Stuart my friend

Was this a defining moment in disguise. Is everything today the way it is, whether good or bad because of that one moment.
I was 13 playing tennis in the local park. Daniel my friend accidentally hit the ball over the chicken wired fence, a boy watching runs to grab the tennis ball for us, but before he does a local boy picks it up and starts running away with the ball. The boy who was Hoping to get the ball for us trips the local and takes the ball of him and throws it back over the fence to us. Daniel and I continue playing but it wasn't too long before that local young boy, came back with what looked like adults, his father and fathers friends and brothers and brothers friends. That young local boy pointed at me and they all came into the tennis court. The word paki were causing me the pain while they hit me with mine and Daniela tennis rackets and their fists. I was kicked in the head multiple times but felt very little. As they stopped, Stuart picked me up and said let me help you. Stuart was a kid I knew from the local boys brigade. As I smiled and the comfort of him helping me up, he punched me.
I was found in a stream just behind the tennis courts by a woman walking her dog.

31 years later a life of working in a petrol station in Jamaica Queens at 18, working in a burrito factory in del mar San Diego at 20, owner of a fish and chip shop in Camden Town at 21 where local gangs would hide their drugs in my basement, the owner of an estate agency at 44, a Brazilian jiu jitsu coach for kids and training as a blue belt under Onuma.

My dark side won't leave me at 44. The Answer it is because of that one defining moment.

It wasn't the beating or the racist names shouted, it was that smiling face, that moment of me feeling safe to then be knocked down.