A lesson in fear

After a while he didn't care anymore. Maybe he didn't see much sense in the fact that, if necessary, if he is not openly humiliated by his classmates who are declared gang leaders, the adolescent girls who want to be evil, who organized real fashion shows among themselves just because the puberty hormones wanted to run rampant in them, spit on them.

Now he was here again. Stripped naked, tied with twine, like a pitiful, fat pig in the slaughterhouse in the closet where the others used to hang their clothes and coats. All teachers strictly insisted on this somehow.

They rang the bell from the miserable seventh hour a long time ago, and it's already past two in the afternoon in winter, when it's always a little colder in the rigid, gloomy, rustic building of the elementary school, where even the old, rusting heaters, famous as the fossils of socialism, can't cool enough, and to produce warm air so that they can properly heat the ice-cold marble cassette corridor, which can bring lasting relief to students and teachers only in the summer season.

The darkness now felt like it no longer threatened him. Somehow, in what promises to be a long, humiliating childhood, he's had plenty of time to befriend and forge a mutual alliance with the syrupy, slimy darkness. It's like when the sun suddenly goes down and night covers everything on this wretched, lousy globe. You just have to get used to it. Whether it's a physical education or gym exercise, only in this case is he the personal trainer of his own body. If only he didn't hate open brutality and violence so much. I wish he could hit so hard that the heads of the gang leaders would fly off right there and then. Then they could learn that no one can do something new with the vulnerable and exposed Dávid with impunity! I wish I had a brother or sister. An older brother, who would have been raised to worry constantly, and his bickering parents to protect him from the scumbag teenagers who no longer know either God or man and whistle the school's rules of the game. However, the rules were made so that they could be fully observed!

Fal-white's fleshy, loopy, fat body began to shiver and shake more and more as the cold air crept in sneakily and unnoticed through the cracks of the cupboard, as if threatening.

After a while, he gets used to yelling for help or calling out unnecessarily, until he gets completely stuck, and then his voice goes away. Who the hell would hear it here at the highest level. Even the porter uncle was probably sitting downstairs in his small office and staring at the sports broadcasts, or reading the newspaper engrossed so that he didn't have to deal with anything.

Dávid's mother came home a little earlier from her workplace in Kálvin-tér. It was lucky that the freaky tram came on time, and the bus was there in less than thirty minutes. Her husband worked a double shift that day in the construction industry, where unemployment also reared its ugly head, so all the money she put aside or just squatted was good for the family coffers.

Still, Mrs. Perkány found it strange that her teenage son was nowhere to be found after school, when he was never the bohemian, party-going, or visiting type. Mother had to beg him to at least try to relax a little during the Christmas holidays and let himself go, because he was always hiding his books and he didn't want to decorate that damned Christmas tree with his father.

"Where can this child be? Didn't something serious happen?!" - he pondered, then he thought for a moment and called the neighbor, because Dávid played a lot, he messed with the guy next door, with whom they became as if they had become brothers.

"Hello!" Hi Tommy! I'm David's mom! I am calling you to ask if Dávid is not with you?

"I kiss you, Aunt Ildi!" I haven't met David yet! Is something wrong?

"He didn't come home and it's already half past five!" Where do you think it can be?!

"I think he was beaten or hurt again..." Tomi always answered a little more nervously if he knew the truth.

"How?" What??? What do you mean again?! he started to get nervous.

- On weekdays, from Monday to Friday, he is always humiliated and beaten. I know from that that we used to chat in the morning, and then Dávid would tell us what happened to him!

- I understand! Thanks for the help! If he does show up, you'll call him, won't you?!

"Yes!" I'm sorry…

Mrs. Perkány hung up the phone and to compensate for her nervousness she lit a cigarette in the kitchenette, and when she was there she quickly prepared dinner, since her husband usually always came home somewhat grumpy, dissatisfied, and of course very hungry. She decided to wait until five in the evening, by which time her husband might arrive from work, and they would go to school to check on Dávid.

"Why didn't you tell me about being hurt and beaten at school? He sure didn't want his father to think he was weak!” he thought about what he had heard.

