GAMES AND PLAY DAY
it’s just my luck that Sunday
is the annual Games and Play Day
and we have to go to school
Mom and Dad are both volunteers
Dad at the stilts area outside
Mom on slime making inside
I figure with all the parents
there at school
nothing major can happen to me
hah!
fortunately in the bowling room
han six is in charge with
han two which is Ken’s han
so I can mostly hang with him
and not get too close
to anyone from han six
but Shunta and Gō
maneuver around
and attempt to trip me
or slam me into the wall
and throw tennis balls
and plastic bottles at my head
Ken inserts himself
between me and them
again and again
and some other kids
join to protect me
like it’s a big game
when our shift is over
I go outside to help Dad
but even there Shunta and Gō
follow like shadows
all polite to my Dad
Shunta and Gō ask
if I can play with them
have some fun and make some
slime together
Dad thinks it’s friendly and innocent
says sure, go ahead! and even though I resist
he urges me to join them so finally
instead of making a scene
I do
as soon as we’re out of Dad’s sight
they put me in a headlock
and Shunta’s smiling so that
parents and teachers we pass
think he’s just fooling around
but under his breath
he’s cursing
Gō grabs one of my fingers
pulls it back till it’s about to break
and makes me walk with them
to the school chicken coop
and behind the coop Shunta snarls
you told on us, you jerk!
you said Gō took the dragon
and you touched my bicycle!
he spits in my face
I start to deny that I ever
said anything about Gō
but Shunta smacks me so fast
and so hard
I fall backward
bite my tongue
and taste blood
fortunately Ken
rounds the corner of the coop
stares them down
helps me get up
and walks with me
back to the school ground
Ken has the bright idea
to tell my parents I’m feeling sick
and offers to walk me home
on the way he says
everyone knows
you didn’t take the dragon
even Ōshima-sensei!
everyone knows
Gō was involved!
so don’t let them get you alone
stay with me and Yōhei and Shō
at school, we’ll guard you
even when you walk home
we’ll guard you, and eventually
they’ll just forget about all this
he’s trying hard
but I’m thinking
Yōhei betrayed me
he told Gō
where we hid the key
so who will be next?
at home
when Ken leaves
I lock the front door
lock all the windows
thinking of Daiki
locking his garden gate
I climb up into my bunk
and when Mom, Dad, and Cora return
I don’t have to work hard
to act sick