Burning spotlight and the concept of three heartbeats

Mr. Hudson said, "Alright everyone, before I mark your books, let's go through the assignment together. Joshua, kindly come and start with question 1."

Josh walked to the front of the class, concealing his nervousness. He said, "So, we are given this question…um, there are seven boxes, each with four 2x1m fabrics inside. A shirt can be made using three-quarters of the 2x1m fabric. The question is, how many shirts can the tailor make using all the material? To find the answer, I multiplied seven, the number of boxes, times four, the number of fabrics in each box, and got 28. Then I thought since each of the twenty-eight shirts got a remainder of .25x1m of fabric, I multiplied that by 28 and got 7x1m. The tailor could knit them all together and produce an extra three shirts with a remainder of 1x1m. Then I added the one meter to the remainder of three .25x1m fabrics from the three shirts and got 1.75x1m, producing an extra shirt. The total number of shirts that the tailor can make was 28 plus 3 plus 1, which equals 32."

Mr. Hudson asked, "Does anyone have a different answer before we move on? Okay, no response! Tyson, I see you used a different approach. Come in front and explain to your friends how you did it."

Tyson, terrified and without an idea about what to say, slowly walked to the front of the class. As Mr. Hudson's voice faded from his earshot, Tyson started realizing the gravity of the situation. He thought that if he failed to explain his method to the class, everyone would find out his weakness, and he would be forever shamed. He heard a loud voice slowly increasing, and Mr. Hudson said, "Tyson! Tyson, I am talking to you! Tyson!"

Tyson responded, "Yes sir!"

Mr. Hudson said, "I said go sit down if you are not going to explain!"

Tyson took a deep breath and convinced himself to correct his voice and explain the method in twenty seconds. He said, "I multiplied 7 times 4 times 2 and got 56, then I divided that by the needed three-quarters of the fabric and got 42."

Mr. Hudson asked, "So who got the question correct between the two? Does anyone have a suggestion? Mr. Mandron, how did you solve the question?"

Mandron, worried about others finding out his secret, devised a counter plan. He said, "I didn't attempt this question, sir. I only focused on question one."

Mr. Hudson responded, "Are you saying you only answered question 2? Because I clearly told everyone to answer all the questions!"

Mandron, filled with embarrassment, kept his head down.

Mr. Hudson said, "I am very much disappointed in you, Mandron! Kennedy, you're up!"

As the pupils presented their work, time continued its journey, and before they caught up to it, it was already break time.

There comes a time in a boy's life when he starts noticing the little things. Before then, everyone is just eating and doing what they're told. A rather unfortunate yet fortunate incident slowly cleaved its way toward Kelvin.

As Kelvin prepared to enjoy his post-breakfast break with pockets filled with fried groundnuts, he accidentally bumped into someone. Startled, he turned around to find a girl on the floor, crying with food scattered around her. Kelvin asked, "So sorry, are you alright?"

The girl, contemplating her next move, glanced at the surrounding people, their eyes fixated on her, curious about her response. She recalled a defense mechanism often employed by children in such situations. Suddenly, she started screaming and crying.

Kelvin, unsure of how to handle the situation, began to feel stressed as things escalated. He realized that all attention was now directed towards him. He said, "I am sorry, I didn't see you. Let me help you get up!"

Mr. Hudson, who had appeared on the scene, asked, "What's happening here? Kelvin, what are you doing, trying to hurt this little girl?"

Kelvin, taken aback and perspiring heavily, was left speechless. However, even in the midst of this intense and chaotic situation, our minds tend to come up with counterarguments. If Kelvin couldn't get his facts straight, the lie would become the truth. He mustered the courage and said, "Sir! I was standing up, about to go for break time, when she bumped into me from behind. I wasn't bullying her! I'm sure everyone saw what happened."

Mr. Hudson turned to Harriet and asked, "Is he telling the truth? Wasn't he trying to take your food?"

Harriet Finch, a young, innocent girl, wrestled with her integrity. Even those with great integrity sometimes resort to self-preservation when faced with adversity. She stammered, "He, he pushed me."

Kelvin exclaimed, "What? No! That's not..."

Interrupting him, Mr. Hudson said, "You continue to deny, huh? It's because of kids like you that I advocate for the continuation of corporal punishment in schools. What's a teacher supposed to do to correct kids like you?"

Kelvin, feeling remorseful, said, "I am sorry, sir. It was not my intention."

Josh, Kelvin's friend, interjected, "Sir, if I may. She is lying. I saw what happened, and she's the one who bumped into him."

Mr. Hudson dismissed Josh's statement, saying, "I know you two are friends. Do you want to take his punishment instead?"

Josh protested, "No, I was just..."

Cutting him off, Mr. Hudson said, "Then shut up! This kid needs discipline."

As Mr. Hudson prepared his whip, he asked Harriet how many lashes Kelvin deserved. However, upon seeing the whip, Harriet felt guilty about the lie she had just told. She said, "Sir, I was thinking maybe he can just apologize to me?"

