BY BERNARD SINAI

An entry in The Crocodile Prize

THE PUNCH came at a high speed with force enough to make a hole through a brick wall.

Everyone held their breath, knowing well what would happen to Ruby’s beautiful face when the punch connected. For a moment, all that could be heard was the beating of hearts, drumming wildly with the fear of anticipation.

To everyone’s amazement and relief, Ruby swerved and ducked to the right in such a way that she looked like a coconut swaying to the tune of the ocean breeze. Steve’s mighty punch never connected. He had all his weight banked on this punch, hoping to give it maximum effect. But he never expected to miss, making him lose balance, and fall flat on his face.

In an instant, he stood up and glared at Ruby. His face twisted with shame and his eyes wild with anger. He was now a wild beast with savage thoughts only of brutality and pain. He charged, roaring toward Ruby like a raging bull, placing his shoulder like a battering ram. But in his anger and haste he tripped and fell flat on his face again.

He jumped up reflexively as if he had fallen on glowing embers and shoved the kid next to him. He was now intoxicated with so much anger and shame, that his eyes turned bloodshot and his breath flared heavily like a foghorn warning of unseen danger. The veins on his forehead twitched and throbbed like it was ready to explode at any second.

Looking at his face, Ruby realised the imminent danger she was in and screamed, “Mommy! Mommy!” with all the sound her voicebox would muster. Her mother came out in a flash, an apron around her waist and a broom in her left hand looking like World War Three had just begun.

“Steve! What have you done to your sister now!?” these words came sweeping like an icy tempest, freezing Steve where he stood, unable to move. He looked like an angry, sweating elf that had just been turned into an ice statue by Snow Queen. His clenched fists slowly released but his eyes burned with rage. This burning rage was soon overcome with cold despair. Ruby was now under mother’s protective net. He could not touch her now.

His eyes slowly filled with water. He turned and looked at the other kids with moist eyes. They all smiled. They were now liberated from his reign of terror. He turned and looked away as the water in his eyes overflowed and rolled down his cheeks, sagged on his chin, and then dripped to the ground.

The tiger had been tamed…for today.