My life wasn't a risky or troubled one. I was once a gentle and shy boy who everyone loved, except my annoying father. But due to a bad experience, I changed and this is what I'm now.
My name is Bruce and I'm 19 years old, I am the only child of my parents and I grew up in the ghetto. A place where your rights are earned by violence, fighting, and killing. You don't dare step on one's toes and expect to be forgiven easily.
Growing up here wasn't easy for me, as I had to avoid all these wild activities which subjected me to being an introvert. I was able to live with all these ghetto lifestyles but how long could it last?
My mother had always made it clear that out there are full of crazy people who have no conscience, they will put anything down that tries to stop them.
"So whenever you see any act of violence, mind your business." Those words had kept me going, but my bossy and arrogant father, whom anything you do to please him seems to make no sense to him. He never gave me attention and had always compared me to those street Riffraffs. Always saying I'm not a fighter, I'm just a shy mum's boy who gets pushed around. And I hated to have him as my father because he never created a father and son bond. After all, he's always having hard feelings towards me.
College hasn't been easy for me. Being the only smart guy in the class makes you look disturbing to others. Why? I indirectly make them look stupid in class when a teacher a pop a question and I rush to answer. Because of my smartness, I was bullied by Kelly and his friends.
Kelly was just the guy with cool stuff, rich parents, and with his influence, he gained all the likes. Kelly always made me do his homework, forcing out money from me and depriving me of eating my lunch. Each time I tried to fight him off, I ended up being beaten by his friends.
And what did the school authorities do? They just place them on two weeks suspension. Imagine that! Those guys should be expelled from the school.
One afternoon, I was heading home from school alone, the route to my house was lonely, filled with lots of tall grasses. I walked gingerly on the red sand that led home. The atmosphere was calm, silent as the sun did its daily job shining hot rays on the earth. I could hear the wind, it blew the grasses making them dance in its direction. I quietly walked home, eating my sweet baker cookies just as at that moment, I heard some footsteps dashing in my direction, I quickly turned back to know what was that, when I noticed it was Kelly and his gang. They were running furiously towards me, as Kelly held a pocket knife. Just as I spotted them, I took to my heels.
I ran as far as my feet could carry me, jumping all obstacles but still that wasn't enough to beat them. As I was about to jump a fence, Kelly rushed to hold my leg and pulled me down to the ground.
"You made us run all this way to get you. And I guess this is a good spot to deal with you" said Kelly as he was panting.
He brought out his pocket knife and ordered his friends to hold me tight. He slowly walked up to me and unbuttoned my shirt, leaving it open, as he took his knife. I shouted for help.
"Help...somebody help me…"
I knew that nobody would come, but I still had to try. I kept screaming at the top of my voice as he placed the knife on my belly. He was going to draw blood, but he was relishing the moment, I kept calling for help.
"Somebody help me, please… Kelly, please stop…"
Just as he was about to push the tip of the knife in, we heard a gunshot. Immediately I was freed, as they were about to run. The shooter stopped them and dealt with them, making them promise never to touch me again, then chased them off by shooting in the air again.
The shooter approached me. He was just a young man in his late 20's, dark and tall, probably 6'2. He took me up and carried me to a nearby clinic where I dressed the wound. I requested his number before he left so that I would thank him, but that wasn't the main reason.
A few days later, I called the guy who saved me. I ask him if we could see, he tried refusing, but later gave in. I made it clear to him, I want to be like him. He told me about the risk involved but never told me that I would join his cult group and start doing violent acts. I was initiated into the group and gave a task to prove my loyalty. To burn down a police station, just as they did. A task that's impossible for me, I can never do such. Never will I do such. I refused the task. What gain will I get from it? I only asked for power and not violence. And definitely not arson.
What have I gotten my hands into? Now they are after my life. Who will save me?
The End