𝙄𝙣𝙙𝙤𝙤𝙧 𝙋𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙨𝙨

|5| Poisoned

My morning was bright!

I felt good. Felt alive. Ready to take on the world.

In fact, it had almost seemed as though I hadn't gone to bed the night before pledging to never talk to my mother ever again.

Sunrise seemed to mean hope and a clean slate and subconsciously, I think I knew that.

Unfortunately, a sprained toe was still a sprained toe even with the the coming of sunrise. Lucky for me, the ice treatment the day before had reduced the swelling and pain considerably. I only felt minor jabs when I walked, which was good news.

Wait... did someone just call my name?

I came to a halt. Right there on the school's court yard, doubling as an assembly ground. The ash-coloured pavement bricks were grity underneath my white sneakers. Looking around there was no one I recognised. Just parents rushing their kids in, friends in each other's company. And oh, the cacophony of early morning conversations diffusing through thick concrete walls and opened windows just before morning assembly.

As I stood lingering on the court like the compound monitor I was not, the school bus finally came screeching to a park just outside the school gates, and it had had me gawking. I wanted to understand why Fiifi was resolved to stop taking the bus. An argument that had in fact gone through our parents' deaf ears that morning at break fast.

Taking in the stock of the students arriving in through the gates, I giggled under my breath while they hustled and bustled down the court where I lingered. Majority of the students who took the bus were obviously in nursery and kindergarten. Why hadn't I noticed that sooner? I had no idea. I suppose times had changed.

I spotted Danny and Fiifi sauntering in. Their Power Rangers backpack hitched behind their back. Fiifi, holding onto a tiny kid I never knew existed until that day.

I raised my hand. Waving them over and then proceeded to ask Fiifi, "Whose child is this?"

Curious, I stared down into the big innocent eyes of the little boy looking up at me with his cute little backpack strapped to his back, and probably wondering why I was so tall. His eyes are so clear. And look at his shimmering pupils, wow...he'll be a looker in the future.

Mesmerized, I watched him rub those eyes obviously not fully awake. For a second, I was lost wondering when his mother had woken him up for school. He looked like someone who would have workaholic parents. Poor kid.

"Who is this?" I asked again, staring down at Fiifi and reaching lower to pull gently at the kid's soft, baby cheeks.

"Just someone we come to school with nowadays," Fiifi answered, his expression a little agitated.

Danny grouched beside Fiifi. "Dzi, you have to tell maa and daa. We don't want to take the bus anymore."

Oh, see who's talking.

Fiifi supported, "Just look around," I didn't have to. I already knew what they were getting at. "None of our mates take the bus anymore. It's embarrassing for me to be the odd one out."

I chuckled .

"Stop chuckling Dzitorkoe!" Fiifi pushed past me with the child towards the nursery block. I followed. "Why can't we just pick our own taxi like you do?"

"That's absurd. They will never let you do that till you're my age. It's dangerous since you guys are too young. "I told him.

"Some of my friends are taking their own taxis to school and they're also just eight years," Danny chipped in defending his case.