An Unforgettable Return chapter 2

He Knew Who Set the Fire

We finished work early today. The teacher told us that we were going to a meeting in the church. When we got there, it was already full of people. Suddenly, I saw Tom standing on the stage in the front, with his arms hanging straight down. A naive thought popped into my head: Could it be that today they specially invited him to tell stories to everyone? The more I thought about it, the more excited I became. At this time, a man on the stage raised his hand and shouted slogans: “Down with Tom, the descendant of the exploiting class!” Then, the man shouting slogans angrily exposed that Tom came from an exploiting – class family, had never repented, and was using story – telling to spread harmful ideas! There was a slight commotion in the audience. The man shouting slogans pressed Tom’s head down hard, and Tom’s face instantly turned deathly pale. A fire of anger burned in my heart. I couldn’t sit still anymore. I ran into the big kitchen beside the church and gulped down a large ladle of cold water in one breath.

At this time, the commotion in the audience grew louder. Suddenly, a clod of earth hit Tom! I remembered something the adults had told me: Not long ago, a man was beaten to death by out – of – control people during a struggle session! My heart tightened. I caught a glimpse of a pack of matches on the stove. Driven by some unknown force, I picked up the matches and secretly slipped out through the back door.

Not far from the church was the farm’s pigsty. It was called a “pigsty”, but there were only three or four emaciated pigs in it. There was a stack of dry corn stalks next to the pigsty. I squatted behind the corn stalks and struck a match. Immediately, a flame rose. I pulled up my pants and pretended to have just finished urinating and returned to the meeting.

A few minutes later, someone shouted, “Oh no, the pigsty is on fire!” Everyone ran over. Some tried to put out the fire, and some ran around to chase the pigs. The meeting was in a complete mess. I took the opportunity to slip to Tom’s side, winked at him, and whispered, “What are you still standing here for? Go quickly.” Tom looked at me in surprise and seemed to understand something. But he didn’t leave immediately. Instead, he joined the crowd fighting the fire. I saw that his hair was singed and curled by the flames.

Fortunately, the fire didn’t cause much damage, and the matter was soon forgotten. However, Tom never told stories again. The ending of “Ali Baba” became a mystery in my heart.

Soon, it was time for us to return to school. When we set off, I saw a man standing alone by the roadside to see us off. It was Tom! At the moment I walked past him, he gave me a look that I would never forget, a look full of gratitude! My heart skipped a beat: He knew who had set the fire!

The Hand Clutching the Chest Tightly

A few months after returning to school, it was a cold day with sporadic snowflakes floating in the biting wind. We were having morning self – study when a young man in thin clothes came to the school gate. It was Tom. The school guard came out and asked, “Who are you looking for?” Tom shivered with cold and said, “I’m looking for Jack. Is he here?” The guard didn’t answer. His eyes were fixed on Tom’s right hand clutching his chest. That hand was trembling unnaturally in front of his chest.