Mr. Hudson remarked, "Ah, there you have it! The heart of an angel, pure and untainted. She is the epitome of good behavior. But I must say, Harriet, boys like him are never honest. That's why we need to use force and reshape their behavior from the outside in. Do you understand? But considering her suggestion, we will do something else. Kelvin, kneel in front of the class with your hands up until she forgives you. Harriet, let me know what happens, alright? If he tries to bully you after class, just come to me, okay?"

Harriet replied, "Yes sir."

At the end of the day, whispers about Mandron circulated wherever he went. Some voices claimed, "He used to be the best in elementary school, but now things are too hard for him," or "I heard he cheats on tests. What a joke." Furious about the rumors, Mandron sought to assign blame instead of reflecting on his own faults.

Meanwhile, the three boys—Josh, Tyson, and Kelvin—prepared to head home. Mandron approached them, saying, "You! I'll make you pay for today. Just wait and see."

Josh warned Mandron, "Are you sure you want to threaten me, Mandron? Because..."

The two boys continued to exchange threats, while Tyson stood nearby, observing the situation.

On the other hand, Kelvin, upon spotting Harriet making her way home, hurriedly approached her to confront the situation. He asked, "Why did you lie?"

Harriet retorted, "You pushed me."

Kelvin defended himself, "I didn't push you at all! How could I have pushed you when I wasn't even moving?"

Harriet brought up Mr. Hudson's involvement, saying, "Mr. Hudson said you should apologize to me."

Kelvin responded firmly, "I may not be perfect, but I won't apologize for something I didn't do. You need to tell Mr. Hudson the truth tomorrow!"

Harriet threatened, "Move out of my way, or I will scream."

Kelvin was taken aback and asked in surprise, "What?"

Harriet brushed past him and went on her way, leaving Kelvin standing there, amazed and questioning how someone could act in such a way without feeling any guilt. He couldn't help but recall similar behaviors from his sisters over the years, which confirmed his suspicions about girls.

The following day, as they made their way to school, Tyson questioned Kelvin, "Are you sure about not apologizing to her?"

Kelvin affirmed, "Yes, I'm not going to let someone like her have her way!"

Tyson expressed his surprise, saying, "That's unlike you, considering your usual approach of taking the easiest route out of a problem. It's as if you're using complex scientific terminology to describe a simple concept. You want to use orbitals to describe quantization of energy in a Hydrogen atom when you can simply use Orbits."

Josh chimed in, "I respect this side of you. We shouldn't give in to just anyone."

Kelvin remained resolute in his decision not to apologize for something he didn't do. He pondered on how he could resolve the predicament he found himself in.

Tyson added, "But there is something you can try!"

Kelvin asked, "What is it?"

Tyson explained, "It's called the concept of three heartbeats. The idea is that if you get up close to a woman, or in this case a little girl like her, and lock eyes with her for three seconds, it supposedly momentarily voids their souls. During that moment, whispers from the man, or in this case a boy, echo in every corner of their hearts, making them believe and agree with everything you command."

Kelvin was intrigued, "Hypnosis! Are you saying I should just go up to her and speak my mind?"

Tyson clarified, "Don't forget the locking eyes part, but essentially, yes."

Josh expressed doubt, "I don't think that can work. She's not that naïve."

Tyson countered, "As long as he shows his manliness, in this case, boy-sized bravado, it should work."

Upon arriving at school, Kelvin spotted Harriet in the distance and approached her with a serious expression.

As he got closer to her, following his friends' advice, his anxiety started to creep in. Harriet noticed his approach and exclaimed, "Whoa! Whoa! Hold on there, buddy! Personal space. What do you want so early in the morning?"

Kelvin took a deep breath and replied, "What do I want? (stutters a bit) I want you to tell the truth."

Harriet sarcastically responded, "Wow! This is really getting to you. You look like you're about to hit me or something. Move out of my way before I tell Mr. Hudson you're bullying me."

Kelvin was once again left astounded by Harriet's behavior, questioning whether all girls were as intimidating as she was. His suspicions about his sisters' behavior over the years now seemed painfully real. He pondered on the complexity of human interactions.

Later, as the students settled in class, Mr. Hudson entered and noticed Kelvin sitting on his desk instead of kneeling in front of the class with his hands up. Curious, he asked Harriet if Kelvin had apologized to her.

Kelvin's heart pounded rapidly, and his fear was evident to his friend Josh. He knew that the outcome of this conversation could make or break him.

Harriet spoke up, "Kelvin, um... He came up to me this morning all fired up."

Kelvin tried to interject, "I didn't..."

Interrupting him, Harriet continued, "He came up to me all fired up and apologized on his knees for what he did yesterday. He seemed sincere, and I forgave him."

Mr. Hudson found it difficult to believe that someone like Kelvin would take such an action. He questioned Harriet, "Are you sure he didn't threaten you or something?"

Harriet replied firmly, "Not at all."

Mr. Hudson accepted her response but warned Kelvin, "Alright then, if you say so. But I'll be keeping an eye on you, Kelvin. If anything happens to Harriet, I'll come straight for you."

From that day forward, their lives took a different direction. Josh and Mandron continued their intense yet childish feud. Tyson, gradually realizing the value of friendship, started relying on his friends for support. Kelvin did his best to live honorably and faced his estranged enemy, Harriet, without avoiding her.