Marcelinda, the school bully

Back in the day, school bullying was a way of life. It didn’t really matter who your parents were, or whether you lived in the township or the suburbs – we were all in the same boat. Yeah, weather you had peanut butter on your bread during break time, or just plain old Hugo’s mixed fruit jam on it like I did, didn’t really matter.When you were new at a school, they would make you go on all fours, bleat like a sheep and eat grass. Either that or you would be playing soccer barefoot – with a brick for a ball!But nothing really beat the wrath of real primary school bullies with intent to name and shame. We had one at my school – Marcelinda. Yes, I was bullied by a girl and what a beauty she was!You see, Marcelinda was no ordinary bully. I mean, she wouldn’t make you go on all four or something – although I prayed for seven years she would – but a bully she was nonetheless. During the morning assembly one day, my eyes happened to catch those of Marcelinda. She looked at me, I looked at her, she smiled, I smiled. That was it. At primary school level, that was Morse code for “I love you too Charlie and I have been waiting for this moment for a very long time. Yes, I accept to be your girlfriend.” I made the mistake of telling my good friend Tjeripo that I got a girlfriend – Marcelinda! Keeping secrets has never been my good friend’s strong point, but it was just too good not to share.Soon the whole school knew about me and Marcelinda. The other girls would look at me and smiled every time I pass by. As for the guys? Well, let’s just say I went from zero to hero in record time!But like all good things, my imagined affair with the beautiful school bully did not last. She got to hear of it and decided to confront me about it.We were chatting with Tjeripo and a few nerdy friends of mine during break time that day when we saw her approaching us, accompanied by four other girls. My heart started beating faster – not because I was in love, but because I knew I was going to meet my Lord sooner than I had anticipated!Mind you, not only had she won every single beauty contest at school since Grade 1, but Marcelinda’s dad drove a red BMW. My mom told me to stay away from such people; apparently they were members of the red ear… or was it red nose crime family. “So, which one is it,”Marcelinda asked her body guards as she got near. Everyone, including Tjeripo pointed at me. I was shivering not knowing how to react.“Look at you, why would you say I am your girlfriend? Why would I date a boy like you?”She moved closer, grabbed me by the collar and I felt my feet losing grip with the ground. I always thought she swept me off my feet, but this was not how I imagined it.After being given one or two slaps and being harshly warned to stay away from her shadow or something like that, it was all over. Marcelinda and her goons left, and my friends sat by me, nursing my bruised ego for hours after school.Ja, that was the last time I ever imagined hooking up with Marcelinda. The good part is that I was relieved off my duties of carrying her school bag, covering her books and doing English homework for her. Trust me; her English was as good and effective as that of my two-year old daughter!I never really figured why I got a beating for something as simple as lying about going out with a girl. Phew, thank God I am much older and wiser now, for I know that the same trick would probably not have the same results.Whoever I lie about now would probably go something like “Ag, you mean that disillusioned fool who does not know how to deal with the mess in his own life? That guy annoys the hell out of me…”She would then turn to me and in a whisper say “…call me…” Until then…tjatindi@gmail.com

Marcelinda, the school bully

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Namibian Sun 2025-07-18

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Marcelinda, the school bully

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Namibian Sun 2025-07-18

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