John Bull was a poem

We were packing our books and clearing our desks when John the school bully entered our class as usual. John is the oldest student in the school and he is a class, five students. He considers himself as King. He taps into students' insecurities and weaknesses, he bullies every one including his classmates. He has two class five students that follow him around and they do the bulling together.

JJ came to our school when we were in class three, he didn't talk to anyone including the teachers though he does well in examinations. We became friends with JJ at the third term of the session when John Bull poured water into JJ's food and we shared our food with him. So yesterday after the assembly and our wonderful speech, John came around.

JJ was sitting at his desk which is right in front of ours as usual when John came in with his cronies. On entering, he pushed a girl out of the way and she hit her elbow on the floor. It turned out she was injured, seeing blood gushing out of her hand, she started crying. When he saw the blood he got scared and threatened to tell his aunt who is the class five teacher to withdraw her scholarship if she reported him to anybody. The girl's wailing turns to a whimper almost immediately because she knew the teacher in question is well known for flogging students. I'm sure she wasn't really worried about the scholarship. John was happy with this reaction but of the way he was grinning like a cashmere cat. I was angry but before I could do anything, we heard something crash and the next minute, JJ was seen pouncing on John Bull, hitting him any and everywhere.

Everyone stood by shocked, we didn't know what to do. Immediately Angela, the girl John had pulled scrambled up to get away from the boys fighting, the momentary paused ended. Peter and Marcus, John's boys like they are popularly called, started hitting JJ and me and my brother couldn't stand by watching so we joined the fight to help JJ.

Mr Jones, our class teacher happened to enter during the fight and he separated us. JJ got a black eye and a torn shirt while John bull with a lot more injuries and that isn't hard to deduce since JJ was on him all through, the rest of us with our petty injuries. We were taken to the clinic to clean up get treated and later on ended up in the principal's office. The principal asked us to bring our parents tomorrow.

Jamal concluded looking at both his parents with his puffy red eyes. Jamil didn't look at any of them and though he was shaken after his mother's threat, he didn't cry.

" All that happened and has been happening in your school? Kamila asked shocked. The fact that primary school students now bully themselves was unfathomable. Amid stayed quiet for he while, he didn't know how to react to the situation. On one hand, he is glad his kids stood up for others against bullies but on the other hand, they could have just reported to a teacher but he remembers they mentioned a teacher who is John Bull's aunt and reporting could have meant trouble for them.

Suddenly, Amid burst out laughing and he couldn't stop for a while, when he was finally able to talk he looked at the boys and asked;

" The boy who bullies you is his real name John Bull or what; he asked, Kam at that moment understood the reason behind his laughter and question and burst out laughing herself. The kids just kept on watching perplexed but answered nonetheless.

"His name is John Benson daddy, Jamil was calling him John the bully and everyone in the class was calling him that too but when it's just me and my brother I call him John Bull because he looks scary and big like a bull. Jamil just looked on quietly not giving much of a reaction.

Both their parents went into another bout of laughter which finally made Jamil change his demeanour and raise an eyebrow in question. Suddenly they started singing;

"John Bull my son

I sent you to school

You don't know how to spell your name

J O H N

And B U L L

That is how to spell your name".

They repeated the song while still laughing and later on stopped to explain to the kids.

" That is a poem we recite when we were still your age in primary school then", Amid explained

" It's a poem to boo people who weren't doing well in school then", he concluded.

" wow dad, can you teach us? Jamal asked anxiously.

"No son, that may be a thing during our time but anymore. It'll be considered bullying if you go about reciting it when John is around cause I know that's what you will do and then you won't be any different from him because that's bullying", Kam immediately replied.

" In the meantime, until we hear from your school tomorrow, you've not heard the last of this but also remember boys, the last thing you should resort to is fighting. You should have reported to a teacher regardless", Kam chided turning serious suddenly and Amid did the same putting on a stern look.

"Sorry mommy", both boys said in unison.

At that particular moment, they heard the bus horning outside the gate signalling Zaara's arrival from kindergarten.

Both boys forgot they were being scolded and ran out to meet their sister. Kam followed then laughing while Amid remained seated shaking his head in amusement. On getting out, instead of getting to see their always bubbly sister running through the gate to hug them, she was lying asleep in her teacher's arms and that got Kam alarmed immediately and she ran forward to carry her child.

"Good afternoon Mrs Bashir, your daughter was down with a stomach ache about forty minutes before closing hours and we took her to the school clinic. It's been a while you dewormed her", Miss Jamie the teacher quickly explained seeing the worry itched on Kam's face.

Amid came out at that moment when he didn't hear the chattering of the kids as per usual and also got alarmed when he saw Zaara sleeping.

"She already used some drugs to settle her stomach and these are the prescribed drugs for her from the school's doctor, a drug to deworm her is already included and she only needs drugs", Miss Jamie explained.

"Thank you so much Miss and my regards to the doctor", Kam said while hugging Zaara fiercely trying to deduce Zaara's temperature by feeling her face with hers.

Amid shook hands with the teacher while mouthing a thank you. After all pleasantries, the teacher left and they all went inside with the twins were asking about Zaara's.