He was diminutive, no taller than me, and a old a man as I had ever seen. He wore nothing but a pair of tattered breeches bunched at the waist, and there was a large knife in his belt. He was thin, too. In places – under his arms, round his neck and his midriff – his copper brown skin lay in folds about him, almost as if he’d shrunk inside it. What little hair he had on his head and his chin was long and wispy and white.
I could see at once that he was very agitated, his chin trembling, his heavily hooded eyes accusing and angry. ‘Dameda! Dameda!’ he screeched at me. This whole body was shaking with fury. I backed away as he scuttled up the beach toward me, gesticulating wildly with his stick, and haranguing me as he came. Ancient and skeletal he may have been, but he was moving fast, running almost. ‘Dameda! Dameda!’ I had no idea what he was saying. It sounded Chinese or Japanese, maybe.
[An extract from Kensuke’s Kingdom, by Michael Morpurgo – page 69]
I really enjoyed when you used the word ”gesticulating.” and ”haranguing.” Although I don’t know what they mean they sound like very important words. Next time I think it would be even better if you use a semi colon in your work.