Bullies Begone

Chapter 1

The victim

All in all, I felt that life had so far been very good to me as I sat looking at the Pacific Ocean through the large plate glass window of a mansion that I had recently purchased, while sipping on a cool drink which I held in my hand. I had an internet business that supplied me with a large amount of money each week without having to do any real work for it. I had a beautiful and loving wife and two teenage children and sat thinking to myself that life doesn’t get any better than this, when my mind began to wander back through the passages of time back to my youth.

I contemplated how my life would have turned out if it wasn’t for Atua, my Mauri protector. I thought back to when I was only a young boy and it was my third year at school and I was constantly being bullied by a group of boys as I walked to school, and also as I walked home; the result being that I avoided where these bullies would be, and so I took the longer way home along the river.

One day as I was crossing a small bridge which crossed the river and stood on it looking into the flowing waters and along the river bank, not far downstream I saw this boy hanging on to a log that protruded from the water.

I rushed down and called out to him, “What are you doing there?”

He replied, “I fell in of the bridge and I can’t swim for nuts.”

I told him to hang on and I would be back soon and while as I was on my way back to the bridge, I saw an inner tube that was discarded under the bridge that other children must have used as a floatation device while swimming there. I ran back to where I was just upstream from this young Mauri kid, and jumped into the water with the tyre and floated down to the protruding log. We both attached ourselves to the tyre and drifted downstream and made it to the safety of the river bank. Atua, told me his name and thanked me and we became close friends.

I still took the river route to and from school when one day, the bullies that I was avoiding had taken the same route and it was my misfortune to meet them there. They immediately starting to push me around as they always did, but did not realize that Atua who just came out of the toilet block nearby, was with me. Kind and gentle Atua walked through the other boys and stood in front of my main tormentor who was called Sammy and hit him so hard directly on the nose, that he then lay bloodied on the ground.

Atua emitted not a sound, but just looked the others in the eye, and it was then that they all decided that discretion was the better part of valour, and picked up Sammy and left the scene. Atua then continued with me along our pathway and did not speak of the incident at all, as if it was just an annoying fly that he had swatted.

I sat there in my deluxe over the top mansion, looking at the ocean and began to think that if it were not for this incident, how my life could have been totally different, as these bullies would have dominated my childhood with constant fear.

After some time, this gang got the numbers and tried to get the better of Atua, but to no avail for just as I had Atua as my protector, Atua had his ‘Atua’, being his older brother Kae. Later in life Atua taught me the rudiments of fighting, but I realized that I would never be as competent or as forceful as Atua.

The bullies of course found other weaker young children to push around as Atua could not protect everyone, and so as a result, some led a life that could have been so much better for them if it wasn’t for their bullies. Even when Atua was no longer with me, his memory remained in the minds of my tormentors and they went to find easier pickings elsewhere.

Time went on and Atua and his family left the area, which left me totally unprotected. Atua had taught me the rudiments of protecting myself, but I was no match for more than one bully, and bullies seldom were bullies unless they had company. I needed to have an advantage and finally realized that I had one, which was, that my parents were rich, and I could have any monies that I required.

I decided that I would hire my own Atua, and I found one in an aboriginal boy named ‘Kulan’ which translated as ‘Possum’ from the aboriginal dialect, but Kulan was definitely no possum when it came to ‘standing his ground’ and fighting. I saw Kulan in a fight with another aboriginal youth, who ended up the worst for ware after the altercation. I then approached him to be my protector, only to find that his opponent was his brother and they had just been enjoying themselves.

I soon struck a deal with Kulan, and he was then being paid for what he loved to do anyway. The money was very appealing to him, and living a life without tormentors was very appealing to me. My life became comfortable with the assurance that Kulan was available as my protector if I needed him, but I still dreaded the end of year examination results being published on the school notice board.

Once again, I was heralded as the smartest child in school with straight A’s for all my subjects, which you may think was good for me, but even though it felt good to receive the adulation from my parents, it also painted a bullseye on my person for any potential bully that had results that were not so flattering.

