Boiling Point Author : Dr. K. S. Kang

 

Boiling Point

Author: Dr. K. S. Kang

“ I was simmering, simmering, simmering,Emerson brought me to a boil”, echoed the voice of teacher reading these famous lines from Walt Whitman’s poem to entire class, including girl of Vietnamese origin Chun sitting in the corner of the second row. Chun’s parents were one of those fortunate ones who succeeded in escaping oppressive regime of their country and succeeded in getting asylum in this country- the beacon of freedom and democracy in the world. Chun had a pleasing temperament with a fine sense of humour but she was an odd person our among the class due to her sharp, small eyes and chinki face among the young people mostly of blue eyes, white skin and yellow hair. She was also slightly plump and as she was a minority so she often became aim of the remarks like pumpkin, fatty, sumo and the like from her class fellows. But she ignored these remarks in good humour did not take any offence or ill will against her class fellows.

One day as she was going to put her things in the locker room a few girls belonging to her class obstructed her way deliberately as a result of which she fell on the floor and had a minor fracture in the leg with injured knees amidst the furore of laughter of her class fellows. More than that her conscience and soul was wounded at this strange and unexpected show of hatred of her own class fellows towards her. Due to fracture and injured knees she had to take a few days off from her school. Though her parents protested against this incident but school authorities did not take their complaint seriously and gave a mere warning to the offenders, as most of them belonged to majority white community and their parents were rich business magnates of the town. Chun tried to nurse her wounded soul by mostly remaining confined to her room and she rarely used to step out of her house even for a stroll and fresh air. As she remained confined mostly to her room and house, attending online classes, so she gained a bit more weight. Her parents felt that isolation was affecting her personality adversely so after she got well they asked her to rejoin her school.

Though she did not want to go back to her school again as her frustration and anger was building up in her against the unjust society that cannot assure fair treatment to all irrespective of gender or class. However complying with her parent’s wish she rejoined her school. On her return to school she got a cold and hostile welcome from her class fellows as their comments on the shape of her body, her appearance and clothes recommenced and were growing sharper day by day. One day as she was coming to collect her things from the locker room, she saw a group of her classmates,she stopped at once to overhear their conversation. She was baffled to hear that they were making plans to humiliate her more. Now this was too much the frustration and wrath that was under her so far came to a boil and with raging eyes she entered the locker room. Some of her class fellows slipped quickly as soon as they saw her in fury. But Chun succeeded in grabbing the hair of one of her class fellow and banged her head with the locker of the room as a result of which the knob of the locker pierced through her nose and cheek bone. A great turmoil ensued as the medical team and security rushed to the locker room, taking the wounded one for medical aid to a nearby nursing home. As security personnel were taking Chun to Principal office she heard the voice of the teacher reciting Whitman’s famous lines to the learners “I was simmering, simmering, simmering ,Emerson brought me to a boil”. When Principal came to know about this unfortunate incident he immediately took decision to rusticate her from the school as the injured girl not only belonged to majority community but she was also daughter of an influential personality of the town. As Chun came out of Principal office with rustication letter in her hand, accompanied by two security guards teacher was again reciting the lines “ I was simmering,simmering, simmering,Emerson brought me to a boil.” Chun was thinking about the Principal’s action who had taken decision only taking into consideration “boil”, that is today’s violent incident he had not cared to look at the causes that resulted in today’s violent action that is the frustration and anger that was simmering in her against the insults and humiliations that she had to face daily in the form of remarks and physical manhandling from her own class fellows. So Principal had fully ignored the simmering in her by ignoring her protests and complaints. While coming out of the school building Chun was thinking, such is the unjust society in which she was living and hoping to build her future bright.