How Friction Slipped Away Resistance
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Mustafa Mukaddam, Grade 7
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Short Story
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2019
“Aargh, friction!” Billy cried in exasperation as the teacher kindly explained it to him yet again. “Another one of those confusing forces!” His whole class, including his teacher, waited patiently for his fit to end, as they had grown accustomed to his ways. Billy was an average twelve-year-old boy who possessed a sizzling, burning coal of hatred for science in his heart. Due to this, he had developed a malignant habit of blocking his mind when he couldn’t understand a concept, no matter how much someone explained it to him.
As the monotonous bell rang for the dismissal of the class, a wave of relief washed over Billy as he jumped up with a jerk instinctively at the first ring of the bell. Finally, he thought. I’m free to go to recess! Little did he know what was waiting for him just around the corner…
In his rush, Billy didn’t notice what was in front of him: a puddle of clear, slippery water acting as a lubricant. And then, in a speedy blur, he came crashing to the floor with a bone-jarring thud. As his classmates rushed to aid him in recovering, a brilliant brainwave occurred to Billy’s mind: he had slipped on water, which, in this situation, had acted as a lubricant and lessened the amount of friction between him and the floor.
As Billy hurried to his next class, he realised that he finally understood what friction really was and its purpose and importance in life; otherwise, he would slip on every step he took! He knew that on that day, a bright, wonderful window of scintillating science had revealed itself in his dark, ignorant heart. That was the triumph of friction slipping away the resistance of Billy’s heart.