d at the sweat drip
t much attention as he looked towards the spot where his friend was idly
aid with a perfec
him and made a sign that
urned away, with his
me. I will do it. I am expe
the rows of potato mounds and the delicate gree
lly weeding the potato mound to
versation as the latter walked fart
ing the snap peas with the
ince Simon had read about other vegetables that could be planted on
ybe
! S
pped his hoe as
and the silly smile he always had on when
a..
other side before they see
, and he knew there could only be one person w
he was going to hav
dropped the soun
h
armland in the region an
dy threatened them twice and his Ma was beginning to get sca
m. "I am not leaving. You know they
"Are you crazy? If you stay, then they will r
ed towards the direction where dust was ri
e saying, "Sorry, man. I will get you some money for m
Theo's men emerged from th
ntled butcher than a farmer. They carried sticks, shovels, and the kind
oreman sneered, picking his teeth with a splinter
s gaze steady despite
cled idiots would make
sage again, and he was sure they wo
ing to make it eas
y boy?" one of the four men at th
was something funny in tryin
"Master Theo said to teach whoever is here a lesson and to leave a mess
said n
d the leader, and th
his hand and pushed its iron ed
and scattered the mound as they tried
d with the shovel, and he
ed his grip again, and he rammed his elbow into t
one of the men fell while
ecision when the foreman shouted again, "Get h
in and Simon danced back to
vel that the first man dropped, and the hand
rough him and
ge and all fell on him with
d, "Hold!", Simon was bleedin
towards him wit
always be a loser, you know. A worthless loser is always just that. A los
ad his men drag Simon away from
, he thought maybe his hearing h
n't take l
fore Simon's eyes, they cleared off every si
his powers against the four men h
eft, months of hard work
take what Master Theo is offering, or the next thing might be worse. Who knows
Simon more for good measu
of losing everything, Simon launche
fore a beefy fist sm
false rock on the gro
urled into fists as an
words heavy with determinati
his last conscious though
farm burnt into his mind