends from behind. Her group of peers lived in the neighbourhood, and would only depart and say their goodbyes when each met their respective turns.
"See ya tomorrow!", she had said, waving the last of her friends goodbye.
So did Gregor, in a shy manner.
"What's wrong with you!?", bickered Lusanda as soon as her friends were gone, "you couldn't have waited until we got home to retrieve your crayons?"
"You just had to walk in on me again", she scolded, and frowned, "it's like you don't know how to mind yourself"
"Yes, I have a boyfriend! Yes, I kiss dudes!"
"Yes, I do so many things that are against the rules!"
"But as you know, she's not my mom, so I don't have to follow those rules!"
"And if you didn't constantly bother me, and nag me, and stay by my side like a pet"
"You wouldn't have to lie on my behalf, or do me any favours, so all of that is your own fault", she said.
"How old are you again!?"
"Nine", he mumbled.
"Exactly. I didn't get a baby sitter, so, unlike you I knew how to get home on my own"
"When you learn to mind your own business, school will be better for you, and especially..."
"Me!"
"Jeez...stop invading my space all the time"
"It's getting annoying"
"Grow up Gregor, grow up"
29/10/1979. Day Three Thousand Three Hundred and Sixty Five.
"Again nothing interesting happened this week", repeated his mother.
"Yeah...pretty much", Gregor had replied.
"School gets a little repetitive after a while", he continued, "unless of course you want me to say everything I've learned…which is a lot"
"No. You don't have to"
"If nothing is happening than that's good"
Cynthia stared at him for quite a while, it felt as if she was, for the rarest of times, inspecting him.
"I realise now", she continued, "I may have burdened you too much"
"I…might be putting you in a spot that leaves you without knowing what to do", she remarked.
"Mom…what are you talking about?", he asked.
"From now on, speak only when you're comfortable enough to tell, but don't hide too much"
"Because it is very hard to parent what I don't know"
07/01/1980. Day Three Thousand Four Hundred and Thirty Five.
"Gregor", Cynthia said, "it appears like…"
"How do I say this?", she muttered.
"Your sister is pregnant"
"Your father will be home soon, to deal with the situation"
"I need you to go stay at aunty Dorothy's place for the next couple of days"
"I'll drop in from time to time", she said, "so, don't worry you'll be fine"
"And she's okay with it"