One afternoon as I was expecting, I was met by a group of boys whose intention it was to leave me in a bloody condition to satisfy their own shortcomings. The path I took on my way home in the afternoon was a calculated trek, as it ventured not far from where Kulan and his brother lived and would be playing football in the afternoons.

My main tormentor was called Jack who was all brawn and no brain and who said that he was going to teach me a lesson that I could not learn in class. I said that I would accommodate him, and I told him to stand where he was, and I would stand ——— and by the time they realized that I was just increasing my distance between them and myself, I turned and ran as fast as I could towards where I expected Kulan and his brother to be.

They were both playing with a football, but were only too happy to change their game plan when they saw us. I smiled as I realized that I now had a chance to survive this ordeal with a minimum of injuries, and so without any conversation at all, Kulan walked over to Jack and planted his fist immediately into Jack’s face. This was more to my liking as there was now two and a half against five and we fought like our lives depended on it, well at least I did, but Kulan and his brother were just enjoying themselves by toning up their skills, as they had always had to protect themselves against the racial slurs that comes with being black in a white dominated society.

Jack and his entourage decided that their game plan for their survival would be better served by them leaving their predicament as soon as possible, and that is exactly what they did. Kulan and his brother whose name was Garrie, smiled as they were impressed that I was also involved in the fray and patted me on the back like an old friend who they now had at least a little respect for. They then told me with a laugh, “Francis, if you plan to fight with us in the future, then we had better teach you more in the ways of combat, so as not to embarrass us.”

I had thought that I would have encores to this event, but news of the outcome of Jack’s attempt to beat me up, had dissuaded any others from attempting the same. I was still paying Kulan and now also his brother Garrie, but they had no real purpose in life until the day that I found little Tommy crying while walking home. I of course asked him why he was crying, but he was not exactly forthcoming until I demanded to know. He told me that Jack and his friends had been making his life a misery and that he didn’t know what to do, and that he was too afraid even to get good grades in school, otherwise they would beat up on him even more.

I told him that I would walk him home every day, but could see in his demeanour that it did not exactly give him the confidence that he required. I instantly realized that Tommy was being punished because I had become untouchable and they had to find easier prey, and that prey was Tommy, so I had to accept that I was partly the cause of his untenable situation.

I smiled as I realized that I had the tools to fix his problem, who were lying idle, and dying to be put to use, so I immediately took Tommy to see Kulan and Garrie and explained that they could now display their talents once again. Both Kulan and Garrie smiled as I presented them with another task. I felt that they now realized that they were no longer fighting to protect just themselves against racist aggression, but against all aggression, as they now realized that they were not alone in a world that was grossly unfair for a myriad of reasons.

I had by now talked my parents into paying for Gym memberships for my two friends and myself, and so even I was toning up and becoming capable as a fighter, but I would never have the foreboding body language of Kulan and Garrie, and with a name like Francis would always emit an awe of timidity.

The day came when Kulan, Garrie, and a reluctant Tommy and myself approached Jack and his crew of misfits where I was permitted to do the talking. I explained to Jack that Tommy was now under our protection and that if Tommy even fell over and hurt himself that we would consider it was him that was responsible.

Jack called me a coward that could only function because of the protection of my black associates to which I replied. “And that makes me different to you, you piece of shit, who always walks around with your gang of protectors?”

Jack replied, “You would never have the guts to take me on, one on one.”

I did not verbally reply, and as it was winter, I had on a coat which I began to remove it and gave it to young Tommy to hold. Jack now thought that all his Christmases had come at once, as now he would have the opportunity to beat me to a pulp, but he was unaware that I was a good student and had learnt much from Kulan and Garrie, and the time at the gym had been very beneficial indeed.

Jack always used his size to benefit him, but I had learnt much, not only from Kulan and Garrie, but from an old boxer who hung around at the gym who had taught me that to avoid a punch in the face was usually more beneficial than giving one. Jack, try as he may to hit me, could not, and when he tired I began to hit him and toy with him until he was exhausted and down on one knee. I could have continued, but it was still an era when you did not hit a man when he was down, for fear that you would lose the respect of your friends.

