The Humming Bird's Choice

by Samuel J Fox

  It will be ten years since my mum left and was never seen again. She was classed deceased a year after her voyage, and I can remember the day one of the guards knocked on our door to deliver to news.

  “I know, thank you,” I’ve never been good in personal situations like this. “Sparky took my bag, I didn’t want to say but I know he has and I need to get it off him.”

  “Well if you run now you’ll catch up to him,” he picks up a giant red apple from a bowl in the middle of the table. “You fancy an apple for the road?” gently shaking the occupied hand.

  “I should be fine thanks; I think I’ll survive until lunch,” the apple does look moist and crunchy though.

  “Alright see you soon,” he hesitates. “Son.”

  Monni hasn’t called me that before, that’s a first.

  I head to the door and turn just before leaving, I smile at Monni and close the door behind me. Only to leave him alone with his novels.

  3

  ‘Maybe we could use your ears to fly us there.’

  I briskly walk down a wide opened path made from woodchips, surrounded by huge oak trees standing opposite each other, the sun reflects of the translucent green leaves huddled in huge bushes nearly covering the whole pathway I walk down. It’s a peaceful walk down here, I tend to admire the greenery that surrounds me even though I know school awaits ahead.

  I gaze ahead as I approach the huge architecture of wooden buildings joined as one. The front of the school consists of a circular dome in which the sun passes through the sun roof above, lighting up the head office inside. The rest of the school is interconnected with huge stairways leading to separate buildings above. The buildings stand high into the sky pointing in all directions. My classroom overlooks the great lake with the view of the vast landscape of mountains that lay behind.

  I look ahead and see the school guard, arms crossed awaiting my presence. I pray he doesn’t stop me, if he does I know for certain he’ll walk me to class, and then to inform my teacher of how late I am, I’m sure they’ll gather that anyway.

  With my head down I proceed forward aiming for furthest door on my right, furthest away from him. Closer, I’m getting closer, I walk up the steps and reach out for the door handle. The circular door knob seems so smooth, like they sanded it down for weeks on end.

  “Hold your hoofs boy,” I hear a shout from behind, he sounds tired.

  I turn to see the guard chuckling to himself as he eagerly walks towards me with his arms still crossed, he’s a lot larger than most Centaurs around here, he must be from the Stone City, Rockathorne.

  “And why have you arrived later than everyone else, boy?” his lips look dry, just like his face, I wish he’d just dip his head in the river to hydrate himself at least.

  “I woke up late sir” I say trying not to look at the cuts on his lips.

  “Do you know what might happen to you if I wasn’t here?” he asks.

  “No I- “, he cuts me off.

  “Minotaur’s! That’s what, they’ll come over here, entice you to join their army and force you to leave your home forever, do you really want that?” his voice thumps the air like a drum.

  “No sir I don’t particularly want that, I’ll get to class straight away, sorry sir,” I reply in hope he’ll let me pass. But at this moment he’s blocking my only entry of getting to class.

  “Good, I hope not, what’s your name boy?” he asks. “Felix...Felix Solokite sir,”

  He stares at me for a few seconds before answering:

  “Solokite huh, Your brother that Sparky boy?” I feel like I should deny it but it could be important.

  “Yeah he’s my brother. Why has he done something? If he has then I’m not his brother.” I laugh expecting him to return the favour, but instead I’m greeted with a stale expression.

  “You tell him I said if him and his little friends don’t stop throwing apples in the hallways I’ll personally give him over to the Minotaur scum myself!”

  Apples, why didn’t I just accept the apple of Monni, my stomach growls interrupting the silence.

  “Sure, I’ll pass the message over to him.”

  “Good,” he nods.

  I then suddenly get the urge to ask him more about the Minotaur’s, why is he so desperate to make sure we don’t join them? Why does he seem so eager to even bring up the Minotaur’s?

  “You said you’re here to stop the Minotaur’s from brainwashing us into joining them, why would we join them anyway?”

