Babysitter Cougar [COMPLETE]

Chapter 4 page 1 - The Bully

2001

I can no longer babysit Saint (I grew accustomed to this nickname) after school due to my packed schedule with afterschool tuition classes and cheerleading practices. So, Sabina limits my babysitting shifts to weekends or on my term break while arranging Saint to stay with his best friend, Jeffrey after school.

I'm earlier than my usual shift today. I arrive by Saint's school gate to pick him up from his Saturday football practice because Sabina is at the office as usual. I always thought that managers don't do extra work; they just direct people to do things for them while they go out to a spa, shopping or play golf. Well, that's what I presume from observing Dad coming home every day with a bunch of files to work on so that his boss can have them on the desk first thing in the morning. Sabina is different, I guess.

An unpleasant instinct rouse me when I spy Saint with a couple of bigger kids round him up by the corner of the basketball court with one of them holding a long thin baton, swinging by the side. Saint's petrified expression projecting in his face prompts me that something is a bit off in this picture.

I call out to Saint and they turn to me. I can tell Saint is relieved to see me from the unfurling creases in his face, but these kids don't budge. They shield him from me like holding him hostage. I don't usually confront bullies but when I draw near them, their small frame of less than 5ft has unconsciously made my 5ft 7 self to look like a giant.

"Who are you?" the taller one, presumably the leader of a two-boy gang demands.

"What's it to you?" I brave a response.

"You're not his mom. He doesn't have a sister," he counters back. "You can be dangerous. He's not coming with you."

"Really? You're the one with a weapon and you're calling me dangerous?" I snide. "Come on, Saint."

Saint reaches for my hand, but the taller kid yanks his friend's baton and whips a few strikes on him, making him to scream. I dash in between Saint and the boys to cover the child under my care from the lashing.

I become the taller kid's new target, accepting a few more clobbers from him while the smaller kid watches us in shock. The agony of having a solid metal rod contacted to my body repetitively is something indescribable that I thrash my arms out towards him when I can't withstand much longer.

I swiftly seize the baton from his hand to stop him from the beating. The movement is fast enough for the kid to not able to react to my speed.

"Hey! Give me back!" the taller kid demands.

"Come and get it!" I challenge, holding out the baton up to my shoulder level.

As they move forward, I twirl the baton on forward figure eight style, something I learned in cheerleading. I hold the baton at the centre of its gravity with my thumb and index finger before pivoting it with my wrist making the baton rotate faster like a chopper blade. I move the rotating baton from side to side which inadvertently terrorises them, fearing that it might hit their faces. Eventually they retreat and dash off for safety.

I curve a victory smile and chuck the baton aside before glancing over my shoulder for timid Saint. "Ready to go home?"

Saint nods wearily and clutches my hand as we both sashay towards the entrance gate to leave this compound. "Thank you, Kak Sofia."

I secretly feel ecstatic when Saint calls me Kakak (elder sister) out of respect. It means he takes the effort to grasp basic Malaysian culture and adapt it.

"It's okay," I grunt, concealing the ache from the beating. I bet Saint's in pain too. "You're alright, kid?"

"Yeah," he denies and I know he's not. It's impossible for his small limbs to absorb that inducing pain coming from that whip.

A/N - In most Asian countries, addressing anyone older/senior than you on a first name basis is considered disrespectful and inappropriate. So, in this context, it's common for Malaysians to address others as Kakak (Kak for short) or Abang (elder brother), uncle or auntie, sir or madam in their conversation (even they if are not family related).

You will see more of these scenarios in the later chapters.

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