I also kneeled down on one knee and spoke to Jack, “Jack, why are you going through life being an arsehole? You now have a chance to change, otherwise you will still be an arsehole when you become and adult, your wife will have an arsehole as a husband, and your kids will have an arsehole as a father. Is that what you want, Jack?”

Jack still experiencing laboured breathing, “No I don’t”.

I helped Jack up while his friends were already deserting him and turned to Kulan and Garrie who looked at me in amazement, as, although they were aware that my fighting capabilities had improved, did not realize that I was capable of the display that I put on.

Kulan smiled and then spoke, “So I suppose that Garrie and I are now unemployed?”

I returned a smile and put an arm around Tommy and spoke these momentous words which even I did not realize had any real meaning, “Not at all my friends; we have not yet begun to fight.”

I now sat in my lounge staring at the ocean which always had a soothing effect on me and reflected back on Kulan and Garrie and Tommy who were now of course, much older, but still helped control this organization that we started as children so very long ago. My wife had brought me a cup of tea and then sat with me gazing at the ocean, and asked what I was thinking of. I replied that I was thinking of old friends and how we had helped so many young souls with their lives.

My wife Joan just smiled as she realized what I was thinking, as she had been a major player in it. As I sipped on my tea, my mind drifted back to when we decided to help all the people that we could, and to make profit from those who could afford it, and to help those who could not, for free.

Kulan, Garrie and I did not share in any great idealism in regard to punishing the bullies and protecting their victims, more than that we could relate to the misery that the victims experienced, relating it to our own individual experiences. Jack was a strange lad, as he went on to become a decent member of society and often spoke ashamedly of the fact that as a child he was less than perfect. He was to become a Baptist minister of religion and often require our services, but for the present we were happy that his reign of terror had come to an end.

This however left the position of school bully open to all newcomers, and soon there were more young boys that had their own tormentors. One lad, Kurt and his troop of followers stood out from the rest as they even intimidated one of our teachers, a Miss Jenkins. Miss Jenkins was only young, and this assignment at our school was her first. She had complained to our headmaster of the stand over tactics of Kurt and his followers, who told her that it was her job to control her students and not his.

Kurt and his gang had once gathered around her while she was at her desk on the pretext of requiring help with an assignment. They had fondled her breasts and had their hands on her dress lifting it higher than she felt comfortable with, and so she used all her strength to break loose. She again appealed to the headmaster who again gave her the same reply, and added that if she could not control her students on her own that he would recommend her dismissal.  

One day I found her at her table after the class had been dismissed in the late afternoon. I could see that she had been crying and was embarrassed that I had noticed it.  I inquired of her as to why she was crying, and she refused to tell me why, but I already knew why, as the harassment was common knowledge throughout the school. I told her that I could help her solve her problems if she would pay our expenses. She refused and said that she did not want me to get hurt trying to help her.

I laughed when I replied, “Miss Samuels, I have no intention of getting hurt, and if you have any concerns they should be for Kurt needing hospital attention, not me. I do not act alone as I will avail myself of justice, integrity, and two of the greatest deterrents to injustice in our state.”

Miss Samuels smiled, “Francis you have the mind of, and speak like an adult, but you are no match for the likes of them, and I don’t want a child fighting my battles.”

I smiled, “Sometimes in life, a person comes up against a mountain that is just too high for him, or in this case her, to climb, but with a little well-meaning help, it may be possible for her to prevail. Miss Samuels, I will solve your problem for you, and then only if you are satisfied with the outcome, then and only then, you may show your appreciation.”

Miss Samuels did not realize that she had made a deal with the local, ‘Godfather of Revenge’, and that she would be eternally in my dept.

I went to see Kulan and Garrie who were aware of the situation and already had a hatred of Kurt and his friends, as they often threw racial slurs their way. We had a long conversation on how to tackle our new problem which went from the totally ridiculous and total impractical to eventually something that we all agreed was do-able, and so we kidnapped Kurt and took him down to the local Zoo and managed to suspend him above the crocodile pond.

