Antwan the Ant

            by Dane Silva

 

            In the farthest depths of the forest there lies a city. Not just any city, but a giant bug city. The streets of Buggville are never empty. From the earliest of mornings to the latest of nights, the streets are filled with any bug you can imagine. Families of caterpillars, groups of moths, bugs with seven legs, red eyes, and even some with multiple heads can be found with a simple turn of the head.

 

 

            A cool breeze whistled through the grass and into the midst of the building of Buggville. It was the time when the streets were still damp from the morning dew. A single solitary figure walks down the road, delivering the daily news. Before the bugs of Buggville even thought of crawling from under their dandelion-quilts, Antwan Ant delivered the Buggville Times to every house in town. So every morning he got up at the crack of dawn and made his daily rounds.

            The one part of Antwan’s job that he hated with all of his heart was the uniform. It was bright purple with pink stripes and yellow polka dots and along with it came Golf hat with a neon green tuff. He never wanted to be seen in public wearing it. If one of his friends saw him wearing such a hideous uniform he would get made fun of, and nobody likes to get picked on. He would always hide when he passed one of his friend’s houses. But still, every day he delivered the morning news to Buggville.

           

    At school none of the other little bugs knew that Antwan delivered the paper. He was embarrassed about his job. If any of his friends asked what he did before school, Antwan would mumble something; usually he avoided the question. One day on the playground, Garry Grasshopper popped the question, “What do you do everyday before   school? We always play kick ball, but you never come.”

            “Oh, ummmm. Uhhhh. I do,” Antwan sweated out an answer, “I have a job!”

            The other bugs became interested and Garry asked with a smerk on his face, “What kind of Job?” A cynical smile widened across his face, but before Antwan could answer, the bell rang and Miss Wormdale called the little bugs back to class. He was relived for the time being, but he had to think of a good excuse before the end of class. Later, just as the school bell rang at the end of class and all the bugs ran home or to the playground, Antwan’s Dad rolled up in his wagon.

            “ Antwan,” he called out in front of him and his friends. “ You need to go home soon. Remember you have to get up bright and early to deliver the newspapers. They wont deliver themselves you know.” Antwan went red and all of his friends started laughing and teasing him. He wanted to cry, but he wouldn’t do it near his friends. He face became as red as a giant tomato. Just as the first tear slipped out Garry yelled,

 

“Funny hat that is uglier than a rat...

Little tuff on top looks like a dead cat.”

 

            Antwan Ant was so embarrassed that he ran as fast as his little bug legs could carry him. He ran all the way home. He ran and ran until he could not breath and fell to the ground crying into a pile of dried up old leaves. He lay there for an hour, sobbing into his arms until a he heard a rustling in the bushes. He wiped the salty tears from his eyes and there stood his father leaning on a dandelion. He smiled and sat next to poor little Antwan.

 

 

            “Hey little bug. What’s wrong?” his father dabbed the tears from Antwan’s eyes with a banana yellow handkerchief. With his hands at his sides, and his eyes still glazed over, Antwan told his Dad the whole situation. He told him that he was embarrassed by his job and how Gary Grasshopper made fun of him.

            “ I just want to be proud of my job, but I cant because all the other kids make fun of me because of my uniform,” Antwan told his father.

            His father looked at him with a look of sincerity and told him, “ You could do something else, but you are so good at delivering the paper. You could be a Garbage Man or even Cook. You can do whatever you want. But do what you want to do. No matter what Gary Grasshopper says about your uniform. If you have pride, he will have nothing to make fun of.” They talked all through the night about poor Antwan’s problem. His father taught him how there will always be a bug that will make fun of him and not understand his job.  He told him the importance of the daily news and how the town would be in shambles without him.

            The next day Antwan distributed the news how he always did. Door by door he delivered the Buggsville Times. Antwan was no longer ashamed with his uniform. He wore it like a badge of honor. He strutted with pride. Nobody could embarrass him in his purple with pink stripes and yellow polka dotted suit. He even had his ugly green tuff hat on. He walked, strolled, marched, skipped, bounced, jumped, and ran through the streets. He did not have a care in the world what people thought of his hideous uniform.

            “I LOVE MY JOB,” he screamed at the top of his teeny tiny ant lungs.

            That very next day at school, when all the little bugs were out at recess playing kickball and Antwan Ant came out wearing his new found pride, that tacky uniform of his. Antwan ran with pride over to the other kids and as soon as they noticed what he was wearing they all cackled with laughter and chanted,

 

“Funny hat that is uglier than a rat...

Little tuff on top looks like a dead cat.”

 

            They kept chanting there silly rhymes but Antwan did not care. The other bugs looked with disbelief at Antwan. To his surprise they all stopped taunting him except mean Gary Grasshopper. He did not care; he still thought his clothes were repulsive. Little Antwan just looked at Gary and smiled then said, “That’s right I’m a paper boy and I’m proud of it. I have the best darn uniform in the whole universe.

            “ Well I still think you have the ickiest uniform in the world. I would never be caught dead wearing that hat. It looks like spray painted road kill. Who would ever want to be seen it that,” taunted Gary as he continued to laugh hysterically at Antwan. But Antwan did not cry or even turn red. He just looked at Gary Grasshopper and laughed back.

 

 

                        For the weeks after Antwan continued to deliver the papers. He got so good at delivering the daily news that his boss gave him a two-nut raise per paper he delivered. Antwan was so good that he had almost enough money to buy whatever he wanted. From that day when he got made fun of, he saved every last nut he earned. He whole room was filled with money. He couldn’t spend it fast enough. Antwan was so happy that he bought ten dozen doughnuts for his friends and a brand new kick ball to replace the old one that had a hole and needed to be patched up.

             All the other kids loved him for buying a brand new ball. He became the most popular kid in school and he was always picked first during recess. Nobody ever made fun of his silly uniform anymore. All the other kids began to deliver the newspapers too and Antwan was there leader. Even Poor Gary Grasshopper became a delivery boy for the Buggsville Times, but Antwan didnt make fun of him for his uniform. All he said was, “Now who wears the ugly hat.” Gary face ran red and he walked away with a look of embarrassment on his face.

            The Streets of Bugville we never empty in the mornings. It was the time when the streets were still damp and the morning paper hadn’t arrived. There was no sound save the occasional yip yap from a pet nat or the rustling of a clover trees leaves. All quiet, no one awake, except for the paperboys in their flamboyant uniforms. Street after street were little bugs in bright purple with pink stripes and yellow polka dots. Each and every one strutted down the street with their peculiar hats and there was Antwan leading the herd. From that day on, Antwan and all the other paperboys were able to deliver the paper without be laughed at or taunted.