Snippets of Time

13. Toto and Harry

Toto was slow.

But he wasn't stupid.

"You could never beat me in a race," Harry sneered for the umpteenth time. "You couldn't even beat a two year old."

Toto was eight, but he knew Harry was right. That didn't make the insult any less painful, though. He'd gotten used to the snide remarks, learnt to control his anger and not fight back—it would be futile.

But everyone has a limit.

"I bet you couldn't even outrun a snail!" Harry cackled as his cronies echoed after him.

"I could," Toto murmured with gritted teeth, but it was drowned out by the howling.

"What did you say?" Harry pressed as the laughter died down.

"Nothing."

"I said, what did you say?"

"I said I could beat you!" Toto erupted in a wave of uncontrolled rage. His steely facade had broken for the first time. "I could beat you in a race, easily."

"Oh, really?" Harry smirked, knowing he had all the ammunition he needed. "Let's do it then. Let's race, today."

"Fine." Toto was furious at himself for losing control and falling into Harry's trap. There was no way to back down now without seeming like a coward.

"But for it to be a fair race, we can't use anything to help us."

Toto was silent.

"Three o'clock when school ends, we'll run from the school field up to the train station. And the only thing we're allowed is a bottle of water. Any questions?"

"No," Toto replied. "No questions."

By three o'clock, the rumour had spread to almost the whole school that Toto and Harry were having a race. An almost claustrophobic crowd of excited children was gathered in the school field where Harry and Toto were lined up, ready to run the five mile journey to the station. Aesop—a friend of Harry's—was going through the rules and last minute checks.

"I believe we decided that no resources can be used except for a bottle of water," Aesop announced, trying to yell over the deafening crowd.

Toto sighed, and obediently climbed off of his wheelchair, his limbless stump of a torso hitting the ground with a hard thud. He didn't bring any water as he'd need his hands to manoeuvre.

"Alright!" Aesop called out. "The race starts when I say go. Three, two, one, GO!"

The crowd erupted into a thunderous cheer as Harry immediately sprinted off into the distance, Toto dragging his body slowly behind him.

Toto was slow.

But he wasn't stupid.

Harry was halfway through the journey when he decided to take his first swig of water. That's when his vision started to blur and his legs begun to wobble. He didn't even notice that the manhole cover was missing when his trembling foot slipped in, his convulsing body falling several metres into the sewers, shattering the bones in his legs.

All the children had gathered around the hole, some screaming and crying in fear, others trying to get the unconscious boy out, and the smartest ones trying to find grown-ups to help.

Several hours later, not a single soul noticed as the exhausted, gasping and bleeding Toto heaved himself past the finish line.

***

Written in Aug 2021