Time flew by quickly, and it was already quite dark in the winter night when Mrs. Perkány decided to go to school alone. She left a note for her husband on the dining room table saying that dinner was ready, he just needed to heat it up in the microwave.

He tried to pick up his booted, numb and tired feet as fast as he could while the watchful, abandoned tower-like houses of the housing estate towered menacingly above him. The icy snow really crunched and cracked under his feet. He always loved it when the snow fell in large flakes. He could never understand why his son thinks he is so sad and why the snow wears him out?

"Maybe everything has to do with school! It would be nice to transfer it somewhere else, but I don't want it to end up in another fight!" - the thoughts chased each other in his head. Private student status was still an unknown concept in the mid-nineties, but now it has become an increasingly tempting option. All she would have to do would be to convince her hair-splitting husband in an iron hat, who believes that a man can defend himself. Maybe he was a little angry with himself. If he had paid more attention to his son, all this would not have happened! Maybe the car accident wasn't a coincidence either... It's possible that Dávid had suicidal thoughts... But now it's her turn to put an end to the dark, bitter thoughts and stand by her son, if her husband is such an inexorable, stunted a*s.

In the gloomy, unfriendly winter evening, the snow suddenly began to fall in large flakes, and it seemed as if it had no intention of stopping. Mrs. Perkány really enjoyed being able to run to school in the falling snow. It was as if he wanted to reorganize his childhood memories. Dávid felt pain the other day when he touched her back. Later, he peeked into the children's room, and just as his son took off his sweaty polo shirt, he saw the blue-green-purple bruises. Maybe the snowballs could cause such big wounds?!

He increased his steps and was already inside the school building.

"Good evening, Uncle János!" - he greeted the beautified porter.

"Good evening… can I help you with something… ma'am?" the old man looked up from his newspaper.

"My son didn't come home from school today, and I'm afraid that something might have gone wrong..." she replied with fear and concern in her firm voice.

- HE! I understand! Then I will accompany you to the classrooms!

"Let's go quickly!" - he didn't even wait for the old man, he already started running up the long flight of stairs.

When he got up, he immediately went to room two hundred and eighteen. This was Dávid's classroom, where he attended classes the most. Now he cautiously approached the room. He heard a soft, mouse-like, hopping sound coming from one of the wardrobes. He moved closer. "Who could it be?" Didn't David get locked up? Why would they do that?!" he asked himself. In the meantime, the old porter also reached the top level amid long, inexhaustible puffs and great sighs.

"Uncle John!" Can you unlock this cupboard? I think I found my son! �" a huge block of stone fell from the heart of the woman who had fallen to her feet.

"Well... the students probably have a key for it, but wait... I have a dummy key too..." he carefully examined the keys on his belt, wondering which of them fit the small lock? He searched for a few minutes before he found what he was looking for. "It's here too!" He inserted the dummy key into the lock and in the blink of an eye the closet door was already open. There they found a naked, terrified, and rather squirming, trembling adolescent boy with haunted, desperate eyes, trembling like a poplar leaf, and quite ashamed of being perfectly naked in front of the porter and his mother.

- David! My sweet son! What happened to you?! Who tied me up?! asked the worried mother, when she quickly took off her warm and large neck scarf to - temporarily - spread it over her son's chubby body, and then untied her frozen, cold, chubby hands.

"Oh... mom... they humiliated me... they beat me... again..." he answered in a thin, barely understandable mouse voice. During this time, her mother was struggling with reality, angry and angry mixed emotions.

�" …But then… why did they do such a terrible thing…?! he asked at a loss.

"Mommy!" These are wild animals... these b******s... I'm afraid..." Dávid looked at mother like when he had a serious car accident and almost had to amputate his right leg due to circulatory problems. In his vulnerable soul, pessimism, the denial of life, and the total domination of hopeless hopelessness were taking on ever-greater proportions. He became a terrified, bed-wetting teenager who is easily frightened by his own shadow, because he was raised on the lesson of fear.

