It was an ordinary day at school, with the laptop open and me staring at my online classroom blackboard, waiting for the teacher to start. All at once a clown popped up out of nowhere.

“So today is your first day at the arts lesson. Start by drawing the moon. Let’s begin, class!” my teacher’s voice sounded from the speaker.

“You will be drawing a grizzly bear. Make sure you get his teeth right,” chuckled the clown, rubbing his red nose vigorously.

Well, since a grizzly bear seemed much more interesting, I decided to follow the clown’s instructions.

I began drawing. I made a head, body and tail, and after an hour, my beautiful bear was finished. I got ready to share my screen with the class.

“Yes Bilal, what have you drawn?” Ms Ambreen asked. Bilal uploaded a picture of a pink moon looking out over still, dark waters.

“That’s very good!” she said approvingly. “You next, Naseer.”

This was a silvery full moon, which had cast a milky glow in the sky around. Naseer was praised.

“What about you, Adil Mustafa?” I heard my name being called out. In some confusion, I uploaded my lovely grizzly bear. As it flashed upon the screen, I suddenly sensed how ridiculous it looked. There was a moment’s silence. Then Ms Ambreen spoke.

“What is this you have drawn, Adil? A dog? A wolf?”

I thought it better not to type anything in reply.

“Poor dear, it seems as if you are afraid of the moon. You have even drawn fangs ready to strike. Tell me, have you been seeing ghosts on a moonlit night?” asked Ms Ambreen.

It was a mercy that the mikes of all my classmates were muted. I was mortified.

I hurriedly clicked ‘Leave classroom’ before Ms Ambreen started again. I should be careful who I am listening to, I thought. What sort of a clown was that?

“Oh Adil! You shouldn’t be using my laptop right now. It has been attacked by malware and I have to get it fixed ....” my elder sister said to me as she entered the room.

Published in Dawn, Young World, February 13th, 2021