Page 14 - Digital Cornice Grade 9

DESCRIBING A PERSON

My Laughter

By: Mini Tamang

There is a special person in my life. No, he’s not my husband or my boyfriend. He’s a boy in my
class, and he's hilarious. He was so amusing that I'm sure I'll never forget him.

From the outside, he looks like a terrifying villain; someone who would carry a glimmering

sickle and stride around town with a big gang, beating up innocent people. He’d be perfect for a
South Indian movie. He always has a menacing frown plastered on his face; his black hair
slicked back without a strand is usually out of place and he has an uncanny white streak in the
front. He shows up at school with a fashion style that comes from the 80’s: olive green stretchy
pants stuck tight to his skinny legs. Like a physics geek, he has a pocket in his shirt filled with
pastel-colored Sharpies. He gives the impression of a brat who prefers money to people and
looks like the sort who would fume and give a gimlet eye to anyone who dared to play a trick on
him. But looks can be deceiving.

He is neither malicious nor solemn; and the exact opposite especially when with friends. He
prefers sharing smiles and enjoying life as it is. I have occasionally heard him say absurd things
such as imagining urine falling on our heads as rain. He says this with a straight face like a
grand scientific fact, making the rest of us crack up. Whether it be about studies, clothes, the
sky, or any other subject matter, he somehow manages to entertain us with his quirky jokes.
What I really admire is that he does not resort to vulgarity. Instead of using inoffensive terms,

he is funny with his style and gestures itself. As for the skills, he is definitely not great at
extracurricular activities. In music class, he always vibes to a spiky English rhythm from the
early 1900s. Raising his eyebrows and puckering his lips, he makes the class interesting and
entertaining. On other days, he makes up his songs, like the one about how stepping on an
earthworm infects his whole body. His watercolor pictures of women are hysterical. Their huge
faces have big, plump red lips, small eyes, and a lot of pink blush, but they rest on skinny little
necks and tiny bodies.

One time I remember, everyone in class was stressed about the math test. While the class was in
chaos, running from one corner to another, he was dozing off in his seat and was almost snoring
when a substitute teacher walked in and asked if he was okay. His reaction at that moment was
priceless and with a big smile on his face he replied, “Oh! Isn’t the test over?” Obviously there
are infinite moments such as this one and each one is hilarious and is equally entertaining.
Perhaps he is not the funniest-looking or funniest-sounding student, but Josh is the only one who
can make me break into a smile when I’m in a grumpy mood. That's saying a lot considering
when I'm grumpy, I'M GRUMPY.