Note: This story was dynamically reformatted for online reading convenience.
 
 Tuesday, November 25th 2003 - 06:09:16 PM

   The School Bus

   By "Mike Ikenhead"





   This happened throughout my primary school years (Grades 3 to 6).  I
come from an all-boys school.  You can therefore magine the chaos on the
bus-ride home.  There would be kids fighting, kids throwing things and kids
just yelling their lungs out.  Then there were the kids that dominated the
seats at the rear of the bus.  Their leader was called Ben (his nickname).
He was my neighbour and so although I wasn't in his "gang" being a quiet
and reserved kid, I was accorded the privilege of sitting behind.

   I don't know how or when it all started, but everyday, the "gang" would
pick on a kid, the same kid (I can't remember his name, so I'll refer to
him as Mark).  I don't know why they kept picking on Mark, probably because
he was the most handsome kid on the bus (I think he was half American, half
Chinese).  I remember in the beginning, the gang would strip Mark naked in
the back of the bus and bring his clothes to the front of the bus where he
would have to crawl (for fear of people from outside looking into the bus)
to retrieve his clothes (and whatever was left of his dignity).  Ben, being
the biggest sized person on the bus, would pull Mark (who would be trying
desparately to hide in the front) to the back of the bus and pin him down
while the rest would pull his clothes off him.  First would come the shoes,
shorts, and school shirt, and finally his tight briefs to liberate his
member.  The rest of the bus would cheer as this daily event took place.

   This went on for three years, and I don't know why we kept it up for so
long.  Sometimes, just for fun, the gang would pick on someone else, but
99% of the time Mark would be the victim.  Nor did he seem to mind.  He
would laugh along with the rest of the bus.  I think he secretly enjoyed
it.

   Sometime in our final year of primary school (Grade 6), Mark brought a
pair of handcuffs and showed it off to everyone on the bus.  His father had
bought a real pair and given it to him as a present.  It was obvious what
happened that day.  The gang stripped him as usual and cuffed him to the
handle-bar of the seat in front.  So there he sat (or lay) in that seat
completely naked for the remainder of the journey.

   We didn't do anything to him when he was thus immobilized - we just
pretended we couldn't hear his pleas to be released.  I guess we were still
really innocent back then, some twenty years ago.  I can imagine all the
pen marks on his body if it would happen now.  Not to mention all the
picture taking for posterity sake.

   In fact I wonder whether the kids of today were as devious as we were
back then, or more.

   Mike.
   mike_ikenhead@hotmail.com