2023 Character-Building Challenge: Day 9

Wow! I can't believe we're already at the penultimate day of this challenge. Only one day remaining after today's task. I hope it's been fun.

For the ninth day of this challenge, pick a character and share either their best or worst moment ever. Or if you're an overachiever, share both.

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The sun shined bright like any other spring morning as Abraham walked to school. As a fourth grader, he was old enough now that he could walk on his own, though sometimes he walked in a group of friends. But not today. He had the sidewalk to himself.

As he walked, Abraham looked at the bees bouncing from dandelion to dandelion and listened to the birds singing a variety of songs. Then he rounded a corner and saw three older kids lurking near a fence hiding something. As Abraham approached, he could hear them whispering among themselves and then one of them moved into the middle of the sidewalk and stared right at Abraham.

Abraham only had a moment to decide whether to keep walking or stop, and he decided to angle around the boy, who then moved in Abraham's direction so that the two collided. 

"Woah," the older boy exclaimed.

One of the other boys ran up to Abraham and said, "Hey, why'd you run into my friend? Is there something wrong with you?"

Meanwhile the third boy moved out of Abraham's line of sight.

The boy who collided with Abraham landed a punch while the second boy continued on, "We're just trying to mind our own business, and here you are starting stuff."

Just then, Abraham felt something big hit the back of his head and a moment later realized it was a trash can. Collision boy's fist hit the side of Abraham's face. At this point, Abraham took off running.

But he only made it a few steps when he felt himself collapse to the ground. One of the other two tripped him up. As he lay on his stomach stunned and tasting grass and dirt in his mouth, he felt the first kick in his side. Then, he felt another. And another. One hit the side of his face. And then he just curled up in a ball.

The older boys landed a few more kicks, and one of them threw the trash can at him again. But eventually they grew bored and walked away, making crude jokes and exclamations as they did.

Abraham eventually got up and continued walking to school. And he always wondered why nobody said anything. Not a teacher. Not any of his classmates. Nobody. And maybe it was then that he really understood that when push came to shove he was all alone.