Min tibetanska barndom i Zorgay - Life and Culture on the Tibetan ...

longer wanted to fight.
Finally, classes were over <strong>and</strong> it was lunchtime. I
wanted to avoid unnecessary fighting, but they pestered me
along the way. I stopped <strong>and</strong> asked, "Friends, what have I done
to you?"
The tallest, Tashi Dondrub, said, "What does he mean
by saying 'friends'? It's funny <strong>and</strong> a shame to say someone is
your friend when you are about to fight. Don't you think so,
chums?"
Predictably, they chorused, "Yeah, you are such a
shameless boy! Go lick shit! No one wants to be your friend."
This exasperated me, yet I calmed myself. I knew if I
fought, I would be the only one to face the teachers' wrath, for
they were the best students <strong>and</strong> the teachers liked them more
than me. I told my friend, Dorji, who would surely help me
fight, to ignore them.
Dorji whispered, "They want to fight because our
arithmetic teacher praised you this morning. They envy you."
Oh my Three Jewels! When I was poor at arithmetic
they were my friends, <strong>and</strong> now when I was making progress
they had become enemies. I was becoming the student they
wanted to beat <strong>and</strong> push down. I was very disappointed, but not
wanting to vent my anger I said, "I know why you want to fight.
Let's fight after our final examination."
I said such things because I wanted to avoid a fight. I
was unsure how well I would do on the final exam. Without
warning, the three boys rushed at me, kicked every part of my
body, punched my nose until it bled, <strong>and</strong> yanked my hair using
all their strength. Dorji helped me, kicking <strong>and</strong> beating their
backs with his little fists. They punched Dorji's face until a
passerby stopped them. Dorji was infuriated <strong>and</strong> scolded, "You
useless dogs! If you have the strength to beat Kondro <strong>and</strong> me,
then let's fight individually. How shameless, ganging up on
Kondro <strong>and</strong> beating him! I'm not a person of my word if I don't
take revenge later, when each of you is alone." Then he came to
me <strong>and</strong> wiped the blood from my chin with the sleeve of his
Tibetan robe. I realized what a friend he was. When your nose
is beaten it is impossible to control your tears. I looked as if I
was crying, but I really was not.
Someone told Brother that I had been beaten <strong>and</strong> he
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