"You heard me!"
"I dare you to say it again!"
"You're an orphan! I heard my mother say so. You ain't got no father!"
"You're a liar!"
"Who's a liar? Who's a liar? I'll show you who's a liar!"
A scuffle in the sand. A hard ball of fingers on my nose. Blood on my shirt. Yelling, screaming, crying: "I'm not an orphan! I'm not!"
"I'll learn you who's a (puff) liar! I'll show you (puff) little (puff) snotnose stupid orphan!"
Hot tears, shameless. Screaming, screaming.
"Faw-Faw! Faw-Faw!"
Pounding on my ribs. Then—