Kulan and Garrie and I had obtained keys to the enclosure from Tommy who worked part time at the Zoo, as he owed us, and was also eager to assist us, because he loved Miss Samuels as much as we did. He was aware exactly how high the large croc could leap out of the water, so Kurt was suspended only a few inches above this height.

Kurt begged for his life which was never in real danger unless the large croc managed to leap higher than he had ever done before, but of this reality Kurt was totally unaware, and so after Kurt was becoming a mental wreck, the crane was swung bringing him back to the platform. Kulan then informed Kurt that if he even thought about being disrespectful to Miss Samuels again, then we would lower his height for an encore performance, and he also suggested that Miss Samuels would really appreciate a shiny red apple the following day. Miss Samuels taught us all the English language, and as her class was about to start, Kurt entered the room and placed a shiny red apple on her table. There was immediate silence in the room as this gesture did not go un-noticed by anyone present in her class, especially Miss Samuels herself. Her eyes then focused on me and I replied with an ever so slight nod, confirming to her that her nightmare was over. Eventually she found out what had occurred to bring this change of attitude and who was responsible, and as a result there were four young boys who could do no wrong by her for the remainder of our time in school

A Beautiful Revenge.

Chapter 1
A beautiful child.
In a state on the east coast of Australia, a little girl was born to a young
couple who seemed very much in love, but love comes in many different
forms. Some human beings love without reservations, and others do not. This
was the lifelong dilemma for this beautiful little girl who learnt at a very
young age that love, like beauty, could be only skin deep.
A mother usually has no restrictions concerning the love of her child,
even above the love of her spouse who she may at some time wish to discard,
but seldom in the human psyche does a mother discard the love of her child. A
mother has a greater bond to her child than most males of the same species,
and thus will protect that child evermore, but that was not the case for little
Susie.
Susie came out of her mother’s womb and everyone agreed that she was a
beautiful baby and all the friends and relatives of Susie’s mother Claire told
her so. When Claire looked at her child after her birth, she was smitten by the
fact that the child took after her in almost every aspect. Claire was however
mistaken, as the young girl had a soul which was capable of love, whereas she
was avoid of a soul.
Claire had herself always been beautiful and had been entered into many
beauty contests from early childhood through to adulthood and had won many
of them. Claire was aware of the facts of life perhaps more than most, in that
she realized that to attract the opposite of the species, it is greatly beneficial to
be outwardly attractive.
She had forgotten that there is more to being a human being than outside
appearance, and to keep the attention of a spouse, one must have a loving soul.
Claire was, however, good at hiding the fact that she had been born without
goodness and so even after many years of marriage her husband was still not
aware of her true character, but all that was all soon to change.
Little Susie at six years of age was the pride of her mother Claire and was
such a beautiful little girl that her mother entered her into as many childhood
beauty contests as were available to her. Time and again, Susie would get
dolled up in her frilly lacy clothes and nice shoes and more often than not
would achieve first place in any pageant that she entered.
Susie however did not need the nice clothes or the shiny shoes, as when
she smiled, she could melt the hearts of all who gazed at her. When Susie
spoke, she relayed to everyone that she had a heart which would radiate love
and affection like the sun’s rays after a cloudy day.
It is a fact of life that a beautiful girl can attract the opposite of the
species more readily than one who is unfortunate in having an absence of good
bone structure or has a less than appealing skin tone. This was not a problem
that could have been foreseen for Susie. The future is always unpredictable,
but for now, Susie should on all accounts have the best future that could
reasonably be expected for such a young beauty.
That was the way it was until a tragic accident, an accident that would
cause a series of events that would not only create hardship for the little girl,
but out of a lifetime of hardship would emerge a beautiful woman who always
managed to keep her soul pure and capable of love.
Little Susie’s parents lived on a farm near Ballina on the east coast of
Australia. This is a beautiful township which is a seaside tourist resort which
attracts many visitors from throughout the state and beyond. It should have
been a pleasant life for a little girl, and this little girl should have grown up
like any other girl, but her fate was to be determined by some unforeseen
events, some very bad and some very good.
Read on, if you wish to hear a story of good coming out of the ambers of
a lost love, the loss of a mother’s love, the loss of having childhood
friendships, the derision of others, and the shunning of the population, only to
be replaced by the many other loves, which finally brought fulfilment to the
life of the girl in our story, ‘Susie’.

