1979 School Magazine

F@M FRAEfugMSh€EP hlario scuffed silently down the street towards home; on ihe last day of the school week - at least he was ihankful for that. He tried to ignore the jeers and rude remarks as he passed ihose little groups of faces which he had come to hate, yetwhich, he knew, he could learn io love, if only they would give him a chance. The liltle Creshan family had been brough'i here about eight months ago, much to their delight and gratiiude.lt had been part of a gimmicky aid scheme, o{fered to ihe most poverty-affected families jn a certain ra.dius of their poor little village which was iocated in a sadly poveriy- affected country. With this i'ay of hope, came the offer of a lodging in the slums, a meagre l,r,reekly allowance and the poor education of the area's run down school, for the benefit of Antonio's ten y6sp old only child. At the time it seemed like heaven; and on a silver plaiier. Slowly, iheir illusions were eroded by ihe caustic cruelty of the other inhabitants of the neighbourhood. Tears stung his eyes, and pain turned to blind rage. l-1e turned on them, and, throwing rude words at them like stones, as he had received for so long, spat in the gutter and rushed home, ashamed of himself for such behaviour. That night, as N/ario's parents ate, without tasting a mouthful, the sad scraps left over from last night their little boy sobbed himself to sleep in the dark corner. Antonio's heart almost broke, as always, but he knew that no words or comfort could mend the deep wounds of shame, lnflicted by children of his own age. He tried io console himself with the thoughts that it was better for all, than previous conditions. At this moment, at different places, three things were happening. An old man struggled in vain as little demons held him helpless; a dog sank, from a battery of sticks and stones, lifeless to the ground; and two gangs began a life-and-death fight. Behaviour such as this, Mario could not comprehend or accept, which was why he was in such agonies of deci- sion. This morning, he had been offered the choice bet- ween misery and acceptance; something which had become the most important thing in his life. To him it was the chance of a lifetime. Two blocks away stood a sweet shop, which the children looked at longingly as they passed each day, envious of the rich few. Burglary was the subject of the dare. Mario stood still, sweat on his hands and forehead, waiting for instructions. "So the woggy turned up, did he? Blimey, I'm all sweaty, just thinking of poor old Nobby, l am," came the en- couraging comments. Nobby had unsuccessfully tried to accomplish this feat three years ago, and had never been seen aqaln after the "big cop pinched him." A few sniggers, then Mario was fumbling with the lock, using Jacko's useful tools to pick it. A passing policeman heard the noise, on the other side of the dingy street, and sneaked up quickly and quietly, to make his third kill of the night - a lot of it about he thought. Dismayed parents were told to teave within five days, because of the extent of the small crime, and prejudice against the f rightened migrants.

The whole gang turned u;r to bid the farnily a sad bye. Nlario, through bitter tears, felt a warm ruih of gratitude and compassion - here stood ihe bedraggled clan, off_ering him, with open hearts, love and synrddtny for the firs'i time in almost a Vear. What he h'aO Oeelr fighting for, for so long, had now arrived - bui in such heartbreaking circumstances. hdario wondered, for a moment - were the things people did, worth it; for {riendsh ip. Amanda Golden, 98. Eood_

fruG@rusrsFFrucd€s I just don't undersiand the inconstslencies oi human behaviour - I don't even attempt to. Hordes of blacks, cast iron chains adorn their necks, their feet. I n hibited they shuffle. Bepression - faceless entittes. Liberations, f ree my brothers and sisters. Revolution doesn't change everything. But we'll give it a go. Roles are reversed. Oh my God - I vow this phrase in neither disrespect nor blasphemy - Children, innocents die; starved Alone, forgotten. Patiently waiting for a new country. Smile, catch a few rays of sunshine Let the warmth of the sun Embrace you, Energizing, Relieving The cfi illing desperation The panic which almosf subrnerges Them, You, me. Barbara Ainsworth, 1 24. Their parents, mere shadows Have forgotten hope, lost faith,

"Christians don't wear halos They look the same, eat the same food, Watch the same T.V. Ninety percent of their beliefs are the same too. Like nearly everyone, they believe in gravity, the idea that studying will improve your grades, and in the attractiveness of the opposite sex. The differences are subtle. You can't pick a Christian out of a crowd. Yet there are a few truly different things Christians believe in. Not just believe, but believe in , . . Those few ditferences make Christians consider themselves quite different from other people. And though the differences aren't visible, they arecosmic..."