  Minotaur’s are the sworn enemy to Centaurs but we rarely see them around here.

  “I’m here to protect you, as you know Minotaur’s live pretty close to Barndale, and they love stopping by to say hello every now and then. I was transferred from Rockathorne as an extra set of eyes,” the guard replies proudly.

  “Yes, but why would they want us to join them?” I ask in desperation for an actual answer.

  The guard begins to laugh hysterically, slapping his hand on my shoulder.

  He leans in closer.

  “They need all the numbers they can get, an army isn’t an army with ten Minotaur’s, is it?” he replies.

  I can’t tell if he wants me to answer or not. But why would the Minotaur’s want an army, unless they’re planning an attack. I’ve recently noticed more guards appearing in Barndale, this can’t be a good thing. Seeing guards constantly doesn’t make me feel safe, it makes me feel like they’re preparing for something.

  “Get inside boy, you’ve wasted enough time as it is,” he snaps my attention back to him. I nod and walk past him into the central office. Echoes of my footsteps fill the air, slowly drifting into the distance and then disappearing. I notice a strange smell and decide to follow it towards a door to the cafeteria.

  Lunch!

  I turn quickly and walk away, I’m too hungry to start smelling delicious pastry at this hour.

  +++

  I begin to quickly gallop towards class, heading down the hallway which will get me there quickest. A group of girls pass me, giggling to each other, and I suddenly feel a rush of heat hit me. My eyebrows crease as I wonder what they were laughing at. A sudden urge of anxiety flows through me as I try to remember anything that could have caused embarrassment. No stains on my top, no sudden acne or cuts that have appeared out of nowhere. It all rushes through my mind so quick I decide to brush it away since it’s not worth worrying about.

  I wear my plain shirt today because I know we have sports in the afternoon, which is my favourite subject. The only lesson in the day where I can run around and have a laugh with Hurk.

  As I walk down the hallway, I gaze out the windows to the outdoor sporting area where centaurs of all shapes and sizes gallop around playing dodgeball. I watch the egg-shaped ball fly through the air hitting one kid right in the stomach, causing him to crumble to the floor holding his abdominal area.

  I’m so enticed with what’s happening outside, I slam straight into the chest of someone at least a foot taller than me. I look up to see a defined face and a smirk. Jessy.

  His hair blacker than darkness itself with a face that says, ‘hit me’.

  “Big ears, watch your hoofs!” he looks down at me like I’m some sort of puppy. My ears stick out more than most, which is probably the easiest feature for him to make fun off.

  My mum used to tell me my best quality are my ears, how they made my face symmetrical and how they made me unique.

  The urge to strike him just beneath the jaw tempts me, but I resist because alongside him being taller and stronger than me, he also has two friends standing behind him, following like ducklings. I feel that wouldn’t be the wisest choice I could make. Besides, I’ve never been the kind of person to physically fight, I prefer to talk my way out of conflict. Nothing good ever comes of it.

  “Sorry Jessy,” I shake as I reply. “I was watching the dodgeball game and then boom, you’re right there!” I have no idea where this courage has come from.

  “Oh well then, boom-, “he jabs my rig
ht shoulder with force. “You’re in my way and making me even more late to class than I already was, maybe we could use your ears to fly us there, they will probably get us there quicker!”

  I hear laughing coming from behind him.

  “Real funny Jessy,” I reply growing tired of his insults, I feel like he insults me so much I’ve grown not to care anymore. “You’re in my way and I’m also late so excuse-, “I get interrupted from the pain in my bicep where he grabs me with a fierce grip.

  “Well you’re in my way so get moving big ears!” he snarls, and then continues to grab my neck and push me against the window.

  I feel his grip tighten after every wriggling movement I make in attempt to get free. He notices two girls walk past, gazing in our direction. Jessy straightens his back and winks at one of the girls, while tightening his grip around my neck. I want to punch him with all my strength, but the fear in my face tells different, I’m too scared to do it and I know it.

  “Aint so tough now are ya?” Jessy spits at me.

