Someone said “shin” again, There was a wild stamping of hands on the

ground,

A kicking of feet, and the fit

Of laughter overtook me too,

And that was important, as important

As Joe Barone asking me how I was

Through his tears, picking me up

And dusting me off with hands like swatters,

And though my head felt heavy,

I played on till dusk

Missing flies and pop-ups and grounders

And calling out in desperation things like

“Yours” and “take it,” but doing all right,

Tugging at my cap in just the right way,

Crouching low, my feet set.

“Hum baby” sweetly on my lips.

—“How I Learned English,”
Gregory Djanikan

How do the other boys treat the speaker after he gets hit?

They are unfriendly to him.
They make him sad and lonely.
They accept him as a friend.
They push him away.