Chapter 2
A loving mother?
Susie, even at a very young age was gorgeous and had won many baby
beauty-contests. Her mother Claire was an exceedingly beautiful woman and
had won many beauty contests herself and at her age was still competing and
still winning quite a few. Claire would love to dress little Susie in fancy
clothes and enter her into as many contests as humanly possible.
Beauty was important to Claire as she realized that beauty could be a
powerful asset for a woman, which many clear-thinking people must agree
with. Even at an early age Claire had realized that her looks could get her
anything she wanted. She found that with her charms and some form fitting
apparel she could have a bevy of men at her beck and call.
It her teenage years she would tempt the boys and sent them on their way
and as a young woman she would invite them to her bed and then when she
tired of them would move on. This is perhaps no different to anyone else in
the harsh realities of life.
One must sample life and most of us find love for all the right reasons,
and even for those that have chosen badly in obtaining a spouse, will still find
love in motherhood and the bearing of a child.
Mothers have no other choice other than loving their child as it is part and
parcel of motherhood, but once again, we are speaking of the majority of
women and have eluded to mention those few who display the symptoms of
self-centred individuals . When someone has the soul of an Antichrist, they
often have learnt the art of how to display another face for the world to see
and so it was for Susie’s mother Claire.
Some women have covered up their horns and no one is the wiser and
some are so good at deception that the public may be convinced that they walk
with God. And, so it was with Claire, as no one was wise to the fact that Claire
did not have a soul, as everyone saw goodness in the effort that she put into
displaying her daughter for all the world to admire.
5
For a woman to have beauty and charm can get her a man of her choosing
who can give her the life that she wishes for. It is the same for a man but
instead of good looks which is often only a plus, a man must appear successful
and to be capable of giving his spouse the life that she feels she deserves or
desires, and that is, more often than not, associated with wealth.
Even at Susie’s tended age, her mother tried to instill these ideals in her
tiny head, but little Susie just wanted to please her mother who she loved and
thought loved her. Susie was certainly not interested in anything more than
just being a child and being happy.
Susie’s father was as all men, who have to go to work to provide a roof
over the heads of the people that he loves. Susie’s father loved Susie
unconditionally and the minute that he arrived home he would take Susie in
his arms and spend all his time making her smile. To him she was his daughter
and whether she was pretty or not held little value to him, even though he
would always light up when Susie would enter a beauty contest with her frilly
clothes.
Susie’s father, John, was the construction supervisor of a large company
that built structures in Malaysia and Indonesia. John would often be away
from home for long periods of time, so when possible, he would take his wife
and daughter with him on business so that they could have a holiday at the
expense of the company that he worked for, and for them to experience and
enjoy the sights and sounds of another culture. It was on one such journey to
Malaysia that our story began, by one misfortune that started a series of events
that would shape the life of a beautiful little girl.
Susie often accompanied her father when he went to inspect the jobs that
were his responsibility. Little Susie was always the center of attention with the
construction workers as their faces would light up when she would accompany
her father John. She would chat with all the on-site workers in her little pink
dresses, and the little pink hard-hat that her father had especially made for her
Susie would often sit with the workers when they had smokos or lunches
and she enjoyed the attention that they gave her. Quite often Susie could not
understand anything the workers said as they spoke many dialects that were
foreign to her, but a pleasant smile was all she needed to convey a reply.
One sunny day an accident occurred in a village some distance from
Singapore. Susie’s father was busy inspecting a structure that his company
was in the process of building. John took little Susie as he had done so many
times before, up two flights in a building without any cladding on the exterior
of the structure. They were walking along some scaffolding when it partially
gave way, and it was then that Susie’s hand slipped from her father’s grip and
she fell two stories, face first, into an industrial bin containing scrap building
materials.
