The Gorilla Gang

The Gorilla Gang

1. shying away from ‘the Gorilla Gang’
2. muscular boy
3. this ritual – swaggering around picking on the newcomers to impress on them who was boss
4. secret agenda to recruit a boy good enough to represent them within the new cohort
5. profound disappointment
6. no more daring to demur
7. a bespectacled tiny boy
8. keep our distance
9. “You’re ‘kacang putih’ (chickpeas), tiny and easy to gobble down, right?” Gorilla put to us, eyeing us from top to toe, challenging us to react.
10. he had reached sanctuary, namely the sacred vicinity of the teacher’s room
11. stood by helplessly
12. his eyes widening
13. Gorilla’s stance changed
14. turned him down flat
15. Gorilla looked surprised, then angry
16. not used to being turned down
17. Gorilla’s gang looked at their leader in sadistic expectation
18. said a silent prayer for Timmy
19. adding in a mumble something which sounded suspiciously like ‘Sir’
20. I almost fell on my knees in worship of my hero
21. Timmy blinked innocently behind his thick lenses
22. Timmy made it a point of waving to the gang who gaped at him – and then respectfully bowed.