I was a sickly child. Taking medicines was part and parcel of my childhood life. I guess due to my feeble body and small stature, nobody wanted to play with me because I could not run as fast or throw as quick. Every time, my cousins would always let my siblings go into their room to play and left me outside banging on the door. I had no choice but to play by myself. I would pretend to interchangeably play the teacher and the student. I was glad one day my burly cousin asked me to play with him in his room. He was the youngest and most pampered child of my first aunty. He always had the most fascinating toy. When I got tired of playing and wanted to leave the room, he stopped me. I tried to open the door and with his might he used his elbow to punch my right cheek. My mouth bled profusely and I cried running to my mother. Instead of comforting me, she canned my legs because she said she did warn me not to play with him. I realized at that age it would be better to play by myself than to risk being hurt twice. So whenever I saw my cousin I would try to walk in the opposite direction. He got very angry and started to call me "Skinny Monkey". In retaliation, I shouted "Porky Pig" and even used my index finger to press on my nose to imitate the pig. My bully ended up crying and complained to his protective mom about me. I explained to my aunt the reason. Fortunately, my aunt did not take his side. I believe she knew I was the aggrieved victim meting out poetic justice. Then I saw my aunt pretending to hit him aggressively. My cousin scurried around like a frightened mouse. It was quite comical because unlike my cousin I was alert enough to know she would never really hit her beloved son. However, there were times when she accidentally hit him by mistake. Thereafter, my cousin dared not bully me. I guess he realised unlike the other kids who cowered in his presence, I would strike back without any fear. I can be nice but If you are nasty I will be nastier. Bullies are deeply troubled soul with great sense of insecurity and panted anger. They like to trample on the weak but fear retaliation. Subsequently, he was always very nice to me. But the other kids still get bullied by him. I would tell him if he did not want them to call him "porky pig" then start to treat them nicely. I was very glad he heeded my advice and the other kids told me they did not why there was a change in his attitude. I just smiled and shrugged my shoulders. I did not want the other kids to use the nick name to attack my repentant cousin. I had killed a monster, I did not want the other kids to turn into bullies themselves! Make your enemies respect you, don't make them hate you. I learnt at a tender age, the brain is mightier than the sword. You can be the tiny but courageous David and topple the tyrannical bully, aka, the gigantic Goliath any time. If I can do it so can you.