  Suddenly Jessy’s face in slammed into the window to the side of us. The impact startles me and I fall to the floor trying to suck in all the oxygen I can.

  I look back up to see Sparky pinning Jessy against the wall. Jessy repeatedly slams his hand into the window pleading for him to let go. One of Sparkys strands of hair falls loose into his eyesight, he tucks the brown piece of hair back behind his ears and releases Jessy. He stumbles back into one of his friends, nearly collapsing to the floor.

  “Who do you think you are?” Sparky snaps at Jessy, his face close to his ear, almost whispering. I notice from behind neither one of Jessy’s bodyguards move to help. They whimper in the background like any bully would.

  Sparky continues, “The next time I see your hand on my brother, you won’t have a hand left,” he grabs Jessy’s neck and throws him in the opposite direction.

  Jessy quickly gathers himself and moves towards Sparky.

  “What the hell are you gonna do? Protect your little wimp of a brother, can’t even fight his own battles!”

  I stand still glaring at Jessy.

  “Coming from someone who has to have two peanuts standing behind him at all times. You won’t do anything to anyone whilst you have someone behind you, if you don’t get out of my face I’ll rip all four of your legs off and then I’ll move onto your little friends,” Sparky says now staring at Jessy’s pals.

  Jessy laughs and turns to his bodyguards behind, “Come on boys, such a waste of life, the Solokite family aren’t worth my time. See you losers later,” he winks at me just before he turns away.

  I rub my bicep from where the bruising has seemed to already ripen.

  “You alright Felix?” Sparky asks. He inspects my neck and prods my arm with one of his fingers. I swipe my arm away from the sudden spark of pain. “Don’t think it’ll bruise,” I watch a warm smile form on his face.

  “Aren’t you meant to be in class too?” I ask.

  “Oh nice, don’t worry about thanking your brother,” he replies. He tucks his hair back between his ears, his hair is long, but only reaches halfway down his neck. I always wonder how it stays in the same place when he’s not threatening Jessy. Although Sparky is older than me, I’m still a lot taller.

  “Yeah, sorry, thanks they just shook me up that’s all,” I hold my hands together, squeezing tight so he doesn’t the continuous shaking.

  “It’s alright bro, just don’t listen to him. He’s just a coward like his friends, and he’s just angry at himself because his legs are too small for his body,” he says.

  I laugh at him and begin to feel at ease already. It’s nice to know Sparkys around, even when I’m not being threatened by Jessy.

  “Me and a few friends are heading to the lake tonight, get some rum down your neck and have a chill tonight yeah?” he says.

  “Me? Go out with my brother, don’t you think that’s a bit weird?” I reply.

  Sparky swings his head side to side. “No, why would it be weird? Just come out with us and you’ll have a laugh, and we can tell everyone how you slapped Jessy and he started crying in front of us!”

  We both start laughing.

  “-and that we began to smell something weird, only to realise that he wet himself!” I add, we both laugh and Sparky slaps me on the shoulder.

  “Cool man I’ll see you tonight bro, don’t forget, tell dad and Monni that were going out to study at a friend’s house,” he says.

  “Sure, do you think I’m stupid?”

  He smiles and walks past me, I turn to watch him walk down the hallway. Sparky hasn’t cut his hair for ten years now, but he ties it up in a not at the base on his head.

  I suddenly notice my bag around his shoulder. I open my mouth to shout but I stop myself, he may be annoying, but he is my big brother.

  4

  ‘Hurk leads me down a different path.’

  I eventually arrive to class only a few minutes late. Which is surprisingly good for my standard, but not for Ms. Specklebridge. She clearly stated the day we met her that she wanted to be called Ms.’, and not Mrs.’s or Miss, Ms. Her privacy was kept to a minimum around her marital status. I didn’t really care whether she was married or not in my opinion.

