03 - The Cruise on the Channel

Chapter 15

Year 1.

There are seemingly harmless events in a person's life, but life-changing events that you don't realize when they appear to be so important.

So, it is with me. I didn't realize when it happened that it was a moment that would change everything. When Jesus Christ was born, they made it in Year 1. But it was many years later. At the time, no one knew that it was an important event that would change the face of the world.

I went to this fair in Lasne. It was not far from home, and I had been able to cycle with my great friends Stephen Cambier and Thomas Cremers, as well as the latter's parents.

The event was on a field, there were tents for activities, and some classic fairground attractions: self-bumper, rides, ducks, etc.

The Ransbeck.

We had a ride on the bumper cars, then we went for a walk to examine all the attractions. Many adults were busy drinking from the few bars.

I was a little over eleven, it was a weekend in September 1979, shortly after the beginning of the school year. I had just entered secondary 1 at the school of Christ the King.

During a hide and seek game, I went to hide at the other end of the plain, near the woods. I was sitting behind a tree, proud of my hiding place, when I saw a girl getting annoyed by a bunch of older boys. There were four of them on bikes; they circled her, threw clumps of earth and worms at her. She was trying to defend herself, but what could she really do? She refused to kiss them, and they didn't like it.

Usually, I was quite cowardly, I never intervened in such stories for fear of reprisals. But when I saw this pretty girl being treated like this, I got up, without knowing why, armed with a courage that I didn't know myself. I approached the group and ordered them to stop.

— What do you want, little cunt? Go play the doll and leave the grown-ups.

— No, leave her alone, I heard myself say.

The girl looked at me intently, almost amazed. She had to tell herself that her saviour was not going to be able to do much.

One of the big boys stopped turning around the girl and headed for me. He grabbed my collar.

— Get out, understand?

I didn't have enough strength to make him let go. I clumsily tried to take his wrist. He pushed me to the ground, but I got up very quickly, without harm.

— Haven't you had enough? Fuck off, I tell you.

I didn't move, remaining stoic, with nevertheless a ball of fear in the belly, a ball which I felt by too often as soon as there was a brawl. Usually, I would turn around and go my way, this time I would face him, with an unknown will to stand up to him. And yet I was trembling with fear. The pretty girl was still looking at me, with an air of hope and resignation.

He got off his bike, imitated by the others. The four boys surrounded me with a nasty look. They must have been fifteen, but they still needed to be together against me.

I felt myself clutched from behind. Two boys grabbed my arms and immobilized me. The one who walked first to me punched me in the plexus. It hurt me very much, took my breath away. Paralyzed with pain, I bowed forward. And without being able to hold back, with all the shame in the world, I burst into tears in front of the girl I had just tried to rescue. Another punched me and hit my cheek. They dropped me to the ground and kicked me. I screamed in pain and fear.

Maybe twenty kicks, which never seemed to stop. I was left lying knocked out. The girl cried out. As if they were in another room, far away, I heard them get back on their bikes and leave. I lied on the ground; my eyes veiled in tears. I suffered, especially the blow in the plexus and in the cheek. My body ached everywhere because of the kicks.