Pliers left school and went to work in the seine one day.
No, he ran away from school.
No, he ran out of school chased by some of the older boys on the instructions of the Head Master.
Pliers was fourteen, short, tough and wise.
His entire body was covered with scars from the many brutal beatings inflicted by his mother and father. In addition, there were a number of scars earned from the numerous falls, the result of his constant escapades.
Pliers was not a regular school attendee. He spent long days on the rocks by the sea fishing or collecting whelks or crabs . He was an excellent swimmer and diver so he warmly welcomed the seine.
The morning he escaped from school, he cursed and threatened a young teacher, Mr Paul James.
Mr James complained to the Head Master who summoned Pliers to his office.
Pliers knew the outcome of this visit would be "six of the best"- six strokes of a tamarind rod on his backside. He had vowed to his classmates recently that he would accept no more punishment in school.
They had laughed and wanted to know what he would do. But he only sneered and told them to wait and see. they knew that their wait would not be long because Pliers was a regular offender who suffered the Head Master's wrath and some of the marks on Pliers were his handiwork.
So, Pliers dashed out of the building (he was a runner, too) and headed for the beach just a short distance away.
In one motion, he plunged into the water and remained under for a considerable length of time.
Some of the chasers began to look somewhat uneasy even if they were aware of Pliers' marine skills.
A chant started "Oh! Oh! Pliers drown". A few ill-disciplined students from other classes had joined in the chase, too and they were more vociferous.
Seine men on the beach looked up from their mending and various other chores to gaze out to sea as they learnt the cause of the commotion.
A few women (there were always some women straying along the beach at all times), soon joined in the chant.
Suddenly an old man pointed way out in the distance:
"Look him, dey".
The crowd broke into applause,
"Wow boy, Pliers is a fish!".
They stared in amazement at the swimmer headed further out to sea. He appeared to be moving in the direction of a nearby island.
The school boys who had been ordered to apprehend Pliers, now sobered, sped back to the school to report to the Head Master.
When Mr Nelson heard the news, he almost fainted. He began to seat and shake. Miss Thomas, the old maid teacher, who it is said privately had had an affair with the Head, rushed into the office.
She gave Mr Nelson a glass of water that spilled from his shaking hand and led him to his chair behind the desk.
She was rubbing his back, mopping his face with a small towel from his private toilet and sighing:
"OK Sam, everything will be fine".
Young James who had complained to the Head Master about Pliers, burst into the office weeping:
"Oh Sir, suppose the boy drown?"
Upon hearing this, Mr Nelson, sprang up from his chair so suddenly that he knocked the old maid flat on he broad backside.
"Shut up! Shut your mouth! Is you caused that!"
Meanwhile a few of the younger seine men (older boys) had launched one of the boats on the beach and were rowing desperately towards the head in the distance.
There was now a crowd on the shore. Although it was only two o'clock, it appeared that school was over for the day. School children were there in their cream and maroon, the girls and the boys in their white shirts and khaki pants.
All the teachers were glumly huddled together. Only Mr Nelson, Miss Thomas and Mr James were absent. But after a few minutes, they were seen shuffling along to be greeted by jeers and angry looks. It was noticed that there was a large wet stain on the front of Mr Nelson's trousers. Mr James' face was covered with tears mixed with mucous and his eyes were swollen red.
There was a sudden hush and every one turned in the direction where a red-clad woman with a white head tie was making her angry way up the beach. Even from the distance it was obvious that she was coming for battle.
The boys paddled vigorously and soon pulled an exhausted Pliers into the boat. But he was still able to laugh exposing the gaping hole in his upper jaw, the result of a fist from his drunken father.
"Ah en goin back to school. Ah done with dat. Nelson, Tomas, James an all dem could kiss me @$#@... Ah is a seine man, now"
No, he ran away from school.
No, he ran out of school chased by some of the older boys on the instructions of the Head Master.
Pliers was fourteen, short, tough and wise.
His entire body was covered with scars from the many brutal beatings inflicted by his mother and father. In addition, there were a number of scars earned from the numerous falls, the result of his constant escapades.
Pliers was not a regular school attendee. He spent long days on the rocks by the sea fishing or collecting whelks or crabs . He was an excellent swimmer and diver so he warmly welcomed the seine.
The morning he escaped from school, he cursed and threatened a young teacher, Mr Paul James.
Mr James complained to the Head Master who summoned Pliers to his office.
Pliers knew the outcome of this visit would be "six of the best"- six strokes of a tamarind rod on his backside. He had vowed to his classmates recently that he would accept no more punishment in school.
They had laughed and wanted to know what he would do. But he only sneered and told them to wait and see. they knew that their wait would not be long because Pliers was a regular offender who suffered the Head Master's wrath and some of the marks on Pliers were his handiwork.
So, Pliers dashed out of the building (he was a runner, too) and headed for the beach just a short distance away.
In one motion, he plunged into the water and remained under for a considerable length of time.
Some of the chasers began to look somewhat uneasy even if they were aware of Pliers' marine skills.
A chant started "Oh! Oh! Pliers drown". A few ill-disciplined students from other classes had joined in the chase, too and they were more vociferous.
Seine men on the beach looked up from their mending and various other chores to gaze out to sea as they learnt the cause of the commotion.
A few women (there were always some women straying along the beach at all times), soon joined in the chant.
Suddenly an old man pointed way out in the distance:
"Look him, dey".
The crowd broke into applause,
"Wow boy, Pliers is a fish!".
They stared in amazement at the swimmer headed further out to sea. He appeared to be moving in the direction of a nearby island.
The school boys who had been ordered to apprehend Pliers, now sobered, sped back to the school to report to the Head Master.
When Mr Nelson heard the news, he almost fainted. He began to seat and shake. Miss Thomas, the old maid teacher, who it is said privately had had an affair with the Head, rushed into the office.
She gave Mr Nelson a glass of water that spilled from his shaking hand and led him to his chair behind the desk.
She was rubbing his back, mopping his face with a small towel from his private toilet and sighing:
"OK Sam, everything will be fine".
Young James who had complained to the Head Master about Pliers, burst into the office weeping:
"Oh Sir, suppose the boy drown?"
Upon hearing this, Mr Nelson, sprang up from his chair so suddenly that he knocked the old maid flat on he broad backside.
"Shut up! Shut your mouth! Is you caused that!"
Meanwhile a few of the younger seine men (older boys) had launched one of the boats on the beach and were rowing desperately towards the head in the distance.
There was now a crowd on the shore. Although it was only two o'clock, it appeared that school was over for the day. School children were there in their cream and maroon, the girls and the boys in their white shirts and khaki pants.
All the teachers were glumly huddled together. Only Mr Nelson, Miss Thomas and Mr James were absent. But after a few minutes, they were seen shuffling along to be greeted by jeers and angry looks. It was noticed that there was a large wet stain on the front of Mr Nelson's trousers. Mr James' face was covered with tears mixed with mucous and his eyes were swollen red.
There was a sudden hush and every one turned in the direction where a red-clad woman with a white head tie was making her angry way up the beach. Even from the distance it was obvious that she was coming for battle.
The boys paddled vigorously and soon pulled an exhausted Pliers into the boat. But he was still able to laugh exposing the gaping hole in his upper jaw, the result of a fist from his drunken father.
"Ah en goin back to school. Ah done with dat. Nelson, Tomas, James an all dem could kiss me @$#@... Ah is a seine man, now"
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