La
Licorne
FRANKY
Meanwhile I had been enrolled into
primary school, which was run by the Reverend Brothers of the Beyaert. It was a big school with three classrooms for each
grade. In which group one was placed, discretely but obviously, depended on
family status. I had the privilege to be admitted to caste A,
first room on the ground floor. There were four rows of five benches, of which
the solid pitch pine seats had been polished day after day, year upon year by
boys’ pants. I shared my bench with Franky. My mother
had confided to me that the fellow was of a prominent family. Actually even
caste A wasn’t fit for him and he would have gone to a boarding school of the
Jesuits up north, if the transport system hadn't collapsed in the after war
turmoil.
The Brothers had cultivated a high
degree of discipline that made you go under in low profile. Notably any
intrusion on the proceedings of the lessons would be repulsed by one nasty
reaction or the other. For example: peeing was supposed to be done during break
implying that, if one dared to apply for emergency leave during the
instructions a stern eyesight would be his toll.
On the other hand as long as we kept
quiet, we could hang in the bench as we liked. It had not taken me long to
develop my favorite posture, which resulted from gliding down in a straight
position until my body would lock in the woodwork of the bench. This created a
convenient position comparable to lying in bed. Alas, only for as long as it
lasted, which were ten minutes at the most. Clearly it
was not my exclusive invention because everybody did the same from time to
time. Except for Franky, who invariably sat upright
but relaxed, apparently attentive to the lessons. From
my retreated position I used to watch him and couldn't help admiring the lad. Franky was a playmate for the princesses. Bea was doing to
hush-hush with him. The Jesuits would give him guidance in his career. Franky was going to be a VIP, and he was already aware of it now! This
guy had real class and I sensed there was no way to ever meet his status.
At that time my parents enjoyed
already seven of such worries as myself. Considering that the two below me
didn’t count, and my elder sister was too sweet, there were only three
creatures that really mattered. These guys were well aware of their superiority
and boasted in my presence about their heroic deeds at school. Their world was
very different from mine, but they had explained one trick that I intended to
try out myself.
Chatting in the classroom was
strictly forbidden and fearful we obeyed to this rule. However, as soon as the
bell rang, lots of noise developed on account of kids wrestling themselves out
of the benches. It was on such a moment that I had to execute my plan. Aware of
the big risk involved, I had postponed the plot time and again, but when Franky one day had received praise that I had deserved in
the same manner, I took myself together to execute my devious plan. From my
relaxed position I had a good eye on my victim's face. This time it showed a
nervous expression as if the boy was in big trouble. To me, it seemed as if he
was aware of a mystic danger of the sort I had in store for him. The clock on
the wall showed the last minute before lunchtime. I noticed Franky
moving uneasily when I worked myself into an upright position. As the seconds
ticked by I wrestled myself out of the woodwork, while Franky
motionless turned pale.
As soon as the bell rang I started
doing what I had rehearsed so often in my mind. Coolly leaning over to Frank my
fingers took hold of the edge of his table-end. Then -while tightening my arms-
my buttocks speeded towards those of my victim. This move was supposed to give
such an impact that the poor lad would be shot out of the bench and land on the
floor. While preparing for the move I marveled finding him in complete
distress. When the impact followed it was my turn to be surprised. Franky didn’t glide out of the bench,
Franky hardly moved an inch as if pasted onto his
seat. I just mumbled some excuse and got out of the two-seater on my side. No
one had really paid attention to my strange behaviour.
When walking out of the classroom I saw the large dark stain on his behind.