  I approach the door knowing the once it opens all eyes will be pointing in my direction and the thought of that scares me from head to tail. My hand trembles as it aims for the doorknob, the longer I wait the worse it will be. Without thinking I burst into the classroom in anticipation of an awkward arrival. The last time someone arrived late to Ms. Specklebridge’s class they were screamed at and told to wait after class as she thought of a suitable punishment. Something I hope to avoid.

  To my surprise the classroom is filled with conversation and laughter. Ms. Specklebridge is also late. My heart slowly retracts to its constant beat and I let out a sigh of relief.

  I see Hurk joyfully chatting to other students in one corner of the room. His hair sticks out compared to the other students, blonde, so blonde he looks like a grape in a vineyard of raisins. Including my silver-white hair and Hurks blonde, we both stick out quite well. ‘Quite a sight’, is what my mum used to call us every time me and Hurk were both together. I may have my mum’s thick hair, but Sparky gets most of his looks from dad, brunette and long.

  Hurk has a habit of shuffling his thick head of hair randomly to keep up the ‘messy look’, as he likes to call it.

  He turns in my direction and laughs at me, “I see you’re late again buddy, you kiss your sweet ass she isn’t here right now,” Hurk bellows from across the room. His voice so loud I can’t help but laugh at it.

  I weave in and out of the chairs towards where Hurk sits.

  “She’s not late then?” I ask.

  “Nah buddy, she just left to get some papers or something,” he says kneeling down to pick up a pen someone threw at him from across the room.

  I look around the room and turn back to Hurk.

  “It looks like she hasn’t even arrived yet, you sure you haven’t mistaken her for some other teacher again? It doesn’t even look like we’re in a classroom at the moment,” I say.

  “No Felix I haven’t, you just wait until she comes back and see’s everyone doing what she told everyone not to do,” he replies. “They better hope they had a big breakfast because they won’t be seeing lunch today.”

  The moment Hurk finishes speaking the door knob turns and a sudden rush of panic erupts in the classroom. Groups split, students start pushing each other to get back to their designated seats.

  We all stand behind our desks until we are told to sit down, I’m not sure why we have to stand until told to sit. Everyone tells me it’s because it’s her way of announcing her authority. Thankfully me and Hurk sit next to each other and we’re already at our seats.

  We watch as Ms. Specklebridge passes into the classroom not even glancing in our direction. She sets the stack of papers down on her desk right underneath the chalkboard, test papers no doubt.
r />   “Please sit,” she declares.

  I kneel to sit, tucking my front two legs under my body, whilst my back two legs hang to the side.

  She turns and begins gracefully walking down the isle of desks, almost gliding along the floor. She wears spectacles almost the size of her puny eyes. Unlike most Centaurs her body and legs are unusually thin.

  She clears her throat,

  “Class, I hope you all revised your section of the workbook on the skeletal system of the Centaur’s body. If not, I want to see you after class in front of my desk,” her voice trembles through the classroom. “I’ll be able to tell this; I don’t give out test papers for the fun of it.”

  Her voice is so fluent and elegant, she continues to speak with grace as I feel Hurk tapping my shoulder from behind.

  “I don’t know anything about the skeleton or whatever she said,” he whispers. “I’m not staying after class to catch up with spectacles over there, I have things to do!”

  “What things do you have to do after school? Serve the king his afternoon tea and biscuits?” I ask sarcastically.

  I suddenly feel a presence stand behind me.

  “Mr. Solokite,” I turn to see Ms. Specklebridge staring down at me. “What was my number one rule I once told each and every one of you?” she mutters each word slowly.

  “No speaking when you’re speaking,” I reply.

  “Thank you, Mr. Solokite,” she graciously says. “And if you wouldn’t mind turning up late to class and continuously interrupting me, we’ll move along with things a lot quicker.”

  The lesson drags on for what feels like a life time. It doesn’t help that we all have to work in complete silence. Ms. Specklebridge thinks that it’s a better learning environment for everyone.

  Every so often I catch a glimpse of a girl looking in my direction. Her eyes seem burn to burn in the side of my head, I don’t see it but I feel her looking at me.