knew from that day on, she would be different. No matter what, she would stand out. Children would make fun of her. Adults would shun her. Some would even blame the parents and call her an abomination. Still her parents loved her and tried to protect her.”
“They did all the things parents do, glasses, eye color spells, but they were temporary,” Alister took a swig of beer.
“At the age of four, she realized her condition and more importantly…what it meant. It happened when she was wearing sunglasses and playing with other children. They got knocked off and everyone saw her eyes. The children she thought were her friends ran from her, called her ‘black pit,’ ‘no eyes,’ and ‘demon’. Children can be so cruel,” He looked down, shedding fake tears. “She decided then and there that she would hide them no more. If people could not like her for whom she really was, then to hell with them.” Alister looked over at her; she was listening intently.
“Well, you can imagine what this did to her parents. They tried to put glasses on her; she would throw them to the ground and step on them. They put spells on her and amazingly, she willed them off. They changed her eye color, moments later her eyes would be back. She looked at her parents, ‘these are my eyes, it’s what the universe gave me, and I will not deny them. I have learned to deal with it; you’d better do the same.’ Her parents weren’t ready to hear it. They still wanted to hide her, protect her, but she wouldn’t have it,” His feet were on the floor, he was leaning forward over the table for dramatic effect. He strummed hard and fast then slammed the lute to stop the music. “Finally, as she started school, they gave in. And that’s when it started.” For a more dramatic effect, Alister finished his stew and beer. “Could I get a refill on the beer please? Thank you.” The beer was there before he finished the sentence.
Alister took a sip and continued, “The children in school were just as cruel as those in the park. However, our resourceful Lucinda had a solution. During the lunch break of the first day, after everyone had been ridiculing her all morning, she went looking for the toughest kid in her class and picked a fight with him, right there in the classroom. The teacher was humiliated. The first day of class and a fight broke out. She got a good punch in but the kid only pushed her down. Before she got back up the teacher grabbed her and hauled her to the principal, where he gave her a paddling. Then, he foolishly asked her if she had learned her lesson.”
“‘Yes’ she replied, ‘I’ve learned I can’t count on anyone around here but myself,’” Alister now huffed himself up to look taller, “’What do you mean?’ the principal asked.”
“‘Well, when I came here, people make fun of me, the teacher didn’t even look me in the face this morning. You so called adults, who are supposed to help me, have done nothing ! You’re just as bad as the children. You shun me, beat me, and blame me for something I can’t change. Then have the nerve to ask me if I’ve learned my lesson. I hope you’ve learned yours. You’re supposed to help everyone, not just those that are pretty, or smart, or normal. No one told them to stop picking on me, or to leave me alone, so I did it myself. And I’ll do it again, so you better keep your paddle handy.’”
“Now, at this point the principal could have said something, could have calmed her, but he didn’t. Instead, he let her leave. After school let out, she found her foe again, and challenged him to a fight, this time off school grounds. ‘Sure pit face,’ he replied. Children followed them as they went to the open field behind school, and there they fought; rolling around, throwing punches, kicking, biting, no holds barred. Finally, she got the best of him when she put her head squarely into his gut. On the ground, she sat on him, pinning his shoulders with her knees
“They did all the things parents do, glasses, eye color spells, but they were temporary,” Alister took a swig of beer.
“At the age of four, she realized her condition and more importantly…what it meant. It happened when she was wearing sunglasses and playing with other children. They got knocked off and everyone saw her eyes. The children she thought were her friends ran from her, called her ‘black pit,’ ‘no eyes,’ and ‘demon’. Children can be so cruel,” He looked down, shedding fake tears. “She decided then and there that she would hide them no more. If people could not like her for whom she really was, then to hell with them.” Alister looked over at her; she was listening intently.
“Well, you can imagine what this did to her parents. They tried to put glasses on her; she would throw them to the ground and step on them. They put spells on her and amazingly, she willed them off. They changed her eye color, moments later her eyes would be back. She looked at her parents, ‘these are my eyes, it’s what the universe gave me, and I will not deny them. I have learned to deal with it; you’d better do the same.’ Her parents weren’t ready to hear it. They still wanted to hide her, protect her, but she wouldn’t have it,” His feet were on the floor, he was leaning forward over the table for dramatic effect. He strummed hard and fast then slammed the lute to stop the music. “Finally, as she started school, they gave in. And that’s when it started.” For a more dramatic effect, Alister finished his stew and beer. “Could I get a refill on the beer please? Thank you.” The beer was there before he finished the sentence.
Alister took a sip and continued, “The children in school were just as cruel as those in the park. However, our resourceful Lucinda had a solution. During the lunch break of the first day, after everyone had been ridiculing her all morning, she went looking for the toughest kid in her class and picked a fight with him, right there in the classroom. The teacher was humiliated. The first day of class and a fight broke out. She got a good punch in but the kid only pushed her down. Before she got back up the teacher grabbed her and hauled her to the principal, where he gave her a paddling. Then, he foolishly asked her if she had learned her lesson.”
“‘Yes’ she replied, ‘I’ve learned I can’t count on anyone around here but myself,’” Alister now huffed himself up to look taller, “’What do you mean?’ the principal asked.”
“‘Well, when I came here, people make fun of me, the teacher didn’t even look me in the face this morning. You so called adults, who are supposed to help me, have done nothing ! You’re just as bad as the children. You shun me, beat me, and blame me for something I can’t change. Then have the nerve to ask me if I’ve learned my lesson. I hope you’ve learned yours. You’re supposed to help everyone, not just those that are pretty, or smart, or normal. No one told them to stop picking on me, or to leave me alone, so I did it myself. And I’ll do it again, so you better keep your paddle handy.’”
“Now, at this point the principal could have said something, could have calmed her, but he didn’t. Instead, he let her leave. After school let out, she found her foe again, and challenged him to a fight, this time off school grounds. ‘Sure pit face,’ he replied. Children followed them as they went to the open field behind school, and there they fought; rolling around, throwing punches, kicking, biting, no holds barred. Finally, she got the best of him when she put her head squarely into his gut. On the ground, she sat on him, pinning his shoulders with her knees
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