On his way out he heard a lot of noise coming from the main gate of the school. He rushed to see what was going. Some boys where bullying his new friend Wonder. Morris ran to his friend. He approached the crowd and stood at the centre of the bully ring. He pushed his friend backwards trying to save him from the bullies.

“Hey… leave him alone! He’s had enough of you now,” said Morris furiously when he saw that his friend was bleeding.

“Ha ha ha who do you think you are stupid boy?” Akhah, the boss of the bullying gang, asked with laughter.

“I’m me do you have a problem with that clever boy?” Morris did not hesitate to answer him.

Morris was not afraid. He told himself that he would beat the hell out of a person if he pushed his wrong button. And when they bullied his new friend, they pushed all the wrong ones. But he didn’t like fighting. Akhah pushed him and everyone started chanting.

AKHAH! AKHAH! AKHAH!

Wonder’s his young sister, Neliswa, was also there, watching. Morris had met her during the break when Wonder went to share lunch with her.

They boys fought. Morris attacked Akhah until he bled. When he saw that he was bleeding he took his bag and pulled his friend from the pavement and they went home.

Everybody was surprised, even his friend Wonder was shocked. Everyone in the school was afraid of Akhah and nobody has ever stood up to him before.

“Are you also going to beat me if I bully my brother?” Neliswa asked Morris in her little angelic voice. The trio laughed heartily as they headed home.

It was time for goodbyes because they were all near their houses. Wonder was thankful that his new friend helped him, but Morris was annoyed because his top had a blood stain on it. It was Akhah’s blood.

When he got home he tried to wash it but the stain was already dry. When it wouldn’t properly come out he gave up and hung his shirt on the washing line. After that he went inside to eat. He was already hungry from the time he was washing his shirt.

Later his mom arrived with his new uniform and some grocery for them. She was so excited she didn’t even notice the shirt on the line.

“Hello my boy, guess what is in those plastics?” his mother asked with excitement.

“What’s inside?” said Morris heading to see what was in there. “Mom, why did you buy the groceries?” Morris asked his mom curiously.

In the two years that he had been living with his parents, Morris had never seen his dad with walking in with groceries. He knew he worked on the mines, and that must pay very well. All the other kids whose fathers worked there had money and they did things for them. But Torus never did anything for his family. He drank all his money and beat up his wife when he was drunk. Morris hated him because he was so cruel.

“Morris listen, I had to buy groceries for us because we were almost out,” explained his mom.

“Why don’t you tell dad to buy the groceries because he has a job that is way better than yours? Are you afraid to confront him? You have to do something about this or else I will tell granny that dad is…”

“That’s enough, Morris!” his mother yelled at him. “Don’t you ever talk to me like that because I’m your mother. Where are your manners wena mfana? I’m trying my best to give you the best but you just…” his mother cried.

Thabile was a soft woman. She had a big heart that couldn’t take a lot of pain. All she lived for was Morris. And seeing him hurt and turning into an angry young boy scared her. He was right though, she had to do something. But she was too afraid of what Torus might do to them if she tried to leave.

Morris tried to apologise but his mother wanted to be alone.

“Just go and play outside,” she said with tears rolling down her face.

***

Tell us: What would you do if you were in Thabile’s shoes? Can Morris help his mother? How