The Legacy of Seán – Part 1: The Orphan’s Plight

Chapter 3: The New Routines and Revelations | Episode 6

Kevin’s schoolmates were taken aback when he arrived at school on his bicycle the next Monday. They were expecting the child prodigy to arrive at the school gate in a lavish car and someone to hold an umbrella over his head just like the day before. Instead, they were greeted by the sight of him pedalling to school on a simple bicycle, wearing his uniform and a raincoat and his backpack over his shoulder.

As he approached the gate from the other side of the road, he accidentally bumped into a big six-seater car that seemed to appear suddenly from nowhere and screeched to a halt before him. 

‘Can’t you see where you’re going, you idiot!’ Someone from inside shouted at Kevin.

It was Reynold Smith. He was sitting in the back seat with a chauffeur at the wheel. The car belonged to his father. The brawny teenager promptly stepped down from the vehicle and gave a contemptuous look at the kid. 

‘I am extremely sorry. I didn’t mean to. The car just came into my way,’ Kevin replied.

‘My car came into your way? What do you think you’re? Some kind of aristocrat?’ Reynold almost barked at Kevin. ‘And where’s your car, mister aristocrat? Why are you on this ridiculous rattler?’ Reynold taunted the boy.

‘Sorry, Reynold, but I prefer a bicycle. It’s simple, cost-saving, and environmentally friendly too,’ Kevin calmly replied. 

‘Oh, shut up your little mouth, snobby genius. We do not need your lectures here,’ Reynold snapped back, dismissing Kevin’s explanation with a sneer.

As Kevin was about to give a fitting reply, they both heard a female voice from behind. ‘Hi, Kevin! Hey Reynold, what’s going on here?’

Annie had spotted the confrontation and approached them. Having witnessed Reynold’s habit of despising younger kids, she stepped in to offer a friendly intervention and defuse the tension.

Reynold was not expecting Annie’s interference, ‘Nothing, Annie. I’m just having a friendly chat with the genius here,’ he tried to brush it off.

Annie raised an eyebrow, ‘Doesn’t look too friendly to me. Kevin, are you okay?’

Before Kevin could respond, Reynold, perhaps feeling outnumbered, decided to retreat, ‘Fine, whatever. I’ve got better things to do.’ He shot a last disdainful look at Kevin and walked away muttering to himself.

Annie turned to Kevin. ‘Don’t mind him. He’s just jealous of your brains. Let’s head inside.’ She gestured toward the school building, and the two friends walked in together.

Later that day Annie became Kevin’s guiding light in the labyrinthine corridors of his new school. First, she took him to the library and showed him the special books on Chemistry and Mathematics that he was looking for.

Next, she led him to the sports room to meet their games teacher Mr. Doug Durrel who was pleased to know that the new boy had interests in sports along with academics.

Later she introduced him to her close friends Samuel, Robert and Nori along with a few others from different classes who, she thought, might share similar interests with Kevin.

She also hung out with him during the breaks to ensure he felt comfortable, especially in case older students tried to cause trouble for him. Annie was well aware of the challenges that youngsters like him face when navigating the realm of teenage outlooks, relationships and integrating themselves into the surrounding world. 

In Kevin’s situation, the dynamics were unique as he sought to establish connections not only within his age group but also with the older individuals in his class. The complexities of social dynamics, varied interests, and the nuanced behaviours of his older peers were not unfamiliar territory for Kevin, for he had experienced such subtleties before. Adjusting to this new social landscape undoubtedly presented challenges before him in the past, at the present as well as in the future that was yet to unfold.

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