The Orphan Child

Chapter 3

The young boy rose from his seat and left without a word or an atoms seed of guilt as he followed the furious pointing finger out to the principles office.

He had visited this place many times so he knew not to knock on the principles door and just wait patiently on the brown chair.

With a huff and anger building up slowly inside him he kicked his foot back and forth on the ground.

He hated his Maths teacher with all his heart and he knew the feeling was mutual on the other side.

A few other teachers walked by lifting their nose when they see the usual child back on the brown chair again. It wasn't something new and everyone had got used to seeing him either being told off or hearing his cries when he got the usual beating that he very much deserved.

Yet the boy never learned his lesson and somehow always managed to be back at the brown chairs.

This time however it was not his fault. The fault of another child had been misunderstood as Harris's but the teacher had not given a chance for Harris to explain himself and nor had the other child fessed up to the deed committed.

Harris knew better and thought he could handle the beating more than the scrawny kid with glasses.

A girl came skipping by with a green register in hand. She immediately stops when she sees Harris and eyes him warily.

Harris looked at her once and dismissed her kicking the ground harder this time which causes the girl to hurriedly hand in the register and spin on her heel back to her class.

A door opens and Harris doesn't bother to look up knowing it was the principle himself. This act alone bothers the Principal and he calls in Harris to discipline him with a strong warning at first.

"Assalamu Alaykum." Harris mumbles.

"Wa Alaykum Assalam." Principle Haq responds. Turning to face the boy sulking before him. His face was red from anger and his eyes refused to look up.

"May I know the reason as to why you have been sent to the brown chairs when it hasn't even reached Zhur Salah yet?"

"I don't know." Harris couldn't care less as to why he was back. Anything was better than the sight of his maths teacher.

"You don't know?" Principle Haq raises a questioning eye, refusing to believe this boy who was the cause to most of the daily reports the teachers hand in.

And then gritting his teeth and with more force "Yes. That is what I said." Harris forcefully speaks feeling the need to be stern because he felt like he wasn't being taken seriously. An act Principal Haq refused to accept from one of his students.

"Young man. Lower your voice. This is not the way to behave." Principal Haq's voice became deeper if at all possible as he shot a frightful look to the boy sulking in his chair digging his heels into the ground.

"You should tell that to your teacher then. He accused me of throwing a pencil across the room and shouted at me." Harris couldn't control the level of his voice and nor the rising anger he was holding together desperately. He wanted to be let off without a beating this time. He just wanted to go home back to his grandma and eat deliciously boiled eggs from her loving hands.

"Do you want a beating? Because the way you are talking it sure seems like you want one." Principle keeps his voice calm yet the way he said it was threatening enough for Harris to calm down and control his words.

Instead Harris counts his heartbeats as his grandmother advised him to do so. Whenever he felt anger and his heartbeats began to rise, he had to stop and count at least 10 heartbeats.

Harris did exactly as his grandmother advised and found himself calm again.

"Who is it that sent you?" Principle asks from behind his desk.

"Ustaad Jamal." Harris mumbles again with great distaste.

"Hmm. I shall speak with him and call you back after lunch. Now behave and go to class without a word or sound. Understood?" Principle looks directly.

"Understood." Harris gets up sullenly and leaves.

.......

After a brief conversation with Ustaad Jamal, the principle understood and was left with no choice but to punish the boy who had lied to his face and had also dared to raise his voice at the Principal of school. Never had he had behaviour like that before and decided it was a while since the boy had been reminded of the consequences. He must call him in again but he also had conducted an assembly which put him in a bit of a dilemma.

Minutes later, Harris and Ustaad Jamal entered together in the Principals office. The 2 men towered over the young boy yet Harris was the least bit fazed. He had been through much worse and it took more than that to scare him.

With a bitter glare at his maths teacher he lowered his gaze before he said something he would regret.

"Now Harris. Is it true you threw the pencil at your Ustaads head?" Principal folds his arms looking down at the boy.

Harris kept his mouth shut fiddling with his trouser pockets.

"Is it true?" Principal raises his voice not liking that he had to repeat himself.

"It's not like you'll believe me if I said I didn't." Harris eventually spat bitterly.

The two men shared a look knowing this typical behaviour they had witnessed many times. They both knew how it ended and so did Harris.

"Very well then. You had your chance to explain yourself and my decision is made up and final. You will get 10."

Harris wasn't afraid at all of getting 10 hits to his palm. Sure they hurt but at least Principal got lenient with every hit. He was meant to be the Scary Principle of the school yet he was the softie amongst all the men when it came to disciplining little children.

"I have to leave for the assembly. Ustaad Jamal do you mind taking the stick today?"

At this Harris diverted his eyes enough to see Principal Haq holding out his twig like stick. This isn't how Harris had wished it to be but he didn't let it show on his face.

"Not at all." Something about the way Ustaad Jamal twisted the stick in his hand made him look eager.

Harris for a moment thought about telling the truth. He shouldn't have to take hits for someone else's mistakes but it was much too late since Principle Haq hurried out leaving him to face a stern looking man who just couldn't wait to start the hitting. He just knew this man would hit mercilessly.

"Hand." Ustaad Jamal ordered. His face showed no sign of emotion.

Reluctantly Harris pulled his hands out his pockets. They had started to sweat with fear. He had never experienced Ustaad Jamals hits and nor did he wish to find out.

Ustaad raised his arm up high, he seemed quite good at hiding his excitement as he brought the stick down and lashed out on the orphan child who let out a scream unheard by all other as they were all neatly gathered far in the assembly hall waiting for Principal Haq to arrive and start the assembly.

A/N

A bit harsh, I know. This is not your typical story though so be prepared for all the upsetting scenes :)