"You'll be fine my love!" We're going home right away! Wait! Uncle János is about to buy some clothes. I'll be right back! - the woman was now talking to the old porter, who was already trying to sneak down the long stairs to get some clothes for the poor boy. Until then, Dávid cautiously looked out of the closet, and after making sure that no one could hurt him, he came out with his naked body and legs. She tried to cover the sensitive parts with the scarf. Now he was perhaps even more ashamed in front of his mother that he was unable to lose at least twenty kilos and become a little more muscular and athletic. A real man! As his father would say. They started carefully one step at a time down the corridor, then down the stairs to the deserted hall, where the old man gave the boy an assortment of coats and jackets and a matching pair of boots.

"I'm sincerely sorry, ma'am, that I couldn't help more..." the porter said measuredly. "Be careful, it's snowing outside..."

"Well!" Thank you for your help, Uncle János! See you later! Come David!

"See you soon, ma'am!" - beckoned the old man, then returned to his office shaking his head.

Back home, the curmudgeonly head of the family, prone to preaching, must have been quite surprised when he saw his shirtless, naked son. At first he thought he was imagining things. Or the suffering subject of some bad joke. But seeing his wife's worried and annoyed look, everything suddenly became clear to him.

"And you...?!" Where have you been? What does this child look like?! - measured his naked son! "Where did your clothes go??? he wondered. He wanted to laugh, but he knew that if he really laughed at himself now, his wife would scratch out his eyes. He rather pursed his lips.

"Your son was humiliated in all his human dignity and beaten!" We need to act on the case urgently! Heading to the director's office tomorrow.

"Wait a minute honey!" How do I understand this? Do you want to take him out of school?!

- As you say! Why? Maybe you have a better idea?! he looked at her with piercing, angry eyes.

"Well... I don't think things should be so rushed!" After all, Dávid has only just started growing up! he shook his head.

"Have you lost your mind?" snapped his wife's anger. "Look at him!" Don't you see what they did to him?! I will not tolerate this without a word! If necessary, I would rather transfer to another school, but I am not willing to be exposed to another case like this. Did you understand?! - all three entered the apartment. Dávid was immediately ordered by his mother to take a hot shower so that he would not catch an even worse cold. Then, when he ate dinner in his robe and pajamas, he felt that he would remain the center of attention for a long time, while his parents argued and argued about what would be the best solution in such a situation.

The next day came soon. The father was nocturnal, so it was as if he deliberately excluded himself from decision-making. So mother and son left early for school together. At exactly half past seven, they were both waiting in front of the principal's office. Some of Dávid's classmates saw them, so during the morning everyone in the class was wondering what would happen to Dávid now. The gang leaders were overjoyed about it, since they could do everything.

Shortly after nine in the morning, the director also came to her workplace and was surprised to find that a Dávid and his nervous mother were waiting for her.

"Greetings, my dear lady!" Hi David! Did something go wrong…?

"Good morning, Headmistress!" My son was pretty humiliated yesterday and was stripped naked and locked in the closet. I found it late at night with the help of uncle János. I want immediate action!

"Uh…I see!" Please come to my office! He showed them the door, and they both entered. - I apologize for being late, but the traffic is crazy! - he vented to relieve the tense atmosphere. "Can I offer you something?"

"No thanks!" Maybe let's get to the point! - the mother was a little impatient.

"Criminals will of course be punished!" On the other hand, it would be good for Dávid if he could continue his studies as a private student! he suggested as he put on his glasses.

"What does it mean to be a private student?"

�" This means, my dear lady, that he could study from home, and he would have to give an account of his knowledge and the curriculum during and at the end of the year! I think that this would be the best solution for Dávid, because it would avoid the daily confrontation with evil classmates!

- I understand! Well, David? the mother turned to her son. "What do you think about this?" Feel free to? What do you think?

The truth was already hidden in Dávid's tearful, terrified eyes. He would have done anything to finally get out of this goddamned place. So he nodded in agreement.

�" So then you will become a private student and allocate your time as you want, but you still have to study and prepare! Will it be okay?! he asked once more, somewhat commandingly.

Dávid nodded shyly in agreement.

The headmistress put some forms in front of the nervous mother, who carefully read everything, then signed that she had taken note of the contents of the document. The headmistress stood up diplomatically and shook hands manfully with the mother, who calmed down a little. The only tense, nervous and still terrified person in the room was Dávid himself, who - although officially - could have been raised to the status of a private student, he was sure that he could not escape from the revenge of the gang leaders...