When I was in Grade 8, I had a girl classmate who did not have good looks but very outgoing. She was a tomboy. The boys dubbed her “Man” and played jokes on her to embarrass her.

One day a boy quarrelled with her loudly over something. The boy was just kidding but she got very angry. Suddenly the boy went to her desk and pulled it down. It drove Man so mad that her face turned red, her body shaking.

Laughing, the boy yelled, “Are you Man? Hit me!” Then all my classmates burst into laughter. Tears poured out of the girl’s eyes. But her tears only brought out more laughter and boos from the boys and girls around. Her world must have been dark at that time.

Why should guys judge a book by its cover? The girl was not easy on the eye but she was a very kind soul, because she often helped animals which were hurt in the neighbourhood.