I went out. Many thoughts came into my mind and troubled me. I reasoned that fighting Udodi back would earn me my respect and Mother would praise me even if he overpowered me as he did in the first time. But I feared that Mother would send me the third time if I was beaten twice. I gathered courage and entered the stream path. I wiped the tears from my face, and put on a fiercer heavy face. It was a time that my mind ran into many things. I would be beaten again. I would be humiliated.
From a distance, I heard the big boy’s companions, and Udodi was in their midst, boasting about how he overpowered me in the last fight we had. In previous times, despite my claim to be a cat, the others said that I was only a small child who grew up to dine with elders and I heard others say that I have become proud over the khaki short that my mother bought me, and that the next day he too will beat me, remove my khaki short and take it home. The only problem was envy over my new khaki short. More laughter went up in the air. They were spoilt brats, we had them all around. I was ashamed of myself and became twice shy. I was so full of fear that I could scarcely move and breathe.
My movement was jerky and I breathed heavily, and my heartbeat increased. Fear was all I was suffering from. I was almost near to them, when I heard a loud voice. It was Udodi.
‘There he is again.’
‘What for?’ the other cried out.
‘How would I know? He is not with anything?’ He replied.
‘He should be going to the farm to join his proud mother I suppose,’ the other suggested.
Those statements made me feel bad the more.
Udodi walked close to me, shouted right into my ears to humiliate me more and they cheered.
‘Where are you going?’ He asked again.
In blind fear, I let out a blow which hit him on the left side of his hand and caused his pot to fall. Before he regained consciousness, I slapped him again and gave him another blow on his mouth. There was something burning right inside me giving me the urge to do more. I could not resist it. His friends quaked with fear and stood watching the embattled Udodi. I was satisfied that I was accomplishing something. I gave him another blow between his two eyes and finally he cried out. I hit him again, he felled down and I fed him with sand and stones as I sat on top of him. He was totally humiliated.
None of his friends separated us. Knowing he had boasted, he would beat me, they were surprised at how I overcame him. I felt vindicated as they stood staring at me in utter disbelief. They stood exchanging glances and focused on Udodi who had long been shouting and twisting at the path over the pain in his eyes. They had never seen such frenzy and the courage I displayed amazed them. I taunted them to come and fight but none dared, while Udodi was in tears, raging and shouting.
I ran home immediately and did not talk to Mother, knowing I had accomplished something good. At least now, I would have her approval since I redeemed myself.
Some moments later, Udodi’s mother walked into our compound with her son, shouting my mother’s name and calling her to come out and see what I had done to her son.
‘Nkem, just come and see for yourself what your son did to my own son. We shall get to the root of this as I am not ready to take any rubbish from anyone anymore.’
‘To the root of what?’ Mother asked, adjusting her wrapper to make it firm, as she came out from our house to make a defense for me.
‘Come here Ikem.’ She beckoned to me ‘Tell me, what happened?’ She asked.
Mother looked at me, at Udodi and then his mother. I drew nearer to her but could not speak for fear, only moving my lips in search of what to say that would not distress my mother.
‘Nkem, I am just being nice for now. Don’t tell me that you are too blind to see what your son did to my son. Now that you cannot see well, I am keeping him here for you and for your son, should anything happen to him. I should tell you, should anything happen to him...’