Unbroken

Bullied

With fear, Henrietta slowly raised her hands. Mr. Kumberbatch looked at that surprisedly.

"So, you want to answer the question? Great. Tell me what are those."

Henrietta stood up and said them all with a proper flow without getting stuck, "The chambers of heart are: right atrium, right ventricle, left atrium, left ventricle."

"Amazing! You are brilliant, Henrietta. If you don't mind me asking, how did you learn these?"

"Sir, I learnt them from the brail book. Those are book made specially for the visually impaired students with rough touchable letters."

Mr. Kumberbatch stared at her for few seconds without blinking.
"You are extraordinary. You will shine in life. You may sit down."

Henrietta sat down. She was feeling grateful to Mr. Kumberbatch for not asking her about her blindness in brief.

Fifty minutes ran out like a blow. No other student enjoyed the class more than Henrietta. Theory of relativity worked for both of them. Henrietta felt that the class duration was pretty short whilst the other thought it was long like hell.

It was break time. All ran towards the corridor and the stairs. They were up to settling dates for them selves.

Silvia opened her lunch box and brought out a sandwich for herself. Then, she gave it to Henrietta.

"Henrietta. Have some please. Its a chicken sandwich."

"Thank you, Silvia. But I am full. Sorry for that."

Silvia looked at her with sorrow in her eyes.
"I know what you are full of. You are full with sorrows of being mocked by Jason. Right? But remember, all are not the same. This was your first day. So, they behaved with you like strangers."

"I know, Silvia. But, I am feeling diminished. I think I lost my courage of attending high school. It is not meant for me, neither I am worth it."

"Never listen to others bullshit. If you skip school from tomorrow, those nonsense people are going to celebrate. Even, this Jason would die of laughing that he did a work of credit to bully a girl and oust from the school. Do you want that to happen?"

Henrietta thought, "You're absolutely right, Silvia. I should not pay heed to them and not let them conquer me."

Silvia held her hand and smiled, "That's the spirit."
***
School broke at 1.30 pm. Henrietta waited for all to get downstairs so she could find it easier.

Silvia ran out of the class. Then, she again came back.
"Why are you sitting here? The school has broken."

"Actually, I can't walk though them. I will slip in the rush. Moreover, I don't know where my mom will wait for me in the school campus, so, I am a bit anxious for that."

"You don't need to worry. Get up. The school is almost empty. Let me take you to your mom."

Silvia held her hands and they walked down the stairs. Henrietta was feeling nostalgic. She is habituated by getting joked by people, not being helped or loved.

Mom was waiting at the lawn. She was filled with tension. She thought how Henrietta would find her in such a huge school campus.

Then, she saw Henrietta coming with another pretty girl with black straight hair. That girl stood with Henrietta in front of Mrs. Meredith and greeted politely.

"Good afternoon, mam. I am Silvia Emerson. Nice to meet you."

Mom was amazed by the courtesy and etiquette of Silvia.
"Good afternoon, Silvia. Nice to meet you too. Thank you so much for making Henrietta reach me."

"My pleasure. But it is a matter of embarrassment for us that a guy named Jason behaved a bit badly with her. I am extremely sorry on Hus behalf."

"No no! Why should you apologize? You have done something appreciable by helping her."

Henrietta exhaled in relief. She was feeling gratitude towards Silvia for not disclosing the incidence of abusing Jason physically. Mom would have gotten too hurt hearing that. She had not send Henrietta to highschool to fight. That was idiotic.

"So, Henrietta. How was school?"

"Is that any question to ask when an amazing girl like Silvia is around? She helped me so greatly as well as the teachers. The students behaved ridiculously although but they were not bad."

Mom smiled, Silvia giggled as she knew how funny those students looked in their astonished faces and wide opened eyes.

As they had their conversation finished, they walked towards the road where the car was parked. The sun has leaned obliquely and it shined so brightly. Looking at the radiance, Henrietta promised herself that would shine like the sun in the sky when its day and would shine like a diamond when its evening.