When I Became Alexander the Great

When we were in fourth standard, we used to have extra-curricular activities happening in the shade of the old jackfruit trees(there were three of them but none exists today.) every once in a while. In fourth standard we had a lesson(it was a play I guess) on Alexander's encounter with the Indian king Porus and our teachers decided that we should enact it under the trees. I would've very much liked to be Porus because he was the real 'hero' but M was the teacher's favourite and so he became Porus and I was to be Alexander. I was disappointed but there was one solace, though. When I went home and told Pappa, he suggested that I modify my accent so as to sound like a foreigner(Imagine Alexander speaking Kannada!!!) so I adapted a wooden variety, like a robot I guess. So I became happy with the prospect of showing off my acting prowess but the happiness was short-lived. In the end of the play, when the two became friends, they hugged each other. But it was unimaginable for me and I'm sure M would agree with me that it was for him also(being shy and all that!!). Now I'm not sure if my horror stemmed from the fact that I had to hug a boy or that it was to be in front of everyone or that my friends would chide me about it forever after. May be it was all of these. So I refused flatly and teachers also could understand; they said we could shake hands at least. I don't know why we didn't agree to this but I know that was the case. So finally the friendship had to be indicated only by the touching of the swords which was quite funny right there actually.