Chapter 7: Nothing
1538 Words
CHAPTER 7: NOTHING
Sivel woke up, his small body was still aching all over because of the beatings he received the other day. However, despite the excruciating pain, he didn’t wince nor his expression even changed. He was used to it. He was used to being beaten up ever since he could remember, ever since he was a child.
Today was Monday.
He planned to go to school. There were free meals being given there to students who were part of a feeding program.
It has been four days since his last meal. He was beaten so badly on Wednesday that he was not able to get up on Thursday and Friday to get his lunch during those days. Lunch at school was his only meal, the lunch being given from Monday to Friday were his only decent meals throughout the whole week.
He missed two lunches.
He was starving.
Even the dirty water he had at his room ran out. He was too weak to get more. He couldn’t exert enough strength to get water from the water pump.
Sivel carefully and slowly got up from his bed made of piled carton boxes, only covered with an old blanket. He also cautiously wore his old, dirty, and yellowed school uniform. It was the only uniform he had. Unfortunately, he was wearing this uniform when he was beaten that there were traces of blood and dirt on it. However, he couldn’t care less about it. He needed to go to school. He hasn’t eaten for four days. He also needs to report to the teacher.
He carried his bag and limply went out of his room. One of his legs has been recklessly kicked, so he had difficulty walking.
He saw the person who was inexplicably fond of beating him up, his father, in the living room— which was only separated by a rotting plywood from his room.
His father was sprawled on the floor and there were bottles of alcohol beside him. A strong stench of alcohol, cigarettes, and the bad smell of not bathing for a month emanated from the man.
Sivel cautiously passed by the man, doing his best not to wake him up.
He was able to go out of the dilapidated house safely. He had a sigh of relief, but this deep breath aggravated the countless wounds and bruises on his chest and abdomen.
He stood still for a while, letting the triggering pain to pass. On his face, there was still indifference, not a hint of suffering could be seen.
He has been abused and beaten for almost a decade, he has already mastered how to endure such pains.
He slowly started walking to school, through the disorderly and poverty-stricken streets of Tondo, Manila.
Children with no lower garments played on the street roads. The mothers were sweeping the front of their houses while talking about the latest gossip. Small street vendors were setting up their shops. An old lady was chasing her frivolous son down the alley, scolding him to already take a bath for school.
The mother and son passed by Sivel.
He only indifferently glanced at them and continued walking to school. He thought, Why don’t that kid take a bath already? Stupid.
That child was lucky. Someone was willing to take care of him, to persuade him to get ready to go to school every morning. Someone who would not beat him up until he could not get up from bed. Someone who would feed and love him.
That child had someone like that.
Sivel had none.
He only had a drunkard of a father, a dead mother, a shitty life, and an empty stomach.
He gritted his teeth. Why does this road seem longer than usual?
Oh, it’s not. He realized. He was only much weaker this morning. He hasn’t eaten anything for four days, after all.
Finally, he reached the school gates. The morning *flag ceremony has not started yet.
He went inside his classroom and quietly went to his seat.
No one paid attention to him.
He’s dirty, disheveled, and thin. No one would bother paying attention to a loser like him.
The teacher came and guided the students to conduct a flag ceremony.
Sivel didn’t join them, instead, he went to the public bathroom to drink and wash his face using the water from the faucet. He stayed in there and waited until the flag ceremony was over.
When the students were already settling down, he also inconspicuously went back to the classroom.
The teacher discussed lessons all morning. There were too many students in the class, it was noisy and rowdy. Sivel couldn’t understand anything. He was distracted by the noise and his growling stomach. The teacher didn’t even seem to notice his absences from the previous week and didn’t ask him about it.
Sivel also didn’t bother to remind the teacher.
The bell rang.
Finally, it was lunch. The students hurriedly went out of the classroom to buy lunch, some stayed to eat their packed lunch in the classroom.
Sivel got up. His legs wobbled a little, he was already dizzy because of hunger.
Nevertheless, he persevered to go to the area outside the classrooms to get his lunch and joined the queue.
After getting his meal, he went to an inconspicuous corner, under an old big Narra tree behind the library and beside the old rear gate, to eat. However, just as he was about to have his first bite of food after days of only drinking dirty water, someone suddenly kicked his spoon and the food container out of his grasp.
He watched as the rice and dish scattered on the ground.
The boy who kicked his food also repeatedly stepped on the grains of rice— the expectation of finally having a meal after days of starving, the hope of having a little energy to continue facing life— was also similarly being stepped on. Dirt and debris, sorrow and despair, were being mixed on that meal.
Sivel stared on the ground in a daze. He was unsure what to do.
He wanted to push the boy away and pick his meal up but he didn’t have enough energy to do so.
He was grabbed by another student around his age on his collar.
“What are you staring at?! Stupid!” This student spat on his face.
Sivel didn’t dodge, he was still staring at his dirtied meal on the ground.
He was thinking, It was still food. He can still eat it. Food can make him live. He needs to live. Only when he’s alive will he have a chance to fight them.
But how could he get the pieces of the soiled dish? He couldn’t even shake off the boy who was holding him.
He was then roughly pushed to the ground and was repeatedly kicked by the two boys who showed out of nowhere.
“I don’t know what’s special about a beggar like you. You’re ugly and thin! Why do Tin-Tin and the other girls even like you? You’re disgusting!”
“A trash like you?! Tsk!”
“Why do you even continue going to school?!”
“Smelly rat!”
However, Sivel couldn’t hear their insults nor feel the pain of their repeated kicks. He was still staring at his meal on the ground.
He needs to live.
As long as he’s alive, he can take revenge against these people who hurt him.
He needs to survive.
He reached out his hand and grabbed a mouthful of soiled rice. He ate the dirtied grains amidst the insults and kicks being given to him.
“What? You even bothered to eat that? Yuck!”
“You’re really a beggar! You’re disgusting!”
He was lying on the ground, forcing himself to chew and swallow his sullied food. He was starving. He couldn’t bother tasting what he’s eating, nor bother himself about the dirt and soil that were mixed on his food. As long as it could give him energy, give him hope, he’s willing to take it.
His hair was grabbed and the other student stepped on his back, he was forced to look up at the student who kicked his meal. He only noticed that it was a boy from the same grade.
He couldn’t remember his name.
“Tsk! How can a dirty face like yours attract girls? Why don’t I make it uglier and dirtier, huh?” The boy cracked his knuckles.
Sivel tried to struggle. However, he was too weak and starved. That mouthful of sullied rice wasn’t even enough to replenish a bit of energy.
The boy clenched his fist and swung. Just as his fist was about to hit Sivel’s face, a clear and pleasant voice suddenly sounded. “Stop it!”
- Writer
