We walked home. The pleasure and pride which we had felt earlier in the evening had left us. In their place we had regret and sorrow. But we did not blame anyone. Our main concern was how to get well and fit by the following morning, for the boys and girls at school were bound to ask questions. What answers would we give? What would the teachers do? Perhaps they would stand us before the school and beat us. Perhaps they would flog us on top of it all for going honey-hunting when we should be doing our home-work. We were sad indeed.
While we were still thinking of this , my sister came out of the bush at the back of our house and saw our appearance. She was shocked, and dashed in to tell Mother. We feared the worst. When Mother came out, I was standing alone shivering with fever and fear. My father was not in and in this I was lucky for he, a severe man, would not mind wipping me there and then. Just the we heard an alarm coming from Nana’s house. I heard ‘ Help! help! Nana has fainted.’ I wondered. If only I could faint too, I would have my father’s sympathy. But I did not faint.
I was laid on the mat and covered with many clothes. The village doctor was sent for but he did not come at once as he was busy treating Nana. When he came. he gave me some medicine to lick. It was sweet. It was mixed with honey. Every part of my body was rubbed with the same kind of medicine and I felt sticky. In about ten minutes I was sick all over the place. A little time after this I felt asleep and woke up in the morning completely recovered. All the swellings on my face and body had disappeared in my sleep. I looked into the mirror and I was my old self again.
As I got ready for school, I wondered what had happened to the others. Just then Dara came in looking happy. We both moved on to Nana’s house. Apart from the bandage on his feet you wouldn’t know it was the same boy who had been very ill and had fainted the night before. We were now satisfied that nobody would hear of our adventure at school.
But the news of the adventure had gone before us to the school. We did not know it. We walked into the school as usual as if nothing had happened. Then the boys and girls burst into laughter and a song.’Tell us boys how sweet is the honey, how hard the bees sting?’ They clapped their hands around us. All we could do was to bend our heads in shame.
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