break free, but I just couldn’t. Damn those guards were strong.
Vanden grabbed the paddle. “Mr. Hudson, here is your first lesson in obedience.”
I knew what was coming. The pain was sharp at first. My right hand became red and purple with each smack of the paddle. I held in my tears, wanting to show that I could take it.
“Do you know what obedience is, Mr. Hudson?”
I didn’t respond. I just looked at the prick. Smack ! My right hand throbbing with pain. It was hard to take. I became nauseous. I thought I was going to faint right then and there.
“Do you know what obedience is!” He raised the paddle about to smack it down. I nodded my head. “Is that a yes, Mr. Hudson?”
“Yes,” I said reluctantly. Vanden nodded at the guards, before they escorted me back to my desk. “You’re an exemplary student Mr. Hudson. You learned your first lesson today.”
I rubbed my right hand, hoping to regain some sensation in it.
“Now gentlemen, open your test books and begin the exam. You have one hour,” Vanden said, looking at his watch.
I wasn’t sure how the hell I was going to take the exam. My right hand was swollen. I could barely grip the pencil. I opened the exam. The questions were as bland the paper it was written on. I mean, who gives a shit about when X train leaves station B at 1:00pm going 45 mph, while the Y train leaves the station at 50, which train will arrive at station C first? I just filled in whatever bullshit I could think of. The hour was up and so was my first lesson on “obedience.”
The following day was the same routine of boring classes and meals which made it difficult to avoid the life of a monotonous robot that gave into the set standards that comprised the everyday spiel behind the walls of Crowam. My hand was still a bit sore from Professor Vanden’s lesson. I kept rubbing my hand, squeezing my fist, getting some blood flowing through. During lunch, I saw the boy who was challenged by the Bus Driver. He sat by himself, with bandages and bruises around his face and arms. He looked like the world fell upon him, spiritless and lost.
Eventually some of the other boys joined him. I thought about going there myself. What was I going to say? Hey nice going. I thought you had him there? I would have looked like an idiot. Me, trying to lighten up the poor kid. The best part of the day was recess. The air outside the courtyard was fresh and clean, unlike the air inside Crowam, which was stale and foul, like in one of them libraries that are older than the books they house.
“Hello, old boy.” A hand patted me on the back.
It startled me a bit. “Damn it, don’t sneak up on me like that!”
“Sorry. Didn’t mean to scare you,” Felix said.
“It’s alright.”
“That was some spectacle in Professor Vanden’s class.”
“Oh, you heard about that?”
“Word gets around pretty quickly here. How’s your hand?”
“It’s ok. I’ll live.”
“That’s good. Very good. But while I’m here, allow me to take the opportunity to give you some advice. Don’t push around here, Jake. You see, this isn’t your ordinary orphanage. This is different. I don’t know what you’ve done in the past, but you can’t get away with it here, that’s for sure. My advice to you is to keep your head down and your mouth shut.”
“And what, let these sons of bitches get the best of us? Treat us like we’re dirt?”
“I don’t like the circumstances any more than you do. But the trick is that what they can’t take away is what’s in here and here.” He pointed at his heart and forehead. “This place Jake, it is like a sleeping giant. If you’re smart, you’ll sneak past it without it even noticing you. But if you awaken it?”
“Tell me about your escape plan.”
“Plan? Well I suppose you can call it a plan.”
“You mentioned another boy tried escaping before?”
“Yes. About a year ago I believe. His name was Joshua. Splendid chap. He told us all about his plan
Vanden grabbed the paddle. “Mr. Hudson, here is your first lesson in obedience.”
I knew what was coming. The pain was sharp at first. My right hand became red and purple with each smack of the paddle. I held in my tears, wanting to show that I could take it.
“Do you know what obedience is, Mr. Hudson?”
I didn’t respond. I just looked at the prick. Smack ! My right hand throbbing with pain. It was hard to take. I became nauseous. I thought I was going to faint right then and there.
“Do you know what obedience is!” He raised the paddle about to smack it down. I nodded my head. “Is that a yes, Mr. Hudson?”
“Yes,” I said reluctantly. Vanden nodded at the guards, before they escorted me back to my desk. “You’re an exemplary student Mr. Hudson. You learned your first lesson today.”
I rubbed my right hand, hoping to regain some sensation in it.
“Now gentlemen, open your test books and begin the exam. You have one hour,” Vanden said, looking at his watch.
I wasn’t sure how the hell I was going to take the exam. My right hand was swollen. I could barely grip the pencil. I opened the exam. The questions were as bland the paper it was written on. I mean, who gives a shit about when X train leaves station B at 1:00pm going 45 mph, while the Y train leaves the station at 50, which train will arrive at station C first? I just filled in whatever bullshit I could think of. The hour was up and so was my first lesson on “obedience.”
The following day was the same routine of boring classes and meals which made it difficult to avoid the life of a monotonous robot that gave into the set standards that comprised the everyday spiel behind the walls of Crowam. My hand was still a bit sore from Professor Vanden’s lesson. I kept rubbing my hand, squeezing my fist, getting some blood flowing through. During lunch, I saw the boy who was challenged by the Bus Driver. He sat by himself, with bandages and bruises around his face and arms. He looked like the world fell upon him, spiritless and lost.
Eventually some of the other boys joined him. I thought about going there myself. What was I going to say? Hey nice going. I thought you had him there? I would have looked like an idiot. Me, trying to lighten up the poor kid. The best part of the day was recess. The air outside the courtyard was fresh and clean, unlike the air inside Crowam, which was stale and foul, like in one of them libraries that are older than the books they house.
“Hello, old boy.” A hand patted me on the back.
It startled me a bit. “Damn it, don’t sneak up on me like that!”
“Sorry. Didn’t mean to scare you,” Felix said.
“It’s alright.”
“That was some spectacle in Professor Vanden’s class.”
“Oh, you heard about that?”
“Word gets around pretty quickly here. How’s your hand?”
“It’s ok. I’ll live.”
“That’s good. Very good. But while I’m here, allow me to take the opportunity to give you some advice. Don’t push around here, Jake. You see, this isn’t your ordinary orphanage. This is different. I don’t know what you’ve done in the past, but you can’t get away with it here, that’s for sure. My advice to you is to keep your head down and your mouth shut.”
“And what, let these sons of bitches get the best of us? Treat us like we’re dirt?”
“I don’t like the circumstances any more than you do. But the trick is that what they can’t take away is what’s in here and here.” He pointed at his heart and forehead. “This place Jake, it is like a sleeping giant. If you’re smart, you’ll sneak past it without it even noticing you. But if you awaken it?”
“Tell me about your escape plan.”
“Plan? Well I suppose you can call it a plan.”
“You mentioned another boy tried escaping before?”
“Yes. About a year ago I believe. His name was Joshua. Splendid chap. He told us all about his plan
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