THE PRICE OF STANDING TALL
791 Words
The classroom buzzed with excitement as the lunch bell rang. Students dashed out in a flurry of chatter, eager to grab their meals and claim their favorite spots in the yard. Odeny lingered behind, carefully placing his books in his bag.
“Hey, village boy!” a voice called from the doorway.
Odeny looked up to see Samir, a boy known for his sharp tongue and louder-than-necessary laugh. He was flanked by two of his friends, who stood with arms crossed and smug grins on their faces.
“What do you want, Samir?” Odeny asked, his voice calm but his hands tightening on the strap of his bag.
Samir smirked. “Just curious. Do they even have schools in the village? Or did you learn how to write in the dirt with sticks?”
The boys behind him chuckled.
Odeny felt a flush of anger rise in his chest. He had heard comments like this before, but something about Samir’s tone struck a nerve. “I’m here now, aren’t I? So I guess the village didn’t do too badly.”
Samir’s grin faltered for a moment, but he quickly recovered. “Big words for someone who can’t even do fractions.”
The insult stung, but Odeny refused to show it. “Better to struggle and learn than to act like you know everything and fail anyway.”
The boys laughed harder, but this time it wasn’t at Odeny—it was at Samir. The smirk on his face disappeared completely, replaced by a scowl.
“You think you’re smart, huh?” Samir stepped closer, his tone darker now. “Let’s see how smart you are when I teach you a lesson.”
---
The yard was loud with the usual lunchtime chaos, but a few students noticed as Samir and his friends began circling Odeny. Baraka, sitting nearby, immediately stood up and started toward them.
“Leave him alone, Samir,” Baraka called out, his voice cutting through the noise.
Samir turned to him with a sneer. “What’s it to you, Baraka? This isn’t your business.”
“It is now,” Baraka said, stepping between Samir and Odeny. He was shorter than Samir, but his confidence was unshaken.
Odeny, grateful but unwilling to let Baraka fight his battles, stepped forward. “I can handle this, Baraka.”
“Really? Handle what?” Samir asked, pushing Odeny’s shoulder lightly but enough to provoke.
Odeny held his ground, meeting Samir’s glare. “I’m not afraid of you.”
The students nearby stopped to watch. A small crowd began forming, whispers passing among them.
---
Just as Samir raised his hand, presumably to shove Odeny harder this time, a sharp voice rang out.
“What is going on here?”
The crowd parted, and Ms. Kamau, the art teacher, strode into the circle. Her eyes were stern as she looked between the boys.
“Samir, Odeny, Baraka—my office. Now.”
Samir glared at Odeny but said nothing, his bravado quickly replaced with unease.
---
In the teacher’s office, Ms. Kamau listened as each boy explained their version of events. Samir tried to twist the story, painting Odeny as the instigator, but Baraka quickly corrected him.
“He was just standing up for himself,” Baraka said firmly. “Samir started it.”
Ms. Kamau sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. “I don’t tolerate bullying in my class or anywhere in this school. Samir, you will write an apology to Odeny, and I expect better behavior from you moving forward. Do I make myself clear?”
Samir muttered something under his breath, but a sharp look from Ms. Kamau made him straighten. “Yes, ma’am.”
She turned to Odeny and Baraka. “You two can go, but Odeny, next time, come to a teacher if you’re being provoked. Don’t let it escalate.”
Odeny nodded. “Yes, ma’am.”
---
As they walked back to the yard, Baraka clapped Odeny on the back. “You did good, man. Samir’s been a bully for years. Someone needed to stand up to him.”
Odeny smiled faintly. “Thanks for stepping in. I didn’t want you to get in trouble for me.”
Baraka grinned. “Trouble’s my middle name. Besides, what are friends for?”
For the rest of the day, Odeny noticed the way some of the other students looked at him. There was no longer the dismissive sneer he had grown used to. Some even smiled or nodded in quiet acknowledgment.
Standing up to Samir hadn’t just earned him a measure of respect—it had reminded Odeny of his own strength.
For the first time since arriving at the school, he felt like he belonged.
- Writer