There was instant panic by all the construction workers and much running
around was done by all the people who saw it happen, and who wished to give
aid to this popular little girl. Susie was quickly retrieved from the bin, but the
result was that although the young girl was still alive, her face had sustained
major structural damage with many distorted and broken bones.
Susie’s father John was very efficient regarding the rescue of Susie and in
placing her into the vehicle but he went into shock on his way back to the
closest hospital. The realization that he had not held Susie’s hand as tightly as
he should have, gave him tremendous guilt. John body shook and shivered,
and the safety officer then had to place a blanket around John, even though the
weather was reasonably warm.
The distance between the construction site and the closest hospital was
great and it was only the following morning when they arrived after having
driven all through the night.
Susie was treated at this hospital to stabilize her and then by helicopter to
the main hospital in Singapore where it was found that Susie required major
reconstructive bone surgery. It had taken a week just to stabilize Susie, and
after that process, her father John decided to take her home to Australia as
quickly as possible to where he thought, the best surgeons would be available
to him.
They arrived back in Australia and he took Susie to a series of surgeons
who told him that they were all of the same opinion in that it had been too
long since the accident, and the young bones were already fusing together, and
she would be permanently disfigured.
7
Her father who was already full of remorse in that his hand did not hold
his daughter securely, blamed himself, and began to drown his sorrow in
various forms of intoxication. He had loved his little daughter beyond belief,
and now that she was damaged, he loved her even more. He felt that what he
considered his irresponsibility, had ruined any hope of a good life for his little
Susie.
John envisaged Susie’s life now that she was deformed. He could no
longer see Susie growing into a beautiful young woman and finding love. He
was a realist and realized that Susie was deformed, and he well knew how
society treated deformed people. He knew that this varied from disgust to pity
depending on the person, but never in all likelihood would a young boy wish
to make love to her and ask for her hand in marriage.
The only way John could find sleep was with alcohol and pills and that is
what he did until he became dependent on them and was seldom sober. A sane
person can perhaps understand her father’s anguish, but would certainly not
condone it, as Susie was still his responsibility whether she was now damaged
goods or not.
Susie had healed fast as children often do, but her disfigurement was
appalling. Susie would never have the benefits of being as beautiful as she
once was. John had to face facts and it was a fact that Susie’s life would now
be totally different, in that as much as she was appealing to everyone before
she would now only hold their distain or pity.
Added to John’s dilemma was that Susie’s Mother, (now that Susie was
disfigured), had lost interest in her damaged little daughter as she could no
longer display her in the contests that she loved. Susie’s mother Claire could
no longer even look at her daughter and only could see an ugly duckling, even
though Susie’s heart was still that of a beautiful swan.
After the accident, the love that Claire once had for her daughter, if we
can call it that, disappeared like a drop of water on a hot stove. She ignored
the once beautiful little girl and spent her days in her own shallow pursuits,
leaving Susie feeling ignored and rejected.
Claire who was initially proud of her daughter, was now ashamed of her
and kept her out of site, away from the eyes of the community. Not only did
this little girl have the distain that humanity has for deformed individuals, but
also the rejection of her own mother. It is a rare occurrence in the history of
humanity, that a mother’s love can be so easily discarded, but that is the way
that is was for this dear little girl.
Susie had always thought that her mother loved her and now bit by bit
realized that if any love previously existed, it was now gone. Her mother now
looked away every time Susie came to her. Susie wanted to be held by her
mother. Susie wanted to be loved more now than perhaps before. Her father
now loved her more, but he was usually drunk or pilled-up, but even in this
sorrowful state would hold her and tell her that he loved her.
Susie’s father tried to make up for the now obvious shortcomings of her
mother and Susie relied more and more on his love. Susie’s mother no longer
cuddled her, but her father cuddled her more often and harder than before.
This transformation was a trying time for Susie